7 Cold Email Scripts for Agencies That Actually Generate Sales

Although it is a little intimidating at first, cold emailing is one of the best customer acquisition methods for agencies. It's cheap, effective, and it doesn't take much time to yield excellent results.

So what's the drawback? Well, you have to get it right.

In this blog post, I'll lay out several examples and formulas for cold emails that are proven to work and generate sales, whether you work in creative design, software development, marketing, social media, or other industries.

What makes a good cold email script?

Before we dive into our list of cold email scripts, we must first define what a "good cold email" is.

That way, you'll be able to identify what makes a powerful cold e-mail—and maybe come up with your own templates, too.

Know who you're sending an e-mail to

Have you ever received one of those e-mails that start with "to whomever it may concern..." or "to the owner of website.com..."?

I don't know about you, but my name is everywhere on my SaaS website. It appears on my blog posts, on my about page, and on my contact page. So if a potential business partner sends me an e-mail, I expect them to greet me with a "Hello Nathan".

Why? Because personalization is everything. If they know at least my name, it means they've done a minimum amount of research about me and my business—and therefore, their offer might interest me. I'll read on!

Here's a cold e-mail from a person trying to sell me SEO services:

Mistake #1: calling me website.com, rather than by my name...
Mistake #2: selling me SEO services. I operate an SEO SaaS, so I'm clearly not a good target here.

Here's another e-mail from a person requesting a backlink:

Win #1: my name is in the title—making the e-mail very compelling to open!
Win #2: this person starts with a compliment. It may or may not be genuine, but it's nice to read that people enjoy my posts!
Win #3: using a picture and a company e-mail (rather than @gmail.com). This makes the whole thing a lot more personal.
Win #4: this person took the time to check out my site and noticed I write a monthly SEO roundup. They've done their research!

Needless to say, I was happy to include their post in my next roundup.

Write amazing headlines

When it comes to cold emailing, headlines are everything.

Headlines are the first thing that your prospect will see. More importantly than that, they are the reason your prospect will (or won't!) open your e-mail.

Here are a few DO's and DONT's of e-mail headlines:

• DON'T: just go with one headline that "sounds good", test a set, and see what appears to work the best / get the most replies. Experiment, experiment, experiment.
• DON'T: overpromise or be deceptive: for example, if your headline says "FREE $50 in credits for our new SaaS", don't follow-up with a "for existing customers only" in the body.
• DO: be specific and personal—"Nathan, I think you want to hear about this automated SEO solution for your blog", or "I have an idea to make [websitename.com]'s onboarding experience better!"

If these tips don't apply, you can also just keep it short and sweet. E-mail headlines such as "Quick question about [company name]" or "Quick request" get great open rates.

Avoid overly salesy, descriptive, boring & non-personal headlines the likes of "SEO Writing Services" or a loud "BEST GOOGLE ADS CONSULTING"—these will make your prospect feel like they've just been the target of a massive e-mail blast.

Follow-up

As surprising as it may sound, the follow-up is even more important than your initial e-mail.

There's several reasons for this:

1. Even if they are interested in your offer, the prospect may have genuinely forgotten about the e-mail.
   
   I can't tell you how many of my follow-ups got an "I meant to get back to you, but couldn't find the time!", or a "Thank you, completely forgot!" reply.
   
   
2. Your initial e-mail may have gotten lost in your prospect's inbox. This typically happens in larger inboxes, where e-mails don't get opened for a large amount of time or get skimmed very quickly.
   
   
3. You essentially double your visibility. Imagine your prospect inbox is a social media platform, and your e-mail is an ad—getting back in there a week or two after your first e-mail keeps your offer on top of their minds.

Cold email templates for agencies

Here's a few proven to work, and ready-to-steal cold email templates you can use for your agency.

Cold email script #1: market research/conversation starter

Hello [first name],

I stumbled upon your blog post on [company name] from a few weeks ago. Love the value you provide, especially when it comes to [something relevant about their post].

I'm doing a bit of market research for one of my upcoming products here, and since it seems you have an interest in [industry] I just wanted to hear what product or software you're currently using to [what your product does: for example, accounting software].

Let me know—I'm really interested!

Thanks,

[Your name]

Cold email script #2: providing value from the get-go

Hello [first name]—and a happy Monday!

I just wanted to reach out because I stumbled upon your [site, app page, platform] today and noticed you might be missing out on [traffic, revenue, etc.].

For example, [point out problems, or easy-to-fix issues, and give out solutions that demonstrate your expertise].

I only reach out to businesses that have a lot of potential for [SEO, traction, etc.] and could perform really well with just a bit more work. I've helped companies like yours double, triple, or quadruple their [downloads, revenue] ([link to case studies]) and would love to work on [their company name].

Just let me know if you're interested. Maybe we can jump in a Skype call sometime this week?

Talk soon,

[Your name]

Cold email script #3: using competition

Hey [first name],

I hope this email finds you well! I wanted to get in touch because [explain why you are reaching out to them / their company specifically].

I noticed that [their company name] is doing a great job at [what they do], and I know that you're currently using [your competitor] for [specific area of the job].

The main reason our customers switch from [your competitor] to [your company] is because [pitch benefits / advantages].

I know that our product will help you with [what they do].

Are you available for a quick call sometime this week?

Cheers,

[Your name]

Cold email script #4: hard sell

Hey [first name],

I hope you're doing well! I just stumbled upon [their website, a blog post, social media account, etc.] and I realized that [their company] is doing an amazing job at [what they do], but is not yet using an efficient [what your software/service does].

Our company, [name of your agency] provides a platform that will help you with [benefits].

I am quite convinced that [their company] would be the perfect match for a trial with [name of your agency], because: [list reasons].

Would you be available for a quick call sometime this week?

Talk soon,

[Your name]

Cold email script #5: short and to the point

Hey [first name],

I'm [your name] and I work at [agency]. We help companies like yours with [customer retention], and very recently, we've helped [another company] with [increasing the retention rate for their SaaS by 19%]. You can check out the details here: [link].

Would you be interested in the same benefit for [their company name?] If yes, please let me know by replying to this e-mail and let's set up a call sometime this week!

Talk soon,

[Your name]

Cold email script #6: free help

Hey [first name],

I've been following your [blog/social media/company] for a little while now and I couldn't help but notice there's a few things you could do to take your [SEO, customer support, etc.] to the next level.

Here's what I'm thinking:

[outline free advice / help]

Let me know if this helps, and if you'd like, I have a lot more advice and ideas in stock. Should we jump in a call sometime this week maybe?

Cheers,

[Your name]

Cold email script #7: sell on what they're doing right

Hey [first name],

I was looking at [customer reviews] for [company name], and I noticed—[your customers simply love the way you handle their requests]! It looks like you're doing an awesome job at [customer support].

[include screenshot if necessary]

I was wondering if you'd ever considered a strategy revolving around [customer engagement] to land even more sales and create a few more happy customers.

If this sounds like something you could use, let me know—I'm happy to talk about this over the phone sometime today or later this week.

Cheers,

[Your name]

Wrapping up...

We hope you've enjoyed this list of cold email scripts and templates.

Feel free to steal one for your own use, and let us know in the comments which one you enjoy/find the most useful!