6 best cold email templates to close more sales

You press the Send button on your latest cold email, and you feel pretty confident about it. But you’re still waiting for a response for days, weeks, even months. Sound familiar?

You’re not alone — only 8.5% of outreach emails receive a response, and even then, there’s no guarantee of a sale. So, what’s the secret to crafting an email that forces your target prospect to open, read, and respond? Well-crafted, tried-and-tested cold emailing templates that engage the reader and encourage conversion.

In this article, we provide six of the best cold email templates to help you close more sales with your next outreach campaign and highlight best practices to get the most out of each template.

6 templates for cold email outreach

Here are six cold outreach email templates that you can use to inspire your next campaign.

Use case 1: Call recap

A hypothetical call recap email helps your prospect imagine how valuable your product can be on a real-life project.

Why it works

Our experience as a cold email outreach agency says that call recap approach is a smart way to forecast the conversation and ensure the recipient knows what you want to discuss. The recipient already imagines the conversation and is more likely to engage. It’s a unique way to convey your value proposition and outline the next step.

When you should use it

Opt for the call recap approach when you have something new and innovative to offer. It’s a great way to get past the gatekeeper or if your product or service requires more explanation than you can convey in traditional emails.

Use case 2: Face-to-face meeting for a coffee

A cold email template for a meeting is an effective way to foster relationships and build trust.

Why it works

A coffee meeting request is a big time commitment, and it needs to be worth it. A financial reward incentivizes recipients to take time out of their day and meet with you — particularly if there’s no immediate benefit. The email also adds social proof by stating the size of the company’s portfolio and the number of specialists.

When you should use it

This approach works well when you want to build a personal connection and require more time than a call to explain your offering. It’s an excellent way to introduce yourself and your company and make a good impression on the recipient.

It’s also effective when you have something specific to discuss that requires more detailed information. This way, you engage the recipient and open up a dialogue while allowing them time to think about what they can gain from the meeting.

Use case 3: Pain point focus

This email focuses on the recipient’s pain points and how your product or service can help.

Why it works

The email starts with research and highlights a specific problem the prospect faces. It then offers a solution to that issue and adds social proof that the sender knows what they’re talking about. The free trial period is another great incentive, allowing the prospect to explore the product risk-free. Ending the email with the exact day and a question simplifies the process for the user and makes it easier to reply.

When you should use it

The email only works when you’ve done extensive research on the company and can provide valuable insight into current challenges. Focusing on a pain point makes it easier to grab the attention of prospects, but don’t forget to include your solution in the email as well. This approach is great because it emphasizes how you can help meet their needs.

Use case 4: Referral

Referral emails are an excellent way to leverage your existing network and build relationships with potential partners.

Why it works

Referrals can be a great way to open the door with new prospects. Mentioning the referral in the subject line builds trust and encourages people to click on the email. The body of the email then goes into more detail about why this product is relevant, what it can do for them, and when they can discuss it further.

When you should use it

This template is effective when you have a specific referral to include in the conversation and aren’t sure who the person in charge is. It’s also useful when you have a complex product that requires more explanation and can benefit from multiple people involved in the discussion.

Use case 5: User interview

Invitations to user interviews are a great way to uncover insights about an existing user base or target market.

Why it works

What’s interesting about this email is that it’s a double-edged sword — you’re not just getting potential customers to check out your product but you’re also getting valuable feedback that helps you improve your product. It’s short and to the point but provides enough information about the product to get their attention. The email also states the benefit of trying out the product and how it can help them.

When you should use it

This approach is best when you want to collect feedback from industry experts and are looking for an objective opinion on your product or service. Note that it is only for companies that sell products (SaaS, software), would like to collect valuable feedback, and/or want to test new iterations of a product or a completely new solution on the market. Email someone who understands the market well and knows what their organization needs. This way, they will be able to provide valuable insights.

Use Case 6: Reengagement with past opportunities

This follow-up cold email template reminds customers of past opportunities that could have been successful and encourages them to take action now.

Why it works

Such sales follow up email template is a reminder of a past opportunity that may have been overlooked. By providing the article link, you deliver value and demonstrate familiarity with the user’s interests. It opens the opportunity for a meaningful conversation and allows the prospect to learn more about your product or service.

When you should use it

This approach is best when you want to reengage with prospects that have shown interest in your product or service. It’s also useful for updating users on new offerings and providing helpful content that may be relevant to their situation. Keep the content concise and focused on the value your offering provides.

Best practices for using cold email templates

Not every template is a perfect fit for every business since email performance depends on multiple factors such as job titles you reach, industry your business operates in, country your prospects are located, etc. You can compare the benchmarks in cold email statistics in B2B sector we compiled to show you the state of cold email outreach in 2023.

Let's take a look at some general best practices that you should follow:

Use the problem-agitate-solution (PAS) framework

The PAS framework is an age-old technique salespeople use to establish a problem, agitate it and provide a solution. The framework uses emotional language to hammer a pain point and a product or service as the solution.

Incorporate the PAS framework in your template to make prospects curious. Mention multiple examples that you can use depending on the recipient and supplement the message with social proof in your B2B email copy to increase credibility and make the offer more enticing.

Deep target audience research for hyper-focused campaigns

Targeting the right prospects results in greater conversion rates and fewer bounced emails. Don’t send emails to random companies and professionals — you need to build mutually beneficial relationships that you can sustain over time.

Create multiple templates for different personas. Divide these personas based on common factors, such as pain points, roles, and industries. The smaller your target group, the more specific the pain points and jobs-to-be-done can be — and the higher your chances of success.

Focus on your value proposition

The value proposition (VP) is one of the trickiest parts of cold emails. You want to mention your offer, but you also don’t want to shift the focus away from the prospect and their needs.

How? Don’t focus too much on the features — talk about the outcome instead. Mention other customers who achieved the same outcome and frame your offer in terms of what they stand to gain.

In most cases, your value proposition can be templated. Narrow down the pain points you’ve identified and write  two or three VPs you can use when prospecting. For example, multiple value propositions for a project management software could be:

• “Grow your team’s productivity by up to 40% with our project management software.”
• “Eliminate inefficiencies and save time and money with our intuitive project management solutions.”
• “Avoid costly errors with our comprehensive project planning and management tools.”

Use these value propositions in your templates and customize them for each recipient.

Personalize the template

Tailor the email copy to the person you’re targeting. Personalization drives results — marketers note a 20% increase in sales with personalized experiences. It also shows that you haven’t just sent the same email to everyone else.

Even if you use templates, add personal touches to each email. Use the person’s first name, their company, and their roles; link to any relevant content that may be of interest; and create space to add pain points in each template. In the Lavender Later podcast, Josh Braun, a selling expert, also mentioned adding a personalized P.S. statement.

“A great place to use those little nuggets of personalization that you can weave into the problem is a P.S. We actually found that using a P.S. gives you a 35% Higher reply rate when you use a personalized P.S.

So if you notice that someone was the wine connoisseur champion of California in 2019, you can write a P.S. that says, hey, P.S., I’m a big fan of Bordeaux; what’s your favorite wine variety?

You can add a bit of extra character and personality by using a P.S. and it doesn’t have to crop into the rest of the email.”

Save time by understanding which areas need personalization and which ones you can keep consistent across each email.

Create a follow-up sequence

Most prospects don’t act right away — stay top-of-mind with follow-up emails. Emailing the same contact multiple times can double your responses.

Create a sequence of emails written in the same tone and style and use them to re-engage prospects who haven’t responded and nurture those who have expressed interest. Keep things concise and focus on the value your offer can bring to them in each follow-up email — emphasizing urgency works well here.

Test and refine your templates

Test your templates to refine them and improve performance. A/B tests are great for optimizing open and response rates, while tracking metrics with a tool like Litmus can tell you how your emails render in different email clients. 

Use the data collected from these tests to adjust your templates and content. Note the subject lines, copy, and CTAs that convert best, and apply these learnings to future emails. Scrub your email list and segment it according to metrics like open rates, engagement, and conversion rates. These measures help you personalize your emails even further and lead to better results.

That's it!

Hope these templates will refresh your approach to creating cold emails. If you still struggle with polishing your email pitch and getting higher conversions, contact Belkins: Our savvy email template writers will enrich your sales strategy with highly personalized and tailored messages.