Has email lost it's Juice?

Author

Jeff Tucker
June 17, 2024

Howdy, Juicers!


Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s been a bit… well, chilly. Yup, we’re talking about cold emailing. I’ve heard from many in the recruiting space that their emailing efforts aren’t returning the same results as in years past. If you’ve been feeling that way too, you’re not alone, but with the right techniques, it can still be your number one top-of-funnel channel. Let’s explore why it’s been on the decline and how you can revive it with a step-by-step guide. And no, the answer is not AI. 🤣

The Problem - Why Cold Emailing Has Declined:

  1. Spam Filters are Ruthless: Studies show that over 20% of commercial emails never make it to the inbox. They’re flagged as spam and sent to email purgatory.

  2. Inbox Overload: This is a big one. The average office worker receives 121 emails per day, making it easy for your cold email to get lost in the shuffle.

  3. Dwindling Attention Spans: With so many emails vying for attention, yours needs to stand out or it’s game over.

  4. People Only Read Emails from Recognized Senders: I’m guilty of this—if I don’t recognize your name, it’s likely that email is going to the trash can.

  5. Poor Email Practices: According to a survey by HubSpot, only 24% of sales emails are opened, largely due to irrelevant content and poor targeting.

  6. Hard Call to Actions (CTAs): 95% of the cold emails I receive offer zero value and directly ask for a meeting or sale. Let that sink in. Always ask yourself—would you respond to this email?—before you send it.

But fear not! We’ve got the secret sauce to ensure your emails land in the primary inbox and actually get responses.

My Cold Email Rules:

  1. Don’t send cold emails from your primary domain: Use secondary domains to protect your main domain’s reputation.

  2. DNS Settings are Key: Ensure your DMARC, DKIM, and SPF settings are properly configured to avoid looking like a spam sender.

  3. PLAIN TEXT ONLY: Keep it simple—no links, attachments, or images in your signature or email body.

  4. Warm Up Your Email Inboxes: Use a trusted warmup pool (we recommend smartlead.ai).

  5. Validate Every Email: Only send to validated emails with a goal of <2% bounce rate. We suggest leadmagic.io for validation.

  6. Daily Email Limits: When sending campaigns from an inbox, stick to 23 cold emails per inbox per day and 20 warmup emails with a 70% reply rate.

  7. Use Reputable Inboxes: Opt for Google and Microsoft inboxes bought directly from them, not resellers. SMTP email is a no-no.

  8. Check for SPAM Words Before Sending: Use tools like MailTester to check for spammy words in your email copy. (smartlead has this functionality baked into the product)

  9. Keep Sequences to Just 2-3 Emails Maximum: Don’t be a spammer. Provide some value, ask if they want your help, and if they don’t get back to you, then they aren’t interested. Don’t be a pesky fly landing in their tall glass of juice!

Email Copy Best Practices:

  1. Personalization is Key: NO CORNY PERSONALIZATION—Don’t quote a post they made or mention the college they went to. Find something relevant to the message. I like opening up with a mutual connection we share or group we’re both in to break the ice.

  2. Catchy Subject Lines: Make your subject line intriguing and relevant. I avoid the “Quick question” click bait; it doesn’t work anymore. Studies show that personalized subject lines increase open rates by 50%.

  3. Short and Sweet: Keep your emails concise. Aim for 50-125 words maximum; jam some value into these short notes.

  4. Call-to-Action: Be clear about what you want the recipient to do next, whether it’s scheduling a call, visiting a website, or replying to your email. Don’t ask too much out of a stranger. I’ve included some winning CTAs at the bottom of this note.

The Cold Email Setup Playbook:

  1. Buy Domains: Get 10 domains from GoDaddy (e.g., buyXYZ.com, tryxyz.com, supportxyz.com, growxyz.com).

  2. Configure DNS Settings: Point domains to Cloudflare and set up DMARC, DKIM, and SPF records.

  3. Use Google & Microsoft Inboxes: Split your domains, using 5 on Google Workspace and 5 on Microsoft Outlook (buy directly from the providers).

  4. Set Up Inboxes: Create 2 inboxes per domain (e.g., [email protected] & [email protected]).

  5. Connect to Warmup Pool: Link your inboxes to a warmup service like smartlead.ai.

  6. Warm Up: Allow 2 weeks for warmup with 25 emails at a 60% reply rate.

  7. Ready, Set, Fire!: Start your campaigns and watch the meetings roll in. You can now hit 2300 emails per week, on autopilot.

Prospecting Tactics to Get Your Wheels Spinning:

  1. LinkedIn Sales Navigator: Use advanced search filters to find leads with mutual connections, groups, or interests.

  2. Industry Forums and Groups: Join relevant forums and groups to engage with your ICP (ideal customer profile). Be one that adds value to the group consistently and folks will start to remember you.

  3. Content Engagement: Engage in others' content and track who’s engaging with your content (likes, shares, comments). If you’re providing them value, they’ll likely be more interested in engaging with you.

  4. Track Individual Contributors Who Are Leaving Roles at Your Prospects: Hit them up asking how they’re planning to backfill that person before they even post a job.

Increasing Positive Responses:

  1. Leverage Social Proof: Mention any mutual connections, shared groups, or clients you work with in their industry to build credibility.

  2. Offer Value: Provide something of value, like an insightful report or a useful tip, to make your email worth reading. Pro tip: give them a piece of your service for free.

  3. Follow-Up Wisely: Don’t be afraid to send follow-up emails, but space them out and provide new information or value each time. Never follow up for the sake of “Checking back in”—lead with value or a new offer in your follow-ups.

A Winning Email Template:


💡The template:
Hi {First name},

{Personalized first line}.

If I could {generate X result} {risk minimizer}, {social proof} {CTA}.

Regards,

{Your first name}


💡Example:

Hi Ron,

I saw we’re both in the Oracle Technology & Applications User Group. Are you going to the Ascend conference in June?

If I shared 5 qualified and pre-vetted Oracle Cloud Consultants for your open position, like I recently did to close a position for XYZ Client, would you consider their candidacy?

Cheers,

Jeff

Winning CTAs:

  1. Direct Response: Simply asking the prospect if they’re interested in your offer.

  2. Outcomes-Based: Highlight the outcomes you’ve already driven, and ask if they’re interested in similar outcomes.

  3. Problem-Sniffing: Ideate problems their industry peers face and ask if they also deal with them.

  4. Solution-Focused: Go right in with the assumption that they have a pain point and suggest how you’d solve it.

  5. Case Study: State the result you got for another client and ask if you can share the case study.

  6. Sales Asset: Ask if you can share a sales asset that the recipient would find valuable.

Conclusion:

That’s your JUICE for the week. Cold emailing doesn't have to be a lost cause. By following these rules and best practices, you can turn it into a powerful tool for generating new leads and growing your business. Remember, the key is to stay persistent, be creative, and always keep learning.

If you want to receive our “Email Setup SOP” or our “Cold Email Playbook,” respond “YES PLEASE” and we’ll send them over! Have a great week and stay thirsty, juicers!

Cheers,

Jeff