Cold Email personalization is not a new concept. It has been around since 1993 when Don Peppers and Martha Rogers published their book ‘The One to One Future’ that revolutionized marketing. They predicted that by 2018, most companies would be personalizing their campaigns. And this has been made easier by the mushrooming of the many CRM’s which have made it easier to do so.
We live in a customer-centric time where we must tailor our solutions and meet our prospects halfway and while it holds true for sales, it is surprising how many salespeople don’t research their prospect before getting on a meeting or they forget to personalize a cold email. A lot can happen through a cold email. Mark Cuban invested in and steered the fate of Cost Plus Drug Company to finally launch it in 2022 as a Startup that lowers drug prices across US, off a cold email. His reply to the founder was ‘Tell me more.’ Here are more reasons why cold email personalization is important.
Improves Email Deliverability
A personalized correspondence shows the prospect that the sender put in thought to enhance their experience and can be trusted as opposed to a mass-generated email campaign. A personalized email a day keeps the spam folder away.
Improves Response Rate
A study shared by Propeller shows how a company found that personalizing their emails doubled their response rate. Emails with advanced personalization such as congratulating the prospect on an achievement got a 17% response rate over 7% off a non-personalized email.
However, not all personalization is equal, and it all depends on your goals. There is basic personalization (including their name, company, industry) for prospects generating revenue at the lowest rung of the ladder, semi-personalization for mid-range prospects (where you mention organizational and personal achievements, or common interests), and hyper-personalization (after conducting in-depth research and knowing well their pain points) for prospects bringing in greatest amounts of revenue
It is important not to overdue it with the personalization. A general rule of thumb for personalizing an email is 20%, while 80% of the content remains the same. Here are some ways to personalize your outreach.
Highlight Mutual Connections
While most people are reluctant to engage with strangers, mentioning people you both know takes the ‘cold’ out of the cold email.
Mention An Achievement
Everyone likes their efforts being acknowledged. Were they recently promoted? Did they change jobs? Did their start-up win an award? This shows you’ve done your research on the contact and their organization, all while establishing rapport.
Tailor It To Their Industry
Has your company worked with a company like theirs before? Is there a success story that would be more relevant to them? Could you mention a common problem their segment faces? That would shoot your email to the top of their inbox.
Specify Pain Points
Do you share a common thread? Perhaps you share the same difficulties as a sales person. This extent of personalization requires extensive research, and the content for every prospect will be different. It’s not recommended for email blasts, but for prospects that will generate the most revenue for your organization. Give them concrete information about how your services can help them solve a problem that they have been experiencing.
It’s easy to include someone’s name in the subject line however, sales reps have to go the extra mile to take the ‘chill’ out of a cold email. While cold email personalization goes a long way, it’s only effective when your thoughts and research are apparent in the email. There is no ‘one size fits all’ and it’s all centered around your priorities, goals, and personality. While the perfect email doesn’t exist, multiple iterations can get you there.
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