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7 Examples of epic cold outreach

Cold outreach can be, well, a bit daunting. Even if you do get through, will the prospect respond? After all, response rates for cold email are usually less than 10%.

It doesn’t need to be difficult to go in cold, though. We gathered up 7 epic examples to show you how easy it can be to kick off a productive conversation.

1. AIDA is a cold outreach classic

AIDA is a time-tested formula for sales. It stands for:

Attention
Interest
Desire
Action

Your first step is to grab the prospect’s attention. In a cold email, this might be a good subject line or a pun in your preview copy.

Next, deliver a statistic or ask them a question:

Did you know businesses like yours increased their revenue when they added AI tools?
How much time do you spend on paperwork every week?

Now, you want to tap into desire. Who else is using your product? How much time can it save the prospect’s team?

Finally, you’ll close with the call to action. What can the prospect do right now to get started?

2. Test out the BAB formula

The before-after-bridge formula is similar to AIDA. You’ll start by describing the situation as it is now, then compare it with how things could be. The bridge tells the prospect how they’ll get there.

It looks a bit like this:

Before: If you’re like most sales professionals, you spend 17% of your workweek researching prospects.
After: Wiza can help you speed up the process by finding and verifying contact information on LinkedIn.
Bridge: If you’re willing, I can show you how our clients verify emails, find new contacts, and export searches to the tools they’re already using.

Psychologists say the BAB formula works because we react to pain and pleasure. The “before” shows the prospect their pain point. The “after” shows them how good life could be if they solve that pain point.

3. The star-chain-hook email yields good results

A star-hook-chain cold outreach message looks pretty similar to AIDA and BAB messages. There is a difference, though. The chain builds credibility by including not just benefits and facts but sources and reasons too.

Star: Introduce the big idea with an attention-grabbing opener: You could get almost 20% of your workweek back.
Chain: Sales reps spend nearly that much time researching prospects. Research shows that the right tools can free up sales reps’ time. With Wiza, our clients reduce the time spent on prospect research, so they can spend more time selling.
Hook: Don’t take our word for it though. See Wiza in action by scheduling a demo, or check out the website to learn more.

Sign off with a soft close by inviting the prospect to reach out to you if they have questions.

4. Stick with the 3-Bs for cold outreach

The 3-Bs are a little bit different from the other examples of cold outreach we’ve gone over. Rather than being a specific template, they’re more like best practices. The 3-Bs are:

Brevity: Keep it short.
Blunt: Get to the point.
Basic: Keep it simple.

Remember that your prospects are busy people. They get a lot of outreach, so get to the point.

5. 3Ps can boost your success with cold outreach

The Praise-Picture-Push formula, sometimes known as 3Ps, is effective for two reasons. One, it personalizes the message. Two, it paints a picture of how things could be better.

What does it look like in action?

Offer praise for an accomplishment: Did the prospect land a new job or get a promotion? Maybe their company had a very good quarterly sales report.
Paint a picture: Connect your praise and your product. Why is what you’re selling a great fit for this company? What can your product do? Support this with examples of what you’re doing for other clients already.
Push to action: Ask for a meeting or to schedule a demo for the prospect.

The personalization of the message is key here. Since you’ve offered sincere praise, the prospect feels more inclined to hear you out.

6. Problem, agitate, solve

You can think of PAS as a sort of inverted BAB message. BAB uses the after stage to paint a rosy picture of what life could be like if the prospect solves their pain point.

With PAS, you’ll identify the problem. Then, in the agitate stage, you’ll point out what could happen if the client doesn’t solve the problem.

Problem: Your sales team isn’t efficient.
Agitate: Their time is eaten up by non-selling activities, which doesn’t leave them enough time to properly take care of your clients.
Solve: Wiza can free up time for the sales team by assisting with research, exporting profiles, and verifying emails.

Cold outreach emails are most effective when they stir big emotions, which is exactly what PAS does.

7. The “opt-out” note

The opt-out note isn’t an email template in and of itself. You can use it with any of the other cold outreach examples here.

With this structure, you let the prospect off the hook. You can ask them to book a demo or schedule a meeting. Then you add a final line letting them “opt out.”

This might seem contrary to your goals, but it actually encourages your prospect. Why? Buyers prefer salespeople who don’t seem pushy, so the opt-out puts choice back in their hands.

Tips and tricks for better outreach emails

These tips can help you reach out the right way, no matter which template you follow.

Personalize the email

Personalization goes a long way. In fact, it increases click-through rates by 14% and conversions by 10%.

It doesn’t need to be difficult either. Take the time to add the customer’s name, their company name, and identify their problem. Your prospects see plenty of generic cold outreach messages every day. Stand out by tailoring the message to them.

Nail your subject line

Almost 50% of people say they decide to open an email based on the subject line alone. Writing a good one is crucial. Puns, facts, and other intriguing subject lines will get your prospects clicking.

Use a soft close

Some of these templates demand a harder close, like the 3Ps, which ask you to push. In a lot of cases, a soft close can be more effective.

Why? It feels less like a demand. Very few buyers like having demands made of them, especially from someone they don’t know.

Provide Value to the prospect

Buyers ignore a lot of cold emails because they’re focused on the salesperson or their product. Instead, focus on your prospect and their needs. Sometimes, that’s a pitch. Sometimes, it’s a link to an article they can check out.

Cold outreach can be simpler

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time you reach out to a new prospect. These examples offer effective formulas that you can use time and again.