Three Cold Email Templates that Generate Meetings, Not Spam Complaints

We’ve all had that neighbor.

They’re the one you avoid when taking out the trash or collecting the mail because if you don’t, you’re in for it: the dreaded half-hour update on their prize-winning Schnauzer, a deep dive into their latest hobby, or the most recent gossip on their entire extended family.

The only constant is these conversations feel scripted – the only interchangeable element is you.

Sounds like most sales outreach, doesn’t it?

It’s no secret that most cold emails are automated, bad and plain boring. After all, most sales outreach is not about the prospect – it’s about our products and our need to book a meeting. Let’s look at how to turn that upside down.

A Framework for Effective Sales Outreach

The difference between cold emails that grab a prospect and those destined for spam comes down to three letters: A-I-M. Standing for Anxiety, Influence and Motivation, and it's your roadmap to compelling outreach that resonates.

Here’s how it works:

● Anxiety can be a way to access the brain's curiosity mechanism. By tapping into this, you're not sending an email, you're starting a conversation – igniting intrigue, sparking engagement and showing your prospects that you're not another spam complaint waiting to happen. You're something different.

● What exactly are you? Well, here’s where Influence comes in. You’ll need to include information that proves you’re relevant, knowledgeable and credible. Many factors are at play, but once you've sparked curiosity, you can set a new course.

● The final element is Motivation. Have you provided enough provocation and value to inspire action? If so, here’s where you’ll include a clear CTA with next steps.

Building Sales Email Templates that Generate Meetings

Now that you know the three pillars of effective cold emails, let’s dive into three examples. To keep things simple, we’ll use the same setup for all examples: Imagine you’re Brandon, an AE at a SaaS company specializing in customer data management and marketing analytics, and you’re targeting large consulting firms – for this example, you’re reaching out the CMO of Acme Consulting, Valerie.

Using Anxiety to Pique Interest

Valerie,

I’m sending similar messages to Camille, Noel and Cole to see who would be most interested in speaking with me about leveraging changing consumer habits, CX management and tracking marketing return on investment (MROI).

Working with other global consulting firms and CMOs, we’ve achieved a 23% increase in customer retention rates, an 11% increase in net promoter score and a 30% reduction in time spent analyzing MROI.

I have time on Thursday, February 8, between 10-2 PT, and you can book time for a 30-minute call here. Please suggest a convenient time if this time slot doesn't work for you.

Thank you,

Brandon

Using Information Sharing to Build Relationships

Hi Valerie,  

I came across your name earlier this year when HubSpot featured your quote in its blog post, “How to Accelerate AI Adoption Across Your Marketing Team.”

I read another article in Harvard Business Review last week – the takeaway was that early adopters of AI struggle to use the latest consumer habits to inform AI-based workflows, leaving considerable revenue on the table.  

I know from our clients’ experiences that consulting firms and CMOs who seamlessly integrate market and customer data into their teams’ workflows have seen a 23% increase in customer retention rates, an 11% increase in net promoter score and a 30% reduction in time spent analyzing MROI.

I’d like to schedule 30 minutes with you to talk about some ideas we have for Acme Consulting.

I have time on Tuesday between 9-11 PT – if that doesn’t work for you, please suggest a time that does.

Thank you,

Brandon

Using Industry Stats to Open Doors

Valerie,

What are your strategies for CX management and leveraging the latest consumer behavior trends?

I'm sure you've heard that consulting firms with dedicated CX management programs and tools see, on average, a 20% increase in customer retention rates and a 10% increase in NPS.

This is why our product, IntrigueAnalytics, integrates market and customer behavior data with AI-based workflows to identify issues before they happen.

Would you like to have a quick call so I can learn more about your strategies and see if you can leverage our solutions?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Brandon

Why These Cold Email Templates Work

The power of the A-I-M Framework is its applicability across outreach. While the above example focused on emails, you can use this conversational framework as the basis for compelling cold calls, InMails and more.

Remember, the first few touches should also be rooted in value, so you’ll be sharing resources from your company’s Sphere of Influence or relevant 3rd-party research. The next step might be a voicemail using all three A-I-M components. Step three is an email focused on influence and includes a case study that speaks to the prospect’s likely business issues. If you’re hearing nothing but static, it might be time for a more anxiety-focused email. Ultimately, you’re searching for that critical motivating element that will resonate with a prospect, pique interest and provoke action.

For more selling advice, check out:

● The 300th episode of our podcast, The B2B Revenue Executive Experience

● Our latest ebook, the “4-Step Guide to Measuring Sales Enablement Impact”

● “20 Strategies To Personalize The Customer Experience” in Forbes

As always, Sell with Value,

-Julie

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