The 8 Best Cold Email Templates for B2B Sales Prospecting (with Best Practices)

Cold Email Templates for B2B Sales Header

Your reps can’t write a lackluster cold email and expect to hear back from their prospects. Cold sales emails need a human touch that will leave your potential customers wanting to learn more about your solution.

There is no cold email template with a perfect success rate. With that in mind, you can still find success with an effective cold approach. To help your reps get their foot in the door, we’re sharing 8 of our best cold email templates, each with a different approach to connecting with prospects.

The 8 Best Cold Email Templates for B2B Sales Prospecting

1. Pain point email template

Your reps will be emailing prospects who are facing a specific pain point. Luckily, you have the solution for them; you just need to help them realize why it’s the right one for them. Make sure the main focus of this email is to highlight the business value of your product. 

By highlighting the business value, you’re centering the message to their needs and how your product can fit into their business processes. Along with explaining how it fits into their day-to-day job functions, you should also spotlight specific benefits for their role. For example, your solution may be able to increase productivity or prevent repetitive busy work.

Subject line: Want to solve [pain point]?

Hi [name],

As a [job title], you probably face [pain point] day in and day out. 

With [product/service], you can overcome [pain point] and much more:

  • [Benefit #1]
  • [Benefit #2]
  • [Benefit #3]

If you’re ready to see improvement, let’s schedule a quick call to discuss how [product/service] can help you.

How does [date and time] sound?

Kind regards,
[name]
[job title]
[company

2. Testimonial email template

Some people may be hesitant to purchase from a new provider because they haven’t seen your product in action. They’ll be more trusting of a product that others have used and been successful with. For example, which product are you willing to trust more: a solution that has 4.8 stars with thousands of reviews, or a new product that doesn’t have any testimonials to back it up? 

A testimonial from a current customer can build your credibility and give your prospect confidence in your solution. Illustrating what your solution has done for other businesses will show them what kind of results they can expect.

Subject line: Improve [KPI] by [#]% with [product/service]

Hi [name],

By using [product/service], [customer] improved their [KPI] by [#]% in [#] months.

Here’s what [customer] had to say about us:

[Customer testimonial quote]

Want to experience success like [customer]?

I would love to have a quick chat with you about what benefits you can expect from [product/service]. How does [date and time] sound?

Best,
[email signature]

3. Follow up email template after no response

As mentioned earlier, there isn’t a cold email that will reel in a response every time. Keep in mind that your prospects’ top priority is to focus on their jobs, not cold emails. An effective follow-up email is a second chance to capture their attention.

A key aspect of this email is to pique their interest. This can be done through effective messaging like including a testimonial or a piece of content. It can also be shorter and straight to the point.

Subject line: Still thinking about [product/service]?

Dear [name],

Did you get a chance to look at my last email? I wanted to see if you were interested in how [product/service] can help solve [pain point].

I hope we can jump on a quick call to chat more about [company]’s needs.

Let me know if [date and time] works for you.

Best,
[email signature]

4. Whitepaper email template

By sending educational content, you can showcase your solution without being too intrusive. Your reps can send a variety of sales collateral for them to review, such as a whitepaper, e-book, blog post, or other useful material that addresses your recipient’s pain points.

Providing useful resources also builds trust between you and the individual. It positions your brand as a thought leader and builds credibility. Once they are ready for a product like yours, they’ll turn to you first since they already gained trust from the materials you provided.

Subject line: Free e-book to help you solve [pain point]

Hello [name],

As a [job title], you’re probably facing [pain point 1] and [pain point 2].

We created this [resource] to help you solve this challenge.

You can access [resource] for free here: [link]

Let’s hop on a quick call to further discuss how our solution can solve your [pain point]. How does [date and time] sound?

Kind regards,
[email signature]

5. AIDA email template

Another email template that is widely known is the AIDA approach. AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. It’s a popular messaging formula used by many organizations due to the success it has seen. 

First, grab the attention of your readers with an engaging subject line and introduction. Second, generate interest by mentioning the individual’s pain point. Third, stir up the reader’s desire for your solution. Lastly, leave with a clear call-to-action.

Subject line: Let’s boost your [KPI]

Hi [name],

How much better would life be without having to face [pain point]

Our [product/service] can help you achieve this dream thanks to its [benefit #1], [benefit #2], and [benefit #3].

Once you take full advantage of our [product/service], you’ll have more time to focus on your responsibilities as [job title].

Let’s have a 10-minute conversation to discuss the results you can expect from [product/service].

How does [date and time] sound?

Best,
[email signature]

6. Product launch email template

A product launch email’s primary objective is to leverage a newly launched product to grab your prospect’s attention. The exclusivity of a new product not many organizations are using yet can be enticing to prospects. 

If your new solution is meant to fill a niche gap in the market or came about from listening to the needs of your customers, these are other persuasive details you can include.

Subject line: Be one of the first to try [product/service]

Hi [name],

We just launched [product/service], and we wanted you to be one of the first to get hands-on experience with it.

[Product/service] helps you:

  • [Benefit #1]
  • [Benefit #2]
  • [Benefit #3]

Start taking advantage of this one-of-a-kind product to finally solve [pain point].

Can I schedule a time to share more information about [product/service]?

Does [date and time] work for you?

Thanks,
[email signature]

7. Industry update email template

Industry standards and trends are constantly changing. With the industry update email template, you can showcase how your solution ties in with the ever-changing needs of your prospect’s industry. 

Perhaps your product can help with new security concerns or help companies stay compliant with new regulations. You can capture their attention by solving this recent pain point.

Subject line: Is your business up-to-date with [industry update]?

Hi [name],

With the news of [industry update], it’s time to think how [company] can stay ahead of the curve. 

Our [product/service] meets all the latest [industry update] while allowing you to solve [pain point] without any hassle.

I would love to discuss this with you more over a cup of coffee. How does [date and time] sound?

Warm regards,
[email signature]

8. Breakup email template

The breakup email template is to let your prospect know you’re making one last attempt to connect with them about your solution. With this final email, we recommend leaving them with some relevant info or a resource for them to look over in their own time.

This template has 2 main benefits to boost your response chances:

    1. It illustrates that there is an actual person contacting the prospect
    2. It leaves your potential client with a fear of missing out


Because of these 2 benefits, we have found this template usually gets a strong response rate.

Subject line: I guess now is not the time

Hello [name],

I’ve reached out a few times, but can’t seem to reach you. Since I haven’t heard back, I’ll assume you aren’t ready to take advantage of our [product/service].

In the meantime, I wanted to pass along this information about how [product/service] helps with [pain point]: [link]

If you ever want to get in touch, you know where to find me.

Best,
[email signature]

B2B cold email best practices

Although these email templates should help you land a conversation with a prospect, there are still some best practices to keep in mind when crafting your message. Remember, your email’s main goal is to pique their interest and set a sales meeting. The tactics listed below will assist with that purpose.

Leave a clear call-to-action

When you’re wrapping up your email, a clear call-to-action (CTA) erases any confusion and makes your intentions clear. We recommend that your main CTA should be to schedule a sales meeting, and you should specify a time your sales rep is available. This allows for your recipient to easily agree to the meeting, or change the date or time to something that works better with their schedule.

Keep it focused on their needs

It’s easy to brag about everything your solution can offer. But how does it address your prospect’s specific pain points? Reps should implement problem-based messaging that utilizes easy-to-understand language centered on your prospect’s needs and how you can support them. This approach gives you a better chance for your prospects to respond and relate to your solution more.

Make it
personal

Decision makers and thought leaders receive multiple cold emails a day that sound impersonal. Make your email stand out by personalizing your message. The best way to customize your email is with thorough research. For example, you can learn a lot about someone through their LinkedIn profile and the about section of their company website.

Keep in mind that you don’t want to get too personal with the prospect. For example, we do not recommend mentioning the college they attended or upcoming sporting events. This can make the individual uncomfortable and paint your brand in a negative light. Instead, we suggest bringing up their position or the longevity of their career with the company. This helps keep it relevant to their work.

Be mindful of formatting

You won’t keep your reader engaged if they open your email and are welcomed by a poorly formatted message. You’ll have a higher chance of engagement if your email is short with the proper formatting. This means being mindful of how much of your copy is a bulleted list, italicized, or bolded. Also be wary about how many fonts and colors you use to avoid looking unprofessional. Properly formatting your email provides a more human touch and can be less overwhelming for your prospect.

Use a combination of calls and emails

In order to avoid a prospect from growing cold, it’s best to call them as soon as they give you a positive response since this is when they are the most warmed up. You may even leave a voicemail before you email them. We find it effective to mention you left them a voicemail in the email, which may persuade them to listen to it and call you back.

Keep trying new approaches

The last best practice to keep in mind is to keep trying new approaches. As mentioned before, there isn’t an email template with a perfect response rate. Some prospects may respond more positively to an industry update email while others may respond better to a testimonial email. You should also try brainstorming and testing a variety of subject lines.

Remember, sales prospecting trends are always changing. Some emails might not find success now, but that doesn’t mean you should abandon that template forever. That’s why you’ll want to consistently measure the success of your emails to see which templates are currently working or not.

The 8 Best Cold Email Templates for B2B Sales Prospecting

Increase your lead generation with these
cold B2B email templates

There are a variety of email approaches that can initiate a conversation with a prospect. Thankfully, the templates shared in this post should help improve your connect rate with your prospects. 

With the right email template, you can see an increase in responses from potential customers, which can lead to more sales appointments. Through meaningful messaging, research, and testing, your reps will know how to best reach their prospects.

Even with quality email templates, cold outreach still takes a lot of time, effort, and patience. If you need some help, our experienced SDR team can handle all of your prospecting. Visit our appointment setting services page to learn more about how our SDRs can set more meetings for your sales reps.

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