We, SaaS founders, often try to find a shortcut that converts potential leads into trial users without burning through our marketing budget. But is there even any way to do this? Well, that’s what exactly cold emails are there for you.
You can get your first 100 trials using cold email campaigns within a short time if you can consider these cold emails as starting a conversation at a networking event. You wouldn’t just throw your business card at someone and walk away, right? You’d engage, listen, and connect.
That’s exactly what cold emailing is, and I will go through how you can do this in your cold email campaigns and quickly lock the first 100 trails. Let’s start and see some actionable strategies that turn those cold leads into warm prospects together!
A cold email campaign involves sending emails to potential customers who have not previously interacted with your brand or product. Unlike warm emailing, it reaches out to a new audience with the aim of initiating a conversation and building a connection.
The answer is a resounding yes but with the twist of its success relying heavily on strategy and execution.
The essence of a successful cold email campaign to attract trial users lies in personalization and relevance. You will have to start with a killer list. It isn’t about spraying and praying. You want to know exactly who you’re talking to. What do they want to improve? What are they hoping to solve? This insight lets you curate your message so finely that when it hits their inbox, it feels less like a cold call and more like a tip from a friend who knows their stuff.
But here’s the catch – you gotta keep it clean and respectful. You’re walking into their space, after all. You will need to adhere to regulations like GDPR and the CAN-SPAM Act.
Darell is a buddy of mine who runs a SaaS platform for online retailers. He tweaked his cold email approach to focus more on the headaches of handling online returns. His emails went from templated broadcasts to feeling like a chat over coffee, discussing real problems and offering tangible solutions. The result? His trial sign-ups shot through the roof.
So, the deal here is that cold email is a powerhouse for pulling in trial users, but only if you make it about them, not just you. Educate, engage, and respect. Do this right, and you’re gaining a user and potentially a long-term customer who feels valued from the get-go.
Let’s go through a comprehensive step-by-step guide that will help you ensure the first trails with your cold email campaign.
You need to establish what “success” will look like for your campaign. In this context, the primary goal we have is straightforward: acquiring 100 new trial users.
However, you need to have a framework or foundation to come up with goals, right? This is where SMART goals – a framework ensuring goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound – become vital. Let’s break it down with the goal of 100 first trials that we have taken to make sure your approach is as sharp as possible:
Having SMART goals directs your efforts more efficiently and enables you to articulate the value proposition of your trial more clearly within your emails.
Creating an effective prospect list is pivotal to the success of your cold email campaign. It all starts with pinpointing your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Think of the ICP as a blueprint for your perfect customer.
It’s a detailed sketch of a hypothetical company or individual who embodies the client you want to serve. To craft this profile, you’ll have to delve into specifics like industry, company size, job roles, their main challenges, and how they make purchasing decisions.
You can also consider your ICP the bullseye on your target. Surrounding this bullseye is your target audience – these companies or individuals who don’t fit your ICP perfectly but share enough characteristics to be potential leads. They might vary in engagement level or how urgently they need your product, but they’re still within your broader market scope.
Email prospect list in SalesMix
Once your ICP is crystal clear, you’re ready to gather names and contacts. Here’s how you can build out that list:
As you compile your list, quality over quantity is key. Make sure that the contact information is up-to-date and that each prospect aligns well with your ICP and target audience. High-quality data is the backbone of a successful campaign—after all, the right message needs to reach the right person.
Getting started, the first thing on your list is picking the right email service provider. The market is bustling with options, but your aim should be to choose one that ensures strong deliverability, meshes well with your existing tools, and offers detailed analytics to keep tabs on your campaigns. You can go for proven performers like Google Workspace, Outlook, or Zoho Mail. These platforms are known for their reliability, which significantly lowers the chances of your emails going to the spam folder.
Warming up your email account is crucial, as it’s about making a good first impression with Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The process involves gradually increasing your email volume to establish your account as legitimate.
You should start by sending emails to a small group of contacts, like colleagues or existing clients, who will likely engage actively with your messages. This initial step helps to build your email’s reputation and gets ISPs used to your presence, reducing the risk of being marked as spam
Automated Email Warm-Up in SalesMix
As your email account gains footing, you should keep up the momentum by slowly expanding the number of emails you send. Begin with around 10-20 trusted contacts per day in the first week, and then consider doubling these numbers in the following weeks. This gradual increase helps ISPs recognize and get accustomed to your email patterns, which helps keep your emails out of the spam folder.
Understanding the sending limits set by your email provider is vital. These limits are there to curb spam and preserve the quality of the service. For instance, a paid Google Workspace account might allow you to send up to 2,000 emails daily, while a standard Gmail account caps at 500. However, it’s advisable not to send more than 50 emails per day to keep a good image for your sender reputation.
Planning out the volume of your emails and the necessary number of email accounts is key to a successful cold email campaign. This strategy ensures that your messages are delivered effectively and safeguards the reputation of your business’s email domain.
If you’re sending from a Gmail or Google Workspace account, you can use this editable calculator in Google Sheets to find out how many accounts, domains, and emails per day you need. You need to copy the sheet and put your input on how many emails you want to send in total and your campaign period.
Email Number calculator
Let’s look into creating email copy that speaks to potential users and engages them. The first email you send is like your handshake – it sets the tone for everything that follows. You want it to be clear, compelling, and relevant. Do you know how it feels to get a cold email that makes you want to respond? That’s the sweet spot.
Clarity and relevance are key when drafting your initial cold email. Research is also fundamental before drafting your emails, as you need to understand your target audience’s common pain points and align your product as a solution to these problems.
Personalization is more than just throwing in a name; it’s about crafting a message that resonates deeper with the individual’s needs, role, and industry context. Your email should reflect an understanding of their business environment.
Let’s say you’re reaching out to Sarah, who runs a mid-sized SaaS company. Mentioning her company’s recent shift to remote work shows you’ve done your homework. Dive into specifics, like how your tool can streamline her team’s communication hiccups. Like that time when you highlighted how your software helped a similar company boost team productivity by 20%. It’s about making your message as relatable as a chat over coffee.
You can also discuss specific pain points your product or service can solve. It’s a must that you avoid generic claims about efficiency or cost-effectiveness without proper numbers. You may provide concise, compelling examples of how your solution has helped similar companies or roles.
Your call to action should feel like the natural next step by aligning seamlessly with your email’s content, not a sales pitch. Your email should build a narrative or argument that naturally leads to the CTA, making the action seem like the logical next step.
Imagine you’re explaining how your tool can cut down weekly planning time. Why not invite them to see it in action? Suggest a quick demo or a trial sign-up with phrases like, “See how easy Monday mornings can be—grab a slot for a demo here.”
You should make it super easy for them by making it frictionless. You can embed a calendar link right there or a simple one-click sign-up to easily start a conversation.
You need to be mindful of the language you use in your email. Don’t you know those emails filled with “FREE” and “GUARANTEE” that make you roll your eyes? Yeah, skip that.
You should choose words that are straightforward but engaging. For example, instead of saying, “Claim your free trial now!” you might go with, “Start your no-cost trial today and see the difference firsthand with {{Your Service}}.” or “Find Out How {{Your Service}} Can Elevate Your {{Specific Role’s Need}}” It’s about being professional yet personable.
Write a straightforward email subject line in SalesMix
Emails that are heavily loaded with images, excessive links, or HTML errors are more likely to be flagged as spam. You should maintain a healthy text-to-image ratio and keep your email design simple and clean.
It’s essential to connect directly to the needs and interests of your target audience. For example, if your product offers a solution to improve efficiency, a subject line like “Boost Your Team’s Productivity in Just 10 Minutes a Day” can be very effective because it clearly states the benefit.
And, of course, include that unsubscribe link. It’s a legal requirement under laws such as the CAN-SPAM Act in the United States and GDPR in Europe. It is also about showing your recipients that you respect their choices and let them easily opt out of further communications.
This way, the folks who stick around are genuinely interested in what you have to offer. It’s about building trust and keeping your list clean and engaged.
Easily add an unsubscribe link in your cold email with SalesMix
Initial Cold Email Template
You can copy the template from here –
Subject: Discover How {{Your Service}} Can Elevate Your {{Specific Role’s Need}}
Hi {Name},
I’m reaching out because I’ve noticed you’re passionate about improving {{specific business area}} at {{Company Name}}. I believe {{Your Service}} can assist in streamlining your processes and boosting efficiency.
We’ve helped companies like {{Example Company}} achieve {{specific result}} within {{timeframe}}, and I’m confident we can deliver similar results for you.
Could we schedule a quick call this week to discuss how we can help {{Company Name}} achieve its goals? Here’s a link to my calendar: {{Insert Calendar Link}}.
Looking forward to your thoughts!
Best regards,
{{Your Name}}
{{Your Position}}
{{Contact Information}}
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Now, how do you nail that perfect subject line? Think of it as the headline of your own daily newspaper; what would make you want to read more? It’s all about being clear and relevant. You have to ditch the vague teasers; be straightforward about the value you deliver to their inbox.
Adding a personal touch does wonders. Dropping in their name or a quick nod to their company can grab their attention faster than a free coffee at a conference. Remember, these emails are like your first handshake with a potential customer. Using an advanced email automation tool like SalesMix can enable you to automatically do this step by adding a variable like {{first_name??FALLBACK}} and let it put the first names of your recipients from the email list.
Personalization can further enhance the effectiveness of your subject lines. Including the recipient’s name or a reference to their company can help grab their attention and make them open your email.
Another thing you need to ensure is to keep it snappy, Under 50 characters is golden for subject lines. You might ask why. Because anything longer might get chopped off on their phone screen, and you want them to read the whole thing at a glance.
Ease up on the caps lock and exclamation marks. First of all, it may trigger the spam filters for your cold emails, and even if you bypass the spam triggers, remember that shouting doesn’t make friends in person, nor does it in their inbox.
When you’re rolling out your cold email strategy, think of it like meeting different people at a networking event. You wouldn’t have the same conversation with a CTO as you would with a startup founder, right? Tailoring your emails to fit different segments of your target audience makes your approach more relevant and increases your outreach’s effectiveness.
Imagine crafting an email for a CTO: here, you’d focus on how your product scales and integrates effortlessly with existing systems. But when emailing a startup manager, you’ll want to highlight how your solution is cost-efficient and easy to implement. It’s about speaking their language.
While you’re personalizing these messages, keep the core of your campaign consistent. Think of this as your campaign’s signature. No matter whom you’re talking to, your main message remains strong and clear.
You can adjust the intro, the benefits you emphasize, and the call-to-action based on who’s reading. It isn’t just about changing a few lines here and there; it’s about reshaping your message to resonate personally with each segment.
So, as you segment your audience and craft those emails, remember: it’s like adjusting your pitch based on who’s listening. Keep it personal and relevant, and watch as those trial sign-ups start rolling in.
Follow-up emails can significantly increase engagement rates by reminding recipients of your initial contact and reinforcing the value proposition of your offering. It can be a valuable part of your successful cold email campaign.
Imagine you’ve just had a great business meeting. You wouldn’t call them five times a day afterwards, right? For cold emails, hitting that sweet spot usually means sending two to three follow-ups. It keeps you on their radar without crossing into annoyance territory.
Sequence your follow-up emails beforehand in SalesMix
Send the first follow-up a couple of days after your initial email to refresh their memory of your value proposition. If you don’t hear back, the next reminder about a week later can showcase another facet of your product or address a different challenge they might be facing, or another email with a simple reminder that the email isn’t buried down.
Finally, a couple of weeks later, a last gentle reminder can work, maybe shifting the focus slightly by inviting them to check out your blog or follow your social media for more insights.
Now, when should you hit send? Well, timing is everything. Data shows that mid-morning or early afternoon, say around 10 AM or 2 PM, could give you the best chance of getting noticed.
Schedule your cold emails in SalesMix
However, this data can vary depending on the recipient’s time zone and industry. For instance, catching them first thing in the morning might be your best bet if they’re a financial professional. It’s about understanding their day-to-day, so your email lands right when they’re ready for a coffee break and not when they’re rushing to meet deadlines.
Let’s go through some of the follow-up email templates.
First Follow-up Cold Email Templates
First follow up cold email template in SalesMix
Subject: Just Checking In: Missed Opportunity for {{Company Name}}?
Hi {{Name}},
I wanted to touch base regarding my previous email. I understand you have a busy schedule, and this might have slipped through.
I’m confident that {{Your Service}} can help {{Company Name}} with {{restate key benefit or any other new benefit}}. Could we set up a 15-minute call this week to discuss this? Here’s my calendar: {{Insert Calendar Link}}.
Thank you for considering this, and I hope to hear from you soon!
Best,
{{Your Name}}
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Second Follow-Up Cold Email Templates
Second Follow-Up Cold Email Templates in SalesMix
You can copy it from here –
Subject: Can We Help {{Company Name}} Achieve {{Specific Goal}}?
Hi {{Name}},
I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to provide some additional information that might be of interest to you. Our {{Service}} has also been instrumental in {{another specific benefit or case study}}, which could be highly relevant to your current goals.
Would you be open to a quick discussion about how we might assist {{Company Name}} reach its objectives? Here’s a link to schedule a time that works for you: {{Insert Calendar Link}}.
Looking forward to your feedback.
Warm regards,
{{Your Name}}
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Last Follow-Up Cold Email Template
Final cold email template
You can copy it from here –
Subject: Final Call: Don’t Miss Out on {{Unique Value Proposition}}
Hi {{Name}},
As we haven’t connected yet, I wanted to reach out one last time. I genuinely believe that {{Your Service}} has the potential to make a significant impact at {{Company Name}}, especially in {{area of potential impact}}.
If now isn’t a good time, I completely understand. Perhaps you might find our {{Blog/Newsletter}} useful as it covers {{topics of interest}}. You can subscribe here: {{Link}}.
Thank you for considering this, and I hope to have the opportunity to connect with you in the future.
Best wishes,
{{Your Name}}
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Alright, let’s talk about something crucial but often overlooked 0 testing your cold emails before they go out. Imagine you’re serving a dish at a big event. You’d want to taste it first, right? The same goes for your emails. You want to make sure they look sharp and work smoothly on any device or email client your potential trial users might use.
Before you launch your campaign full-scale, run a few tests. Send your emails to a bunch of your own test accounts across different providers like Gmail, Outlook, or whatever your audience tends to use. You’re checking to see if your emails land in the inbox or get snagged in the spam folder.
Also, take a look at how your email appears on various devices. Does it look good on a mobile as it does on a desktop? Trust me, you’d be surprised how many people will read your email for the first time on their phone during their morning commute or in between meetings.
Test your email deliverability with SalesMix
Cold email outreach can be a powerful tool if you can do it with precision and professionalism. Here are some best practices that can make your campaigns more effective and compliant:
There are some master keys that have been proven to work time and again for cold email marketing. Let’s go and check some of these fail-safe formulas that can transform your cold email content from mere messages to compelling conversations and improve your email reply rate.
AIDA Formula
First, let’s talk about the AIDA formula: Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. Picture this: you start with something that makes the reader’s eyebrows shoot up, It can be a shocking statistic or a bold statement about your industry. That’s your hook.
Then, sprinkle in some intriguing details about what you offer. Build up a craving by talking about the irresistible benefits of your solution, making it all about them. Finish it off with a clear call to action, like signing up for a trial or booking a meeting. This formula of content is simple yet effective.
An example of this formula in cold email is as follows –
Subject: Reduce Your Team’s Workload by 40% with {{Your Service}}
Hi {{Name}},
Did you know that the average employee spends over 20 hours a week on repetitive tasks? Imagine what your team could accomplish with those hours freed up.
At {{Your Service}}, we’ve developed a tool that automates these tasks, increasing efficiency and job satisfaction. Our clients see a 40% reduction in manual workloads, allowing their teams to focus on more strategic initiatives.
Imagine a workplace where every task is optimized for efficiency and creativity. With {{Your Product}}, this can be your reality. Let’s explore how we can transform your day-to-day operations.
Are you available for a quick call next week to discuss further? Here’s a link to my calendar: {{Calendar Link}}.
Best,
{{Your Name}}
Before-After-Bridge (BAB) Formula
The Before-After-Bridge (BAB) method is all about showing a transformation. You can start by painting a picture of the world before your product or service. Perhaps it’s filled with inefficiencies, high costs, or missed opportunities. Then, showcase the after scenario by showing how everything improves with your solution. This could involve streamlined operations, cost savings, or enhanced productivity. The bridge is your product or service, neatly linking the bleak ‘before’ with the bright ‘after.’ It’s a powerful way to demonstrate the tangible impacts of your solution, making the benefits undeniably clear
Example of the BAB formula in cold emails –
Subject: From Overwhelmed to Overachieving: Discover the Power of {{Your Service}}
Hi {{Name}},
Like many of our clients, you might be struggling to keep up with the demands of your day-to-day tasks, feeling constantly behind and stressed.
Now, picture your workday with {{Your Service}}: tasks are streamlined, your workload is lighter, and you have more time to focus on what truly matters—growth and innovation.
With {{Your Service}}, this transformation is not only possible, it’s already a reality for our users. By leveraging our cutting-edge technology, you can bridge the gap between being overwhelmed and overachieving.
Ready to make the switch? Let’s schedule a demo and show you what {{Your Service}} can do for your business. Here’s a link to my calendar: {{Calendar Link}}.
Looking forward to your success,
{{Your Name}}
Problem-Agitate-Solve (PAS) Formula
The Problem-Agitate-Solve (PAS) formula can be an important recipe for your successful cold emails. You need to identify a problem that is common and frustrating for your target audience. Next, agitate this problem – don’t just mention it; really dig into how it disrupts their workflow, costs them money, or slows down progress.
You should then amplify the issue so it feels urgent and pressing. Then, introduce your product or service as the much-needed solution. Explain how it alleviates these pain points in a way that’s simple and effective, potentially saving them time and money or improving their daily operations.
An example of the PAS formula in your cold email can look like this –
Subject: Are Project Delays Costing You Money?
Hi {{Name}},
I noticed that your company has been experiencing frequent project delays. This not only affects your bottom line but also your reputation.
Imagine the stress of missed deadlines and the frustration of explaining these delays to stakeholders. It’s not just about the immediate costs—it’s also the lost opportunities and potential future business that could be affected.
With {{Your Service}}, you can streamline your project management processes, ensuring that everything runs on time and on budget. Our solution has helped companies like yours reduce delays by up to 70%, improving their overall efficiency and stakeholder satisfaction.
Let’s discuss how we can help you solve these challenges. Are you available for a call next week? Here’s a link to my calendar: {{Calendar Link}}.
Best regards,
{{Your Name}}
The easiest way to get your first 100 trials would be to know immediately that you’re not just shooting messages into the dark right after launching your cold email campaign. That’s where SalesMix steps in. It’s like having a co-pilot who ensures your emails take off smoothly and land exactly where they should.
SalesMix’s standout feature is its robust email warmup service, which is crucial for anyone looking to start cold emailing seriously. This service can prevent your emails from getting trapped in spam folders, a common pitfall that can derail otherwise well-crafted campaigns.
With just a simple click, you can initiate an unlimited warmup sequence in SalesMix. This feature is fully automated and supports all major email providers, progressively building your reputation to ensure your emails consistently reach the intended recipients.
Email warmup analytics in SalesMix
Personalization is another area where SalesMix excels. SalesMix doesn’t just slap on a first name and call it a day. It allows you to insert dynamic content in details from your CSV files like profession, company, and each data you can provide. This level of personalization is vital for making each recipient feel world-class, thereby increasing the likelihood of engagement.
Personalization in SalesMix
And timing? SalesMix has it down to a science. It has advanced scheduling capabilities and lets you send cold emails at opportune times. You can align your sends with the recipient’s time zone and even avoid dates like US public holidays, which are less optimal for outreach. Pre-send testing is also available, ensuring your emails land in the inbox as intended, not the spam folder.
The dashboard ties it all together, giving you a bird’s-eye view of open rates and responses. It’s like having a scoreboard that tells you what’s working and what’s not and enables you to tweak your game plan on the fly.
SalesMix Analytics Summary Dashboard
After a solid foundation with smart strategies for your cold email campaign, the path forward requires refinement and evolution. To move beyond acquiring your first 100 trials, you should scale up your efforts with more nuanced email list development and personalization techniques that cater to increasingly specific aspects of your audience’s needs and behaviors.
The most important thing for us in this scene is always to keep testing and learning what works. You should be open to experimenting with different email formats, subject lines, and calls to action to see what resonates best with your audience.