How To Convert Customers With Cold Emails | Startup School

Aarin Epstein, a group partner at YC, shares insights on crafting cold emails that convert by emphasizing the importance of warm introductions and personalized outreach. He advises leveraging networks through platforms like LinkedIn and suggests manually writing emails to learn and optimize before scaling. Epstein outlines a funnel strategy for conversion and highlights seven principles for effective email copy: having a focused goal, being human, personalizing content, keeping it short, establishing credibility, focusing on the reader, and having a clear call to action. He stresses the significance of targeting and persistence for higher open and response rates.

• The most effective way to improve email response rates is through warm introductions, which can increase conversion rates by two to three times compared to cold emails.
• Utilize networks such as LinkedIn, friends, colleagues, and alumni to find connections that can introduce you to your target contacts.
• In cases where warm introductions are not possible, focus on crafting effective cold emails for various purposes like sales, recruiting, partnerships, or mentorship.

"Get a warm intro. This is the most effective way to get people to respond to emails that you're sending to them."

• Warm introductions significantly enhance the likelihood of receiving a response, making them a powerful tool in email outreach.

• Begin with a clear goal, such as acquiring new customers, and work backward to map out the conversion funnel.
• Understand the conversion rates at each stage of the funnel to determine the number of emails needed to achieve your goal.
• Start with manual and personalized emails to learn what works before scaling the process.

"Your goal is to get one new customer... you're going to need to send 800 emails to get those 400 opens."

• Mapping out the funnel helps in understanding the volume of outreach required to meet specific goals.

• Continuously track and measure conversion rates at each step of the funnel to identify areas for improvement.
• Conversion rates vary by industry, brand, product, and customer type, so it's crucial to find what works for your specific situation.
• Conversion rates tend to decrease as you scale, so ensure good rates before expanding your efforts.

"If you have an especially low conversion rate at one step in the funnel, it might mean that there's a lot of room for improvement."

• Monitoring conversion rates helps in identifying weaknesses in the funnel and optimizing for better results.

• Better targeting is the most effective way to increase open rates, focusing on finding people who want your product or service.
• Send targeted emails rather than mass untargeted ones to improve the likelihood of responses.
• Use a personal name in the "from" field and craft simple, non-salesy subject lines.

"It's better to send 100 targeted emails that are going to have a much higher open rate... rather than a thousand untargeted emails."

• Targeted emails are more likely to be opened and responded to, enhancing the effectiveness of your outreach.

• Email is generally the best channel for outreach, while LinkedIn can be less effective unless tailored to the industry.
• Text messaging can be highly personal but should only be used with explicit permission to avoid privacy invasion.
• Adapt communication channels based on industry norms and recipient preferences.

"Email is usually better, LinkedIn is usually worse, and if you're text messaging somebody, it can be even more personal."

• Selecting the appropriate communication channel is crucial for effective outreach and respecting recipient boundaries.

• To find strangers' email addresses, consider asking mutual connections, checking LinkedIn, or looking at personal blogs and websites.
• An introduction from a mutual contact is always preferable to directly reaching out.

"You can ask someone who knows them if they have their email address that they can share with you."

• Using connections to find email addresses can lead to more successful outreach and potential introductions.

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a tool for finding and contacting relevant people.
• Email format guessing can be effective if you know the company's email structure.
• Tools like Apollo.io, Hunter.io, and Clearbit can simplify finding the right email addresses.

"The LinkedIn Sales Navigator tool, which is a great way to find relevant people to reach out to and also contact."

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator is highlighted as an effective tool for identifying and contacting potential connections.

"There are even really great tools that can help make this pretty simple too like apollo.io, hunter.io, clear bid, and many others."

• These tools are recommended for simplifying the process of finding accurate email addresses.

• Personal branding is crucial for startups as company brands may not be recognized initially.
• The focus should be on personal efforts, communication style, and personalization.
• Building trust with customers involves personal commitment and accessibility.

"Building your brand is really important when you're reaching out... you are the brand."

• Emphasizes the significance of personal branding over company branding in the early stages.

"You basically are trying to get users, customers, Partners to not just make a bet on your company but to make a bet on you personally."

• Highlights the personal investment required to gain trust and establish connections.

• Emails should have a single, clear goal to avoid overwhelming the recipient.
• Multiple requests can lead to decision fatigue, resulting in inaction.

"The first is to have a focus specific goal... you want to keep it focused on a single outcome."

• Stresses the importance of having a clear, singular objective in email communication.

• Use emotional language and informal tone to connect with recipients.
• Personal touches like typos or creative content can make emails feel more genuine.

"It really helps to talk about emotions... because humans talk about emotions."

• Suggests using emotional language to create a more relatable and human connection.

"You really want to write how you talk to a friend."

• Encourages an informal and friendly tone to foster a personal connection.

• Personalization is key to avoiding the appearance of spam.
• Specific details about the recipient or their work demonstrate genuine interest.

"Everyone loves their name... hey Aaron feels like it was written for me."

• Highlights the impact of using the recipient's name to create a personalized touch.

"You want to try to find the uncommon commonalities with the people that you're reaching out to."

• Advises finding unique shared traits to establish a deeper connection.

• Personalization requires research and effort to understand the recipient's background and interests.
• Establishing uncommon commonalities can strengthen the connection and increase response rates.

"It's not easy to figure out what these uncommon commonalities are and so that means that you have to do the work."

• Emphasizes the need for thorough research and effort in personalization to build meaningful connections.

• Keep It Short

  • Emails should be concise to ensure they are easy to read and respond to, especially when recipients are reading on mobile devices.

  • Avoid long texts that require significant cognitive effort, as these may be ignored or deleted.

  "If you've got a wall of text, that's just going to be an instant delete for most recipients."

  • Long emails are likely to be ignored; brevity increases the chance of a quick response.

• Establish Credibility

  • Use recognizable affiliations, such as prestigious schools or companies, to establish credibility.

  • Mention well-known customers or industry-specific data to enhance trust and interest.

  "If you're in YC, often that can be credibility enough to open doors."

  • Associating with credible institutions or clients can make recipients more receptive to your message.

• Focus on the Reader

  • Frame the email content around the recipient's needs and problems, rather than focusing on yourself.

  • Use language that resonates with the recipient, often the same language they use to describe your service.

  "It's all about the reader, not about you."

  • Tailoring the message to the recipient's perspective makes it more engaging and relevant.

• Clear Call to Action

  • Conclude emails with a specific, standalone call to action, making it clear what the recipient should do next.

  • Ensure the call to action is easy to spot and understand.

  "You want to end with a concrete next step."

  • A clear directive at the end of an email increases the likelihood of the recipient taking the desired action.

• Targeting

  • Ensure emails are sent to the correct audience to improve conversion rates.

  • Misalignment in targeting can render even well-crafted emails ineffective.

  "This illustrates the importance of having really strong targeting with your emails."

  • Proper targeting is crucial for the success of email campaigns.

• Personalization

  • Use the recipient's name and details specific to them to create a more personalized experience.

  • Personalization signals effort and attention to detail, increasing engagement.

  "First, they didn't even have my name; it just says 'hey there.'"

  • Lack of personalization can lead to a negative impression and lower engagement.

• Persistence vs. Annoyance

  • Plan to follow up multiple times if needed, but space out follow-ups to avoid being perceived as annoying.

  • Be creative in follow-up strategies to capture attention.

  "There's a fine line between being persistent and being annoying."

  • Balancing persistence with respect for the recipient's time is key to effective follow-ups.

• Acceptance of Non-Response

  • Accept that not all emails will receive a response and avoid frustration.

  • Consider revisiting non-responsive contacts after some time has passed.

  "Nobody owes you anything here; just move on."

  • Understanding and accepting non-response is important for maintaining professionalism.

• Ineffective Emails

  • Lack of personalization and unclear requests can make emails ineffective.

  • Emails that do not align with the recipient's needs or interests are unlikely to succeed.

  "The problem with this is that my company sold digital design assets that were downloadable from the internet."

  • Misalignment between the email content and recipient needs leads to ineffectiveness.

• Effective Emails

  • Emails that are well-targeted, personalized, and have a clear call to action are more likely to succeed.

  • Real-world examples highlight the importance of these elements.

  "We're going to take a look at a few emails that are actually really effective."

  • Analyzing effective emails helps understand the application of these principles in practice.

• Cold emails should focus on the recipient's needs and interests rather than the sender's achievements and background.
• Including personal information about how the sender found the recipient can be irrelevant and off-putting.
• An email overly focused on the sender ("I, I, I") is less likely to engage the recipient.

"You don't need to tell somebody how you found their contact information that's relevant to you not relevant to them."

• The quote highlights the irrelevance of sharing personal discovery details in cold emails, emphasizing focus on recipient needs.

"Basically everything about this email is I I I it's all focused on the person who sent it not on me the recipient and why I should reach back out to this person to work with them."

• This illustrates the common mistake of self-centered emails, stressing the importance of addressing the recipient's concerns.

• Successful cold emails establish a personal connection through shared experiences or commonalities.
• Building credibility by mentioning reputable past experiences or associations can enhance trust.
• Clear call-to-actions are crucial for directing the recipient on the next steps.

"Hope you don't mind the cold reach out but saw you also spent time in Van munching Hall."

• Demonstrates establishing a personal connection through shared experiences, which can increase engagement.

"My co-founder and I are both ex-Google employees working together on a meeting-driven task manager."

• Shows the use of credibility-building by mentioning reputable past experiences to gain trust.

"Let me know the best email to send you the doc and thanks in advance."

• Highlights the importance of a clear call-to-action, guiding the recipient on what to do next.

• Personalizing emails with informal language and exclusive offers can make them feel more special to the recipient.
• Using language that conveys exclusivity and personalization can increase the recipient's interest and engagement.

"Here's a special link to start setting up your shop. It's still super early in the rollout process for us so I'd love any thoughts or feedback you have."

• Emphasizes the use of exclusive language and personalization to make the recipient feel valued and engaged.

"We're inviting handpick sellers only at this point so trying to keep it super exclusive for now."

• Illustrates the strategy of creating a sense of exclusivity to entice the recipient.

• Initial emails may need refinement to better address recipient interests and clearly communicate benefits.
• Social proof, such as mentioning recognizable brands, can lend legitimacy but should be paired with clear recipient benefits.
• Simplifying offers and making them more appealing can significantly increase response rates.

"Hey, we're in the current YC batch hustling to achieve our demo day goal. Can you forward me to your office manager to chat about trying our delicious smoothies in the office for free in exchange for feedback to improve our product?"

• Shows the initial approach, highlighting the need for clearer recipient benefits and engagement strategies.

"Hey first name, I'm Oliver the founder of snack Blends from the current YC badge and I'd love to throw free Smoothie party for the whole company team at your office."

• Demonstrates the refined approach focusing on clear, appealing benefits for the recipient, improving engagement.

• Initial manual effort in sending cold emails is essential for understanding and refining the process before scaling.
• Personalized emails from founders or CEOs are more likely to be taken seriously than those from automated systems or lower-level employees.
• Tracking and measuring conversion rates at each step of the funnel is crucial for identifying areas for improvement.

"If closing customers by sending cold emails is an important part of your growth strategy, you should be blocking off hours per day to do this and do it incredibly well."

• Emphasizes the importance of dedicating time and effort to manually refine cold email strategies before automation.

"People are going to take them way more seriously when it comes from the founders or the CEO much more so than if it comes from some account executive or some intern."

• Highlights the impact of personalized attention from high-level individuals on the effectiveness of cold emails.

"Figure out at each step of the funnel what's the conversion rate, how can I improve it."

• Stresses the necessity of measuring and analyzing conversion rates to refine and improve cold email strategies.