Cold Emails Don’t Work? They Sure Do! Here’s How to Do It
Want to take control of your prompts and get more out of AI tools? Take the online course on December 19
It was mid-October that I thought: maybe I should try that. That I send trainers, consultants and small entrepreneurs a short email with some impressions of their website. A visit of fifteen minutes, with feedback around the question: how big is the chance that I will email or call?
I was at the end of my rope, I was sleeping badly. I had tried a lot to get clients as a copywriter in a somewhat logical and sustainable way. But a lot of things didn’t work.
The idea of sending cold emails with a web review felt like my last straw
Sending cold emails
I made a deal with myself: you start your day with it and you do it until twelve, then you go do something else. To keep me from going crazy, you know? To make sure I could keep it up.
And off I went. Sending emails. Googling, very specifically for trainers and coaches, advisors. Preferably independently, or with a small group. As long as their personality and their uniqueness is an essential part of their company. And 100% free of airy-fairy. Very important, because people talk the biggest nonsense. Yesterday I saw a website with someone gently tapping on meridians. You can’t make it up.
I sent emails and the first thing that happened, even before people responded, was: I actually liked it. Essential, because growing your business with gritted teeth is something you can hardly keep up. I discovered – does that sound crazy? – that people, entrepreneurs, could really use my help. With the best intentions, most entrepreneurs just do whatever. Logical, because it is not their profession. But many texts were vague and unclear.
I liked seeing super concretely what could be improved. That’s how most trainers introduce themselves enthusiastically on their website, on their homepage. That’s what they start with, while most visitors are mainly interested in themselves. Sounds silly, but it’s true. People have concerns, are interested in the answer to the question: ‘ What’s in it for me ?’
So, I wrote: ‘There is a lot to be said for starting your homepage by outlining the other person’s problems or dreams!’ The more specific the better.
Comments
It took about ten days before the first response came. ‘Hi Johan, we normally don’t respond to these kinds of emails.’ I would often get such sentences in the months that followed.
A day later there was another response. Another person who wanted to talk. ‘Really nice, an email like that, delivering value straight away.’ And so it went on, what a party.
I kept sending emails and saw how so many list of saudi arabia consumer email trainers and consultancies suddenly introduce themselves on the ‘about me’ page as if it were not them. I mean, Patrick de Vos suddenly started writing in the third person singular! Huh?
Patrick de Vos is a senior coach and with his direct approach
he knows how to achieve good results with a wide range of clients.’
What? Patrick! What are you doing? It’s you, isn’t it? And Patrick, I happen to know that as a trainer you find it super important to make contact and you teach this to others too. Sincere, real contact get woke, don’t go broke: don’t hesitate about your rainbow marketing and then have that sales conversation. Or that motivational interview as a manager. You see all day long how difficult people find that and now you’re suddenly writing about yourself? With what thought? For heaven’s sake!
More responses came to emails. The communication trainers and alb directory leadership coaches were eager to get started. And my money problems that were there so recently, were getting better by the day. Finally I had found something that worked for me. Vicarious joy, can you feel it?
And what I really liked: a week or so after sending the email I sent a reminder email. I found it difficult at first, too pushy, but someone gave me that tip.