How To Write Cold Emails That Get Clients: Templates + Tips

To be honest, I didn’t like cold emails at first, and I dreaded them in my first two years! You compose a personalized email, hit send, and hope that the client replies. And while waiting for a reply, you have to hope that your email got to their inbox. We understand the struggle, but the fact is, cold emailing still works. They work like magic when you learn how to write cold emails that get clients without sounding salesy.

If you’re trying to get new clients or land brand deals, I assure you, you don’t need a fancy website or tons of followers.

You need to: know your prospective client, conduct quick research about them, identify the right person to contact, and send a clear, concise email.

Brands and founders are busy these days. They want to know your value, if you are worth a response, and clarity – not long paragraphs.

So, for this article, I’ll share the exact steps I’ve used to write emails that help me land clients. I’ll also include screenshots of emails I’ve sent in the past, so that you can use them as easy templates.

CONTENTS:

• 3 Things to Check Before You Send A Cold Email
• Who Should I Contact?
• How to Write Cold Emails That Get Clients
• Should I Send A Follow-up Email?
• How Many Cold Emails Should I Send Per Time?
• Cold Emailing Tips For Freelancers and Content Creators
• FAQs About Cold Emails

Before you send that cold email:

The ultimate goal of sending a cold email is to get a response - negative or positive.

Let me explain: when I send a cold email, I hope that it lands in the client’s inbox. Even when your email content is clean, you can’t tell how Google (or your email service provider) perceives your email. It may end up in the ‘promotions’ or land in the ‘spam’ folder. You really can’t choose!

From this, I have learned that whether I get a ‘when are you free for a call?’ or ‘we don’t need anyone now, but I’ll get back to you soon’, two things are certain:

1. my email made it to the client’s inbox
2. my email address is not flagged as spam.

With this in mind, what should you check before sending cold emails that get clients?

3 Things To Check Before You Send A Cold Email

Before I send a cold email, I always ask myself: ‘Do I have everything I need for this email?’. Do I have enough information and similar value to share that will compel a response from this prospective client?

These questions may not be the same for you; I’m only writing from my experience.

But the three most important things you should check before you send cold emails that get clients are:

1. Your proposed services
2. Your prospective clients
3. Your contact

Your proposed service should help you answer the question: What can I do, and how can my skills help these businesses? Whether you are a freelancer or content creator, you should have a clear understanding of what to contribute to your prospective client.

Your proposed clients are businesses or individuals that will gain from your skills and with whom you wish to work. It should answer the question: Who needs my services or skills the most?

Your contact(s) are simply a list of email addresses of prospective clients you want to reach out to. It should answer the question: Who should I contact?

Related article: How to Find & Verify Client Emails

Who Should I Contact?

I believe you already have an email list, but do they need your services? Do they fit the ideal clients for your industry? To write cold emails that get clients, you must know who to reach out to.

Your email list largely depends on your industry or the services you are selling. For instance, as a freelance tech and customer support specialist, my ideal clients are SaaS and e-commerce businesses.

Since I’m an English speaker living in France, I look out for international or French startups and businesses that cater to English speakers. The pain point I solve for these businesses is that they want someone who is a native English speaker – to avoid the Franglish accent.

With this information, I look for businesses that fit my client’s persona. I review their websites and find the right person to contact. If they are startups or small businesses, I look for the Founders or Co-founders. For mid-sized businesses, I look for the TA or hiring team or customer experience lead. Once I find their emails, I add them to my email list.

If you are a copywriter, look out for businesses with an outdated but active blog. A web designer should look for clients with outdated or boring websites. If you are a developer, look out for mobile apps that lag or look buggy.

Related article: How to find freelance clients in no time

How To Write Cold Emails That Get Clients

My spam folder is always flooded with cold emails that are poorly written and lack personalization. Sometimes, I wonder if the email was a mistake because it appeared to be a mass email sent to agencies in the USA, including me (I don’t live in the USA).

If you want your emails to appeal to your prospects, they should be genuine and personal. Your emails should sound like you know what gap to fill in, even if you don’t know them personally.

There is no set or defined template for writing cold emails that gets clients, but your email must have a certain structure. When I send cold emails to my prospective clients, here’s a format I use:

A personalized subject line

You can frame the subject to match the intent of your email. For example, if you are a content writer, ‘potential collaboration to update your blog’ is a perfect subject line.

A personal greeting

Always address your prospective clients by their first name. ‘Hi Linda’ is a more appropriate way to address a prospective client rather than ‘Hi dear’ or ‘Hey there’.

Related article: 7 ways to set boundaries with clients

A short introduction of yourself

In one sentence, tell the client who you are and what you do. This is not the time to list your certifications or boast about your skills.

Briefly explain what you do and how your profession relates to their business.

How do they interest you, and your offer?

Before you reach out to a prospect, you would have had an interest in their business. So, how does their business interest you? And if it interests you, why are you interested in working together with them?

Tell them how your skills can benefit them and be specific about this.

What qualifies you for this collaboration?

In one sentence, show them how you have handled a similar project or work in the past. This is where you share a link to your portfolio or website.

PS: Avoid sharing too many links in your email or adding too many attachments.

A short sign-off and call to action

Tell them that you look forward to hearing from them and encourage them to reach out to you. You can say, ‘I would love to discuss more about how my services can benefit your business’. Also, ‘Would you like to discuss more about this over a Zoom call?’ is a good way to sign off.

Also read: 6 must-haves before you start freelancing

Add a personal touch to your email to make it relatable. For example, if you are a pet lover or an enthusiast for something they do, you can chip that in. Keep your emails short, direct, and personal so that the client understands how your offering aligns with their business goal.

Your email should not be scrolled!

Should I Send A Follow-up Email?

Short answer: Yes!

There’s a 60% chance that you will not get a response from your first email. That’s okay! But don’t be afraid to nudge them again and see if you can get a reaction from them.

To write cold emails that get clients, you must include a follow-up.

Take a look at this follow-up email for a client I landed 8 months ago:

3 email follow-ups are the maximum number of follow-up emails to send to a client. Sending more than 3 follow-up emails may come off as pushy or desperate, so avoid overdoing it.

Make sure to space out your follow-up times. I always schedule my first follow-up to send 7 days after the first email and the second follow-up to send 5 days after the first follow-up email. It shows you’re being respectful and not bothering the client.

Example of another follow-up email you can send:

‘Would you be available for a quick chat this week?’ or ‘Would you like to set a time this week for a quick chat?’ are other examples of how you can sign off your emails in a follow-up

How Many Cold Emails Should I Send Per Time?

The number of cold emails you can send in a day depends on your goal and the email service provider you use.

I send out 10 cold emails per week because it takes time to research the client, understand their business, find and verify the correct email to contact, and, if possible, learn a little about the founder. At this rate, sending 10 emails a week (while working with my current clients) is very feasible for me – so I stick to 10 emails/week.

If you use the free Gmail address, Google limits you to sending up to 500 emails per day. But if you have a custom Workspace address, you can send more than 500 emails per day.

However, sending 100s of emails per day doesn’t guarantee clients. But if your email content is clean and personalized for each client, I’m sure that you will get a response in no time.

Also read: 18+ freelancing tips for freelancers

Cold Emailing Tips for Freelancers and Content Creators

I agree that there’s no perfect template for writing cold emails that get clients, but here are some cold emailing tips from my experience:

1. First, a cold email is not about you – it is about the client. Your goal is to demonstrate to the client or brand how you can take work off their plate, rather than listing your achievements.
2. Your skills should match a need.
3. Do not attach a quote or payment link to your first email. Your goal is to ascertain if they want to work with you and not hassle them.
4. You may not receive a response, and you may get a No. But you will likely receive a few responses.
5. If you are a new freelancer or content creator with limited experience, target small businesses. Working with small businesses is an excellent way to expand your experience and establish relationships with clients.
6. Use tools to polish your grammar and check for misspellings. I use Grammarly to review my email copy and make the necessary corrections. You can install the Chrome extension to make your writing easy.
7. Have an email list and track it. Create a spreadsheet for your prospective clients and tick off businesses that you have contacted. You can also create a column to track their responses (or lack of them). This way, you won’t make the mistake of reaching out to the same client twice.
8. Personalize it. From the subject line to your last sentence, personalize every piece of content in your email. You may not know the client, but you can create a connection with them.
9. Your offer or service should be clear – no need for big words. Identify the potential problem or skill that is lacking in their business and explain how you can help them.
10. Be consistent. Don’t let negative responses or their silence discourage you from finding new clients. Send a few emails every week and continue until you achieve consistent results.

Also read: Best freelance websites in France

FAQs To Write Cold Emails That Get Clients

Final Thoughts

Some content creators may argue that sending a DM on social media is easier than sending a cold email. Yes, it is. But who gets the email – the prospective client or their social media manager?

Cold emailing remains a great way to find new clients, especially when clients don’t come to you or you don’t have a large social media following. To write cold emails that get clients, make sure to consider the company’s business perspective and keep your emails concise and personal. Whether you receive a response or not, continue sending those emails and don’t be shy to follow up.

For beginners looking to start freelancing, I shared 6 things you must have before you start freelancing. If you are starting, here’s how you can land freelance clients in no time. And if you choose to send cold emails right away, this is how I find and verify clients’ emails for free.

Also, when you start working with clients, these tips will help you set boundaries and protect your business.

How has cold emailing contributed to your freelance business these days?