Cold emails often get a bad rap. No one likes to send them and no one likes to receive them. Still, cold emails can help you land important meetings with valuable leads. When it comes to cold emailing, your first outreach is critical. It’s important to grab the prospect’s attention right away and avoid coming across as spammy. Succeeding at cold emailing doesn’t end with the first communication, though. You also must know how to follow up well.

According to Timothy Carter, CRO of SEO.co, a good follow-up can set you up for an easy win, while a bad one can stop your deal dead in its tracks. That’s because most people do not respond to cold emails. It often takes multiple outreaches to get a response.

If you are tired of hearing crickets with your cold emails, read on. We share Carter’s roadmap for creating the perfect follow-up email sequence in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

Establish your goals for following up. To succeed at cold emailing, first consider what you want to achieve. Are you looking to boost your open rate? Do you want more direct replies? Are you striving to get more clicks on a link in your email? Carter recommends thinking about which metrics are most important to you. Knowing your goals is essential for building an effective follow-up cadence, he says.

Pay attention to frequency. For your cold emailing to be effective, you should also watch how many emails you send. If you reach out too often, you risk annoying the prospect and having your message deleted. And if your emails are too few and far between, you risk giving up on your lead. To strike the right balance, Carter suggests staying plugged in to the industry. Watch how many follow-ups you receive from other professionals in your niche, and time your follow-ups similarly. Typically, three to seven follow-up messages are best, Carter says.

Time your follow-ups well. When’s the best time to send your sales follow-ups? According to Carter, you should wait at least 48 hours from the time of your initial email. This gives the prospect time to read your first communication and think over your offer. From there, Carter recommends sending a follow-up every two to four days until you hear back from the prospect.

Serve the right content. The content of your follow-up email is what most people focus on, so be sure to use the right words and tone. Start with a brief, catchy subject line and be polite and patient with your messaging. Carter notes that many sales professionals get aggressive or less patient as they follow up, which can kill the potential of your deal. Aim to be friendly and personal so the prospect feels you are speaking directly to them and not several other leads. It’s also a good idea to explain your offer and how the prospect could benefit from it.

When done well, cold emailing can bring great results. Begin by defining clear goals for following up, watch your frequency and timing, and provide helpful content without being aggressive. By taking a thoughtful approach with your follow-up emails, you can encourage the prospect to take the next step and the next step—all the way to the close.

Source: Timothy Carter is the CRO of the Seattle digital marketing agency, SEO.co. He has spent more than 20 years in the world of SEO and digital marketing leading, building and scaling sales operations, helping companies increase revenue efficiency and drive growth from websites and sales teams.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers