Episode Details

[Authors note: The following is Part 3 of my “Writing Great Outreach Emails” series. If you’d like to master the art of email outreach and download all 3 parts (including a BONUS checklist to help you craft your next message), Click here to download ‘The Insider’s Guide to Writing Great Outreach Emails’.]

At this point I’ll assume that you understand Why Writing Cold Emails Is the Most Important ‘Soft Skill’ You Must Master (Especially If You’re An Introvert).

And I’ll also assume that you are no longer making these 5 most common mistakes when you write your cold outreach emails.

Now that you’re ready to focus all of your energy on writing an amazing cold outreach email that could potentially get you a lunch meeting, a shadowing opportunity, mentorship, a job interview, or even your next gig...do you actually know how to get a response to your cold email?

More importantly...does your message have a purpose?

Or are you desperately crossing your fingers hoping that if you send enough messages someone will eventually respond and discover you...just cuz?

To reiterate what I said in Part 2 of this series:

The objective of your first cold email is to get a response and start the conversation. That’s it.

But if you want a response...you’re gonna have to earn it.

The ‘Front Door Technique’

There are few moments more despised than the knock from a door-to-door salesman. But guess what? If you’re sending someone an unsolicited cold email, that’s exactly what you are to their inbox. And it’s most likely why you feel so awkward reaching out to strangers...because you’re selling them something they didn’t ask for (i.e. you).

You don’t have an appointment, this person has no idea who you are, and you might be catching them at the worst possible time. Needless to say, getting their attention and making the sale (or in this case getting a response) isn’t going to be easy.

Here’s how you can apply ‘The Front Door Technique’ to your next cold email to drastically increase your email response rate.

Step #1: Make sure your subject line provides value

You’ve just knocked on the door and you’re waiting for your prospect to answer. If you make your sales pitch immediately through the peephole, the chances are extremely high you’ll get the dreaded response, “No thank you. I’m not interested.” But your goal isn’t to make the sale yet...your goal is to get them to open the front door and say hello.

I don’t care how amazing your email is, how compelling your story might be, or how ridiculously talented you are...if the person never opens your message, you’ve lost the battle before it’s even begun.

Before you spend hours writing the perfect email, make sure you’ve written a compelling subject line that will grab this person’s attention and convince them to open your message. Your cold email has some stiff competition in this person’s inbox.

As you did in Part 2 of this series, “crawl into the brain of your recipient” and picture what it would look like in y