Now, let’s look at how to get cold outreach right, across email, LinkedIn, and cold calling.
Cold Email Best Practices
Step 1: Write a Subject Line That Gets Opened
Keep it short and curiosity-driven (4–7 words).
Avoid spammy words like “free,” “guaranteed,” and “limited time.”
Examples:
"Quick question about [their company]"
"An idea for [their industry]"
"Struggling with [specific challenge]?"
Step 2: Make It Personal
Use their name and reference something specific about them.
Example:
"I saw your recent post about [topic]—great insights! I wanted to share an idea that could help with [problem]."
Step 3: Keep It Short & Focused on Them
Bad: "We’re a marketing agency that helps businesses like yours increase sales with PPC, SEO, and social media marketing."
Better: "Many [industry] businesses struggle to get consistent leads. We helped [competitor or similar company] increase conversions by 37%—happy to share how."
Step 4: End with a Soft Call-to-Action (CTA)
Bad: "Let’s book a call this Friday at 3 PM."
Better: "Would it make sense to chat for 10 minutes this week?"
Step 5: Follow Up (at Least 3–5 Times!)
80% of sales require 5 follow-ups, but most people stop after one.
Example follow-up:
"Hey [First Name], just checking if you saw my last email. No worries if now isn’t the right time—happy to connect when it makes sense for you."
Cold Email Fix: Make it short, personal, valuable, and don’t give up after one email.
LinkedIn Cold Outreach Best Practices
Step 1: Optimise Your LinkedIn Profile First
Your profile is your landing page. If it doesn’t clearly show how you help businesses, prospects won’t take you seriously.
Use a headline that speaks to their pain points (e.g., "Helping [Industry] Businesses Increase Revenue with Smart Marketing Strategies.")
Step 2: Start with a Soft Connection Request
Bad: "Hi [Name], I’d love to connect and tell you about my services!"
Better: "Hi [Name], I saw we’re both in [industry]—always great to connect with like-minded professionals!"
Step 3: Warm Up Before Pitching
After connecting, engage with their content before messaging.
Like, comment, and show genuine interest. This makes them more likely to respond later.
Step 4: Personalised Messaging (Not a Sales Pitch!)
Bad: "We help businesses like yours with marketing. Let’s book a call!"
Better: "Hi [Name], I work with [industry] businesses and noticed many struggle with [challenge]. Curious—have you found a solution that works well for you?"
Step 5: Follow Up (Without Annoying Them)
Wait a few days between messages.
Provide value before asking for anything.
Example:
"Hey [Name], just came across this article on [topic] and thought of you. Might be helpful given our last chat!"
LinkedIn Fix: Don’t pitch immediately, start with value, build trust, and engage first.
Cold Calling Best Practices
Step 1: Know Who You’re Calling & Why
Research them and their business before dialing.
Have a clear reason for the call—don’t just “check in.”
Step 2: Grab Their Attention in 10 Seconds
Decision-makers are busy. Make your intro short and intriguing.
Example:
"Hi [Name], I’ll keep this quick—I help [industry] businesses get more [benefit]. Is that something you’re focused on right now?"
Step 3: Handle Objections Smoothly
Expect resistance. Don’t push—redirect the conversation.
Example:
Them: "I don’t have time for this."
You: "Totally understand! Just curious, is [problem] something you’re looking to solve later?"
Step 4: End with a Low-Commitment Ask
Instead of "Let’s book a meeting," say:
"Would it be okay if I sent over some quick details to review?"
Step 5: Follow Up & Stay Top of Mind
If they’re not interested now, stay in touch via LinkedIn or email.
Example: "No problem, [Name]! If things change, happy to connect down the line. I’ll send over some helpful insights in the meantime."
Cold Calling Fix: Respect their time, get to the point fast, and focus on relationship-building.
Final Thoughts: Make Your Cold Outreach Work
If your cold outreach isn’t working, it’s not because cold outreach doesn’t work—it’s because most businesses are doing it wrong.
Fix your approach with these simple rules:
Keep messages short, personal, and relevant.
Focus on their pain points, not your services.
Use a soft CTA instead of pushing for a sale immediately.
Follow up consistently—most replies come after multiple touchpoints.
By refining your outreach strategy, you’ll book more meetings, build stronger relationships, and ultimately close more deals.
Want to improve your outreach strategy? Contact EMS today, and let’s help you get more responses, more conversations, and more sales