How cold sales messages cut through (3 ways)

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There are 3 good scenarios for successful cold outreach. And 1 awful one that everyone (still) uses.

The 3 good ones are (1) you know exactly what the reader’s problem is, or (2) you have an offer that someone like your reader would feel stupid ignoring or (3) you can write something that someone like your reader would pay attention to because of how it’s written or because of the ‘angle’ the writer came up with.

Forget theory, here are examples:

Scenario: Amy is COO at a manufacturing firm. The firm wants to make products that’d require an injection molding machine. You manufacture injection molding machines.

1. ****(you know exactly what their problem is)
   

Hi Amy,

Last week you told the COO Roundtable that ACME has been slow getting started with injection molding. The upfront costs are high and the recent jump in interest rates makes it even worse.

We’re financing customer purchases at 2 full percentage points below most banks.

If that rate fits your budget, can I show you what the numbers would look like?

2. (you have an offer that someone like this would feel stupid ignoring)
   

Hi Amy,

It looks like interest rates are going to stay high for a while. and that means capital spending is more expensive than we’d all like.

For customers who buy our injection molding machines, we’re financing at 2 points below everyone else. And the first 6 months are payment-free.

If you’d like to see the numbers, just reply back.

3. (the writing itself creates the interest)
   

Hi Amy,

We got a big cash infusion, right before interest rates jumped.

So if you’d like to buy an injection molding machine in 2025, but finance it like it’s 2023, I can show you what those numbers would be.

Let me know?

4. (junk)
   

The other way, the most common way, is to send a generic cold email and hope that with enough of them, you’ll get lucky.

With a large enough scale, this can produce results. But literally everyone from the email platforms (like Google Workspace and Microsoft365) to the email apps to the readers themselves is trying to make you fail. And they’re getting better at it every year.

Hi Amy,

I hope this email finds you well.

R7 Injection Molding is one of the largest suppliers in the Midwest, providing high-quality, cost-efficient solutions for companies like ACME. We understand that managing production costs while maintaining precision and consistency is critical.

Right now, we’re offering flexible pricing and financing options that can help you scale production without upfront strain on your budget. Whether you’re looking to optimize costs, secure a more reliable supply chain, or explore new materials, we’d love to discuss how we can support your needs.

Would you be open to a quick call next week? Let me know what works for you.

Summary:

1. If you know exactly what their problem is, go with that.
2. Else, if you have an offer that someone like this would feel stupid ignoring, go with that.
3. Or we’re blind, so make the writing itself carry the weight with something novel, attention-grabbing, evocative or entertaining.