This video provides a practical guide to cold emailing for B2B tech and SaaS sales professionals. Connor Murray, with extensive experience in enterprise software sales and SDR management, shares effective strategies, templates, and follow-up techniques to maximize email response rates and meeting bookings. He emphasizes the importance of assumptive language and efficient email cadences.
Power of Email Prospecting: Cold emailing is highly scalable, allowing for many more outreach attempts than cold calling. Slight improvements in email strategies can significantly impact results. While cold calling offers higher-value interactions, email's scalability and control over tone make it crucial for booking initial meetings.
Importance of Responses: The key to successful email prospecting is eliciting responses, regardless of whether they're positive or negative. More responses translate to more chances to book meetings. The focus should be on increasing the probability of a response, not solely on immediate meeting bookings.
Effective Email Templates: Connor deconstructs common ineffective email templates, highlighting passive language and generic messaging. He provides examples of improved templates utilizing assumptive language, focusing on clearly stating the purpose of the email and implying a meeting will occur.
Follow-up Email Strategies: Effective follow-up emails are crucial, as many prospects don't respond to the initial email. Short, direct follow-ups that encourage the recipient to read the initial email are more effective than lengthy follow-ups. A suggested cadence involves short follow-ups every other day, culminating in a direct message like "Please give me your thoughts on this."
ABAB Email Cadence: This cadence involves sending emails to two different groups (A and B) on alternating days, followed by follow-up emails to each group. This systematic approach helps maintain consistent outreach and maximizes efficiency. Objection handling is addressed by creating a "bank" of prepared responses to common objections.
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What are the three key questions that Connor Murray suggests answering in every cold email? Connor suggests answering these three questions in every email:
What are some examples of passive language in cold emails, and how can they be improved using assumptive language? Connor provides examples of passive language like: "I hope this email finds you well," "I wanted to reach out to hopefully set up a time," "I would love to set up time next week," "potentially act as a resource," and "get a better understanding of your current applications." He suggests replacing these with assumptive language, such as stating the intent directly: "I'm looking to set up 15-20 minutes next week to introduce myself and get aligned with your priorities," or "Let me know when works best, and I will send the invite."
What is the "ABAB Cadence" and how does it improve cold emailing efficiency? The ABAB Cadence is a system for sending cold emails to two different groups (A and B) on alternating days. The following days involve sending follow-up emails to groups A and B respectively. This systematic approach ensures consistent outreach over time without requiring daily planning, increasing efficiency and allowing for scaled, targeted efforts.
How does Connor suggest handling objections raised in response to cold emails? Connor suggests creating an "objection handling bank"—a document containing pre-written responses to common objections. When an objection arises, he recommends acknowledging the concern, explaining why a meeting is still valuable, and then requesting a meeting time. An example response to "We're already an XYZ customer" might be: "Thank you for the insight. The idea is to get introduced and be a resource; we work with many XYZ customers, so if there's a fit, we can move forward. A brief 15-minute call would be appreciated."
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Crafting a highly effective cold email, according to Connor Murray, centers around three core components delivered with assumptive language: Who you are, Why you're contacting them, and What you want.
1. Who You Are (Concise and Relevant): Begin with a brief, direct introduction. Don't waste words with pleasantries like "I hope this email finds you well." Immediately state your name, company, and team, highlighting your relevance to the recipient. Instead of broad descriptions, tailor your introduction to the specific recipient's role and industry. For example, instead of saying you work in "sales, service, and marketing," specify the exact services you offer that align with their known needs or challenges.
2. Why You're Contacting Them (Value Proposition): This section focuses on the value you bring. Don't give a general overview of your company or its offerings. Instead, clearly articulate the specific priorities and challenges you address for this recipient. Research their company and identify pain points you can solve. Mentioning shared clients or industry successes adds credibility. Use specific, measurable results to demonstrate your value. Avoid buzzwords and marketing jargon.
3. What You Want (Assumptive and Actionable): This is where assumptive language is key. Don't ask if they have time or are interested. Instead, state that you're scheduling a meeting and offer specific times or dates. This implies that the meeting is already a given, prompting a more direct response. Phrase your request as a statement of intent, like "I'm looking to set some time this week to discuss [specific topic]." Provide concise options for scheduling to make it easy for them to accept. "Thanks in advance" is statistically a highly effective closing.
Overall Tone and Style: Maintain a professional yet personable tone. Write as if you're directly addressing the recipient, avoiding generic templates. Keep the email brief and to the point; every sentence should serve a purpose. Use strong, confident language and avoid passive phrases.
Follow-up Strategy: Prepare a short, direct follow-up sequence, usually three emails sent every other day. The goal isn't to provide more information but to nudge them to review your initial email. The most effective final follow-up is often a simple, direct message like, "Please give me your thoughts on this."
By focusing on clarity, relevance, and a confident, assumptive tone, you can significantly increase your chances of securing a meeting through cold emailing. Remember to constantly test and refine your approach based on your results.
