There is an element of cold email strategy critical to your success: knowing exactly who your target customer is. We don’t just mean knowing whether they are a real estate office or manufacturing plant. We mean understanding them at a deeper level — so deep that you understand who they are, what they need and how to speak to them.
In marketing jargon, this is called your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). An ICP is a description of the kind of company that would recognize the value of your product or service and offer. Companies that fit your ICP are more likely to purchase your products or services, and to continue using and purchasing them long into the future.
When you have a clear and grounded understanding of your ICP, your marketing and promotional activities will be that much stronger and more impactful. This is especially true for sending cold emails.
When you understand who exactly you’re sending emails to, you’ll avoid wasting time, money and energy sending your emails to the wrong prospects and lay groundwork for a quality list of contacts and companies more likely to become your next customers.
Once your ICP is nailed down, it’s time to turn your attention to your email strategy. We’re providing an example of an introductory cold email with some commentary to give you solid insight. If you send an email based on the key elements of this template, your chances of sending a successful campaign will expand exponentially.
In our cold email example, the ICP is highly targeted — the Top 100 Healthcare Technology Companies of 2021.
Here is the first email in the campaign with our comments in italics.
Hi [prospect.first_name],
In the salutation, if you can include the prospect's actual name, your chances of being successful will increase exponentially. A generic salutation, such as Dear Store Manager, will not help you get your foot in the door. More likely, your figurative foot will get slammed in the door by way of the spam folder! For best results, send a personalized cold email using your prospect’s name.
Congratulations on [company.name] being named one of the Top 100 Healthcare Technology Companies of 2021.
Immediately get their attention with something specific to the reader. In this case, we called out their winner status. Notice too, the use of the company’s name in the email. That adds another layer of appeal and confidence for your ICP.
We have seen many of these leading and forward-thinking companies invest heavily in innovative digital marketing technologies. My digital marketing agency has worked with three of the top companies on the list.
Add a statement that gives your company credibility in your prospects’ eyes. Showing them you’re working with legitimate, contemporary companies will help establish your bona fides.
We have guided them through rebrands and website builds, while helping them gain highly-competitive spots within Google search results, generate qualified leads, move prospects down the sales funnel, and so much more.
Here are some of the results from our leading Healthcare Software clients:
Citing results you’ve helped companies achieve — especially if they are extraordinary — will be the most compelling aspect of this kind of cold email. First, people love numbers, stats and data. Secondly, they’ll be impressed and desire similar outcomes for themselves.
When we first speak with clients, most will tell us their ROI is falling short, and their programs are not meeting expectations. This can be caused by a combination of things. Healthcare Marketing is unique, and this is our area of expertise.
We have found that many healthcare companies shy away from creating online content because of the industry’s extensive regulations. We understand the nuances in this space and can help navigate them to your advantage.
Be sure to speak to your ICP’s pain points. Research shows that people are more likely to want to get relief for their pain than take a risk to acquire a gain. So lay it on them!
I’m curious, if you think there’s room for improvement, would you be open to a conversation?
We can certainly make some recommendations and share some insights, and perhaps find new ways that would resonate with your audience and keep them coming back for more.
[prospect.first_name], are you free next week for an initial chat?
Go in for the kill! When it comes time to make the call-to-action, you want to be respectful, but forceful. In particular, your ICP should know exactly what the next steps are, what they should do to work with you and start getting the kinds of results cited earlier.
Looking forward to it, and once again, congratulations!
Brianne
P.S.: Here is a recent testimonial from one of your peers:
“We are so thankful for the time and effort your team has invested into helping us revamp our website, launch our first blog, design email templates for newsletters, and implement a marketing campaign. The team was extremely receptive to what we envisioned and with their creativity and expertise, we were able to create something truly unique to help grow our business. Thank you so very much!”
Adding a testimonial at the end of this particular email is like adding not just the icing on the cake, but a huge scoop of ice cream on the side. Not only have you dazzled your ICP with a compelling message that gives them confidence in your company, but also you’ve provided a review that came directly from one of your satisfied customers. What could be sweeter?
To gain the best chance of delivering successful emails to your ICPs, work with pros who have achieved this level of cold email marketing success.
P.S. See our blog post about this digital agency’s five-stage email campaign — and its amazing results.