Get More Cold Email Responses With These Engagement Triggers

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Did you know you have 8 seconds to catch someone’s attention in an email? 

The average person reads 300 words per minute. 

That gives you roughly 40 words to reach your prospect and make a lasting, first impression. 

If you miss the chance in that initial cold email, then all of the hard work you put into creating that stellar email campaign is wasted and your email may never be seen. 

How do you cut through the clutter and noise from every other email out there to reach the right prospects, evoke a response, and spark action?

Using email marketing as a strategy is definitely one way, but it’s hard to get a brand-new prospect to open a cold email, especially if they weren’t expecting it.  

At Connect 365, we have a firm grasp on reaching cold prospects and turning them into warm leads, and we’ve figured out a way to get more cold email responses with these engagement triggers. 

Find out how your cold email outreach can break through and make an impact.  

Understanding Your Prospect’s Motivation 

First, you need to get into the minds of your prospects to understand what moves them to act.  It’s both an art and a science. The Fogg Behavior model developed by BJ Fogg, best-selling author on human behaviors, provides an in-depth look at how to delve deeper.

It sounds complicated, but Fogg uses a simple formula (B=MAT) to explain. Meaning that for a behavior to occur it must have the following elements - motivation, ability, and a trigger. 

When a behavior does not occur, it’s missing one of these elements. 

Now, let’s put it into perspective in terms of email outreach marketing. In order to be successful and for something to happen (i.e., opening your cold email), the reader needs to see the benefit). They also need to have the ability to take the next step, and finally must be triggered, or reminded, to act on an ongoing basis. 

If a desired behavior is not occurring, just ask the following questions: 

1. Is your prospect motivated enough? If not, why?
2. Does your prospect have the capabilities of performing the desired behavior? If not, why and how can you make it easier?
3. Did you remind the prospect of the desired behavior and incite them to act, and then remind them again?

The answers to these questions help to shape the outcome and desired behavior that you want. 

In this case, opening your cold email and being receptive to your message. 

The traditional business mindset wants the prospect to buy right away but times are changing. Your prospects are bombarded daily with marketing messages. Advertisements, emails, LinkedIn messages, billboards, etc. 

Going for the sale right away makes you look just like the others. A solicitor.   

Instead, you want your prospects to get to know you, understand what you stand for, anticipate your emails, feel valued, and start the beginnings of a long-lasting and prosperous relationship. 

“Once you understand your prospects' motivation, then always remember that if you want to get people to do something (and continue to do something) make it easy and remove the obstacles.”

And, then stay in continual contact and remind frequently. 

You’ll find that creating simple nudges of awareness will compel your prospects to act, cause them to open cold emails, and encourage them to respond.  

The Evolution of Email 

To reach prospects effectively through email outreach, it’s important to understand email’s evolution.  

As a society, we now have access to our inboxes 24/7 thanks to advances in smartphone technology. Which means we can reach prospects anywhere and anytime. 

Almost everyone, including our prospects, is addicted to our smartphones. We bring them everywhere from the dinner table to the bathroom so there’s really no limit to reaching prospects whenever. 

Even the way email campaigns are built and delivered has changed. When email campaigns first became a valuable marketing tool to reach prospects, email blasts were the preferred method. It was cold and impersonal, but it was the best way to reach a mass quantity of people. 

Or, so we thought, but it really wasn’t reaching everyone. Open rates were only at 15-20% and a lot of great marketing effort was wasted.  

But the world of email marketing tried to find its way around that with drip email. A series of emails sent in mass to potential prospects in hopes that at least one of the emails in the series would catch a prospect’s eye and be opened. 

Basically, the same thing as an email blast with more emails. While drip email is still used today, there are better ways. 

The next evolution in email outreach brings us to triggered emails. A more sophisticated and targeted way to reach prospects. This cutting-edge, email marketing technique is based on consumer actions, like clicking on a link or watching a video. 

Many things are trackable which helps us to get into our prospect’s minds and find what works. Definitely an improvement, but triggered email is still cold and distant. 

Prospects can see right through it. Plus, email scams and phishing have made the buyer beware and skeptical of canned email. 

Still, there is a better way. 

And, this is why interactive and conversational emails are now the only way to go. 

Personalization, relationship building, and creating a trust factor will open the door to your prospects and leave it slightly ajar. What you do with that invite is entirely up to you.  

The Main Goal of Your Cold Email 

Your main goal is to get a response. 

Not selling anything. 

Not filling out a long, complicated form. Not telling your life story.  

Not committing to anything that takes time to think about. 

The barriers need to be low. 

Keep it simple

 It’s as simple as that! 

That first cold email is a small opening to a window of opportunity, and you don’t want it slammed shut before a relationship can even begin. 

It’s the start to a long-lasting relationship. People want to do business with people they know, like and trust - not robots and corporations. So, get back to the basics and get to know your prospects and future customers.

And, always remember your main goal is to get a response … a favorable and positive response. 

This gives you a foot in the door to take the next step.

Want a better system for getting leads and clients? 

Grab A Free Copy of my book, The Trust Equation, To Learn An Automated Playbook To Build Lasting Relationships, And Get More Leads And Clients… The Right Way!.

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Using the EAST Method to Get More Cold Email Responses 

When developing your cold emails use the EAST method – easy, attractive, social, and timely. It doesn’t get any easier than that. Let’s break it down.  

Easy. 

• A few well-written and impactful, eye-catching sentences will do. Short and sweet and to the point. 
• Don’t write a book because our busy society will just click away. Remember you only have 8 seconds or approximately 40 words. 
• If the message is complex, break it into several, smaller pieces. 
• Don’t let the main message get lost in a sea of words. 
• Present the main idea in the subject line or within the first sentence and be specific. 
• Give them one point of contact to reach back to, not everyone in the company. 
• Remove all unnecessary information. When in doubt, leave it out. 

Attractive. 

• People buy with emotion so don’t dwell on the negative. You want to attract and retain prospects, not repel them. 
• Always tell prospects what you can do for them and highlight the benefits they will see in their own personal lives. 
• Show them how working with your business will resolve an issue and improve their life for the better. 
• Always point to a brighter future. 
• Cold emails that are filled with negative energy and feelings of guilt will only make prospects click away. 

Social. 

• Show prospects how you’ve built relationships with other businesses, customers, and community partners. 
• Be sincere and honest, and don’t make it too salesy or all about you. 
• Instead, show that a relationship with your business is valuable and needed. 
• Give advice, free content, a series of blogs that establish you as an expert and a trusted member in the process. 
• Show prospects how you’ve helped people and show them that you sincerely care about them.  

Timely. 

• There is never enough time in the day so that’s why continual follow-up, nudges, and reminders are so important. You always want to be top of mind so that you are in the right place at the right time whenever that may be. 
• You never know where a prospect will be when they are ready to open your cold email. Perhaps, they were super busy when the initial cold email was sent. But, now has a chance to take a breath and finally sees the gentle reminder of a second email with a catchy headline. The point is to always be ready because the clock is always ticking. 

Recap and Next Steps 

Here are some quick takeaways for those of you that need to run to the next meeting:

• You only have 8 seconds to make a first impression in your initial cold email outreach so make it count. 
• The first step is to get into your prospect’s mind and understand their motivation. 
• If the desired behavior is not there, remember the B=MAT formula and know that a behavior will not exist without motivation, ability, and a trigger. 
• Email has evolved from email blasts, to drip emails, to triggered emails, but interactive and conversational emails are the new way and best way to reach prospects. 
• Relationship building and creating trust are crucial. 
• The main goal and only goal of your initial cold email is to simply get a response. 
• Don’t go in for the sale immediately, because you will scare your prospects away and they will never open your email. 
• Create email outreach following the EAST Model – easy, attractive, social, and timely and it will improve open rate chances. 
• Remember follow-up is key and the same principles used in your initial cold email will carry through to your follow-up email outreach campaigns.  
• Use Connect 365 for all of your email outreach and automation needs.

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Implementing the Trust Equation is a game-changer and can propel your small business in front of more prospects, generate more leads and grow your business. 

From email automation to lead management to social media automation, Connect 365 can help you turn those cold leads into warm prospects and create long-lasting, lifetime customers.

Why Connect 365? 

We can help and get you front and center in the inboxes of your top prospects waiting to be opened. With Connect 365, you can send personalized emails to targeted prospects and make a deeper connection and lasting impression. From email automation to lead management to social media automation, our focus is to help you achieve your goals, build relationships and create lifelong customers. Request an invite and let’s connect today!