5 Elements of effective outreach
in uncertain times.
Jeff Molander
Sales communication coach & Managing Partner, Communications Edge Inc.
Trainer to brands like:
You may be surprised to know: Standing out demands you avoid conventional email, InMail and LinkedIn connection request tactics.
"Best" practices aren't working. By time they're best they've reached saturation point.
Decision-makers see right through them.
By the way, if LinkedIn itself is promoting a best practice be assured—it's tired, old & ineffective. Same with advice from "experts" you found while Googling. Ineffective. Outdated. Here's what to avoid—and do instead.
This surprised us
Starting conversations with decision-makers demands a clean break from conventional outreach messaging. This means avoiding common practices—like calls to action.
No call to action?
That's right. Avoid most of what you've been told to do OR see others doing. Like...
- Using LinkedIn automation tools (all of them)
- Applying templates you found while Googling
- Using cordial salutations ("hello" and especially "dear")
- Including hook questions (setting your prospect up to answer in a way you want)
- Describing value your company provides
- Making calls to action
Let's use an example
This is an actual email that hit my inbox recently. I’ve disguised the sender’s name and company.
They are a nearly 1,000-employee organization selling lead identification services, in which you can “identify your anonymous website visitors turning them into leads.”
Worth noting, some in our Spark Selling Academy community have used this popular SaaS (software as a service) company with poor results.
1. Subject lines must provoke curiosity
Avoid
The job of an InMail subject line is singular: Spark curiosity about what’s inside the message itself. (to get it opened)
In this example, the subject line is:
“Start your year in the LEAD”
The above subject line fails to deliver because it:
- Attempts to be cute (with a pun)
- Is written in a marketing tone
- Identifies what's inside (a sales pitch about lead generation)
- Reads like a slogan or ad title
Replace
Instead, our Academy members' experience indicates subject lines perform because they are provocative. Best performing subjects are:
- 4 words or less (1 is trending strong lately)
- Avoiding cute / marketing tone
- Using a "tension" element, provoking curiosity
- Leaning toward vague (are unclear about message contents)
If you need better subject lines consider taking our Sales Copywriting Course which includes a subject line revamp module.
2. Ditch salutations & casual talk
Avoid
Avoid being too casual with your prospects. Presenting yourself to strangers (prospects) in a familiar way can be asking for trouble. Especially in Enterprise sales or when calling on business owners, top brass. It may come off as rude or disrespectful.
“Hey, Jeff...”
This is the salutation the seller approached me with. Depending on the industry sector you're calling on it can be a non-starter. Simply because it attempts to be chummy—just like so many other sales come-ons.
It blends in.
But the real conversation-blocker came next.
“I hope you had a great Christmas and a happy new year! Just a quick message to see if you've heard of ABC Company?”
This type of insincere greeting (yes, it will be seen this way!) shows zero effort in making the message relevant to me. Instead, it attempts to be chummy.
Beware: Wishing your target well is a sure fire way to fail. Because it has become a cheap, over-used way to break ice and appear familiar.
It's over-used by low-skilled sellers.
Avoid such salutations. Here's why:
- This is the most transparent way to communicate, "I have nothing worthwhile for you" to prospects. Because if you did, you would not be needing to contrive familiarity. You're not familiar. You're not relevant.
- You're like everyone else—faking your way into a discussion. You're not distinct.
- It wastes precious time. One doesn't need to open their email if they see a subject line and first sentence like this.
Replace
Instead, our Academy members get better response by getting directly to the point.
Can you imagine what is coming next … after he asks, “Have you heard of my company?” Of course you can. A sales pitch.
That's the problem.
3. No meeting requests, no self-talk, stay neutral
Avoid
Another example from the sales rep from above as he launches directly into his pitch:
“ABC Company has revolutionized website lead generation for customers throughout North America — the software will give you better marketing and sales insight than you've ever had before, enabling you to maximize your ROI and fuel your sales team with high quality, sales-ready leads.”
Setting aside the many grammar, punctuation and readability of this message, it is plagued with persuasive, biased marketing copy. This is pure poison. Beware.
The tone of the above pitch is “radio or TV spot.” It’s a marketing tone. There is nothing provocative about it. This message puts the company before the value it provides.
This message fails because presents the company’s value proposition—without the prospect (me) having (first) expressed interest.
Avoid acting like a marketer and including biased marketing copy within your cold outreach emails. Doing so is problematic because it attempts to sell a solution before the problem has even been verified. You're talking AT the prospect rather than starting a conversation WITH them.
Replace
Instead, take the time to provoke a problem-solving discussion that may lead to a meeting---if the client chooses---rather than presenting your value.
Today's most productive sellers use email to hint at problem solving ability. They also tend to be thought provokers and Challengers of the status quo.
That’s how they’re successfully engaging clients. They're helping customers feel an urge to reply and begin persuading themselves via a non-sales discussion.
This kind of writing does take a little work. Reprogramming yourself to not think, write and speak on the phone like a marketer does take effort. The other way is easier for sure. Because we see marketing coming at us all day long, we tend to follow that pattern and way of writing and speaking.
We all know what marketing looks like, so we inadvertently write sales emails that feel like marketing gimmicks.
Instead make your words UNclear. Not persuasive. This helps:
- You STAND OUT by breaking the pattern clients see all the time. You don’t look like everyone else.
- Customers want to ask for conversation... ask for more clarity on the thought you just provoked.
You accomplish this because you were so incomplete, non-persuasive, unclear and unbiased to achieving your goal in the message.
Bottom line: NOT trying to appear credible, nor persuasive, nor compelling… and NOT presenting a call to action provokes better response.
4. Avoid pushing pains and 'hooks'
Avoid
The example message continues:
“What does ABC Company give you?”
This is the classic marketing hook question. I’ve seen instances where sellers follow “What can we give you?” with “I thought you’d never ask.”
Horrible.
Usually written by low-skilled marketing copywriters … for their sales force to use.
This kind of question is biased to an outcome the seller desires. This causes customers to hesitate—because it attempts to entrap us. Answering “yes” makes me vulnerable to being pitched.
Telling the prospect what they will get if they invest with you before a conversation has even started is presumptive. The problem is, many times we don't know what's valuable to the prospect.
Replace
Instead, neutral, customer-centric questions should be asked. Take the time to provoke a discussion (rather than push what you think is valuable).
Because your proposition probably is valuable. But this information is coming too soon in the conversation.
A buyer needs to ask for these details to be shared … then the seller can email more information.
Example:
"Noticing your Spark Selling Academy's video tutorials, Jeff. How will you know when it's time to distribute the training beyond your own website?"
Do you see how this question is just plain different than what I get in my inbox every day?
See how the structure forces a mental stop? It makes me think, "Hmm... how will I know when it's time? What will happen in my business—to make me think 'NOW is the time to expand?' Interesting question."
It's a question that grabs. It's a question that helps me want to read what might be coming next. It's a question that helps me realize, "hey, dummy, you don't have a way of knowing when that time will be!"
It's what we call a "facilitative question" because it facilitates a conversation by focusing the reader to think inward.
How can you accomplish this? Consider joining us in the upcoming Master Class & Coaching. We have a few spots left! Or attend a clinic workshop.
5. Avoid calls to action & persuasion
Avoid
It may feel counter-intuitive, but stop closing your emails with calls to action. These are never a good idea in cold emails.
Our example sales rep from above decided to close his email by asking for a meeting:
“If you are curious to see how our software will benefit Communications Edge, let’s arrange a complimentary online demonstration and discuss our completely free, no obligation trial. What’s the best direct dial or email to reach you? — are you available sometime this week?”
Most prospects wouldn't have even gotten this far down in this email, but for the ones who did, this CTA makes the seller sound desperate, pushy and persuasive.
Replace
Instead, avoid asking for a meeting. Yep, that's right. Just don't do it.
Give them a choice.
You cannot tell a customer to engage or meet with you. You must help them decide: Does a strong enough situation exist to meet (or not)? Acknowledge your prospects' right to choose. Show prospects you're neutral to their choice to respond or not.
Our community is working to perfect this exact method to keep provoking the prospect without telling them what to decide. They're letting customers decide on their own.
Persuasion & marketing copy kills response
We never want to persuade clients. Clients should persuade themselves—develop curiosity. Enough to reply. That's what good copy does.
Calls to action attempt to direct people—who don't want your direction! They want to choose. Choice requires your being neutral to them replying. They need to feel it.
Beyond that, I cannot help but point out how bad it can get—when marketers write sales email copy.
“... let’s arrange a complimentary online demonstration and discuss our completely free, no-obligation trial... ”
“No obligation.” He’s still trying to reassure me this will be good for me. It's highly persuasive. Words like “hope” and “looking forward to your reply” and “I would love to” all risk making him (and you) look desperate for the meeting.
Did you notice how he suggests his message might make me curious? First of all, how dare he! Secondly, it's doubtful this copy will spark curiosity. Even if I was interested he provided so much information (about himself) so soon in the game I have very few questions … very little curiosity!
This entire exchange becomes a “yes or no.” There's no conversation. This limits his response and engaging as many targets as possible (warm and hot leads).
If I don’t yet have a need (right now) there is no incentive to be in touch with him. Ouch.
Point blank: Calls to action are ineffective and inappropriate in sales emails and LinkedIn messages. Multiple calls-to-action add to the confusion. It is best to aim exclusively for a conversation—not a click, download, view, share or meeting.
How can you accomplish this? Consider joining us in the upcoming Master Class & Coaching. We have a few spots left! Or attend a clinic workshop.
What is your experience teaching you about structuring the best outreach messaging possible? Consider commenting below.
Jeff Molander
Sales communication coach & Managing Partner
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