Conducting Cold Outreach: What to Avoid

Open your email and count the number of pitches you've received from strangers in the past week. We've all gotten them. Does the following look familiar?

Hi *insert name here* ,

I’ve noticed *insert assumption?made from company website* and would like to help you.

Rarely, is the pitch?spot on and something you actually need. Routinely, it is a poorly written, misguided suggestion based on inadequate research or something written by AI. Our trust in cold emails, LinkedIn DMs, and SMS texts has dwindled to the point of leaving many unopened. Yet it remains a savvy tool if used correctly.

As the recipient of over three dozen each week, I've compiled recommendations to keep in mind when conducting cold outreach. If you have any to add, please reply with yours.

1. It's about the prospect, not you.

If you're sending a message hoping to get the attention of a busy executive, you have to appeal to them. Talking on and on about what you do and your achievements won't tell the prospect how you can help them, which to be frank, is all they want to hear. Presenting authority's fine, but remember you're reaching out to solve their problem.

Below is an email I received on my birthday, camouflaged as a "Happy Birthday" message.

Dear Carol,

I wanted to wish you a very happy birthday and I hope you are celebrating this special day.

I am a big fan of your podcast. I like to say that being an entrepreneur is like being on a roller coaster, BUT, with a lot more angst than amusement!

Not sure, if you had a chance to check out?my TED talk, that was released a few months ago and?that has been viewed over a million times!

?? Don’t miss the last 30 seconds, they are truly jaw-dropping!

Stay well and happy BD again, Carol!

2. Don't make assumptions.

If you have no insight into the inner workings of a company, how can you assume their issues or needs? Below is a real excerpt from a cold email I received last week.

As the Founder & CEO, I can assume your consistently searching for ways to create SME deals...

Am I? I didn't realize that was a part of my strategy in 2024. Maybe because that's not the case. But they wouldn't know that based on their lack of research about my company.?

Side note: Fix your grammar.

3. Sending outreach as a reply won't fool anyone.

Adding a fake "RE: ..." to your subject line to grab the prospect's attention will not succeed. Sure, it may pull their focus more than a regular subject line, but once they realize it is fake, how do you think they'll feel about doing business with you?

4. Hire a professional editor to proofread before sending.

At the end of the day, emails and DMs are written messages. If they are sloppily crafted and lacking punctuation, they will most likely end up in the trash. Your message won't be heard because the receiver is so distracted by your errors.

To ensure more responses, put in the money to hire a professional to proofread your email plan before sending it out.?

5. Don't use LinkedIn for cold outreach.

The majority of connection requests I receive on LinkedIn are actually pitches in disguise or a connection request with an immediate pitch once accepted.??LinkedIn was launched as a business networking platform but is becoming a social media platform and therefore should be treated as one. If business comes naturally from LinkedIn that's wonderful, but connecting with an initial intention of selling your services will not work. Below is one of many I receive daily.

And if you're now thinking it's a better idea to connect and then DM the person, think again. I call this "connect and pitch" and it's just as bad, if not worse. You're masking your intentions with what looks like a genuine connection. It also comes off as a sneaky attempt to save money since pitching to non-connections costs money.?

6. Don't "spray and pray."

Personal request: please stop sending out thousands of messages in hopes that 1% will respond. Do you remember the days of direct mail and recall how that worked out for businesses marketing themselves? How much of it did you throw out before opening?

The same applies to virtual mail. You'll get a better response rate when you send out fewer but take time to target them to your prospective audience.