3 ways to get a reply to your cold email

(What to do if you don't get a reply)

Aug 25, 2024

Read time: 3 min

Last week, we dove deep into the art of crafting a cold email that stands out.

I deconstructed, and rewrote a top SDR Cognism email, breaking down why it works and how you can apply those principles to your own outreach.

(If you missed it, no worries—you can still catch up here.)

But here’s the truth:

Even the best email might not get a reply.

You worked hard to write a relevant message. You send it, expecting a response.

And then… nothing. Days go by, and no one replies.

Here’s a fact we need to accept: Prospects don’t have to reply, even to our best emails.

It’s disappointing, but it’s also a chance to learn.

Last week was about writing your first email.

This week, we’ll focus on following up. Because in sales, success often comes from not just being bold, but from being smart and persistent.

Today, I’m going to share 3 simple ways to get more replies after sending a relevant cold email:

Email Follow up
Cold calling + Voicemails
LinkedIn Outreach

These aren’t just random tactics.

They’re a well-planned mix of channels—text, audio, visuals, and even video. Using this multi-channel approach, you’re not just increasing your chances of a response; you’re standing out from the crowd (AI-SDR, and average reps).

Ready to dig in?

Let's break down this recipe:

Email Follow-up

Educate your prospect with a simple message like:

Hi Elric, do you have any feedback on my last note?

PS: Sharing this PDF , and thought you might like it, especially this part: {{topic that matters to your persona or prospect}}

Or try a more direct approach:

Hi Elric,

Since you use ZoomInfo for your team in EMEA, I thought this would be worth discussing.

Did you have any feedback on my note?

With a video

Include a 7-15-second video in your follow-up. It humanizes your outreach and shows you're not an AI-SDR.

Cold calls, and voicemails

Data from Gong and the book "Cold Calling Sucks" shows that combining cold calls with emails nearly doubles your reply rate. Even if you don't connect live, leaving voicemails can increase your email reply rate by 2.15x.

How many voicemails should I leave?

Aim for a maximum of 2 voicemails. Research shows that 3 or more voicemails are less likely to get a response.

If they pick up, try this opener:

Open the email you've sent, and use this opener:

Hi Elric, I talked with one of your SDRs, he said you use ZoomInfo with your EMEA team.

This is Johnny with Cognism. You were not expecting my call but I have done my research. Do you have a moment? I will be brief.

For voicemails, keep it short and sweet:

Voicemail #1 (15 Seconds, Context Only)

Tom, we work with a few SDR teams in London.

No need to call back. I've just sent you an email.

To skip the back-and-forth, could you let me know if it piques your interest?

It came from Elric at Cognism, cheers.

Voicemail #2 (30 Seconds, Context + Social Proof)

Elric, we work with a few SDR teams in London on building their cold calling lists amongst other things.

I know you use ZoomInfo, but I've sent you an email to give you a sense of what we’re doing with those other sales teams.

To skip the back-and-forth, could you let me know if it piques your interest?

It came from Elric at Cognism, cheers.

LinkedIn Outreach

Text/Connection Request:

I'm A/B testing 2 connection request messages:

Hi [[Prospect]], did you get my email?
Hi [[Prospect]], did you get my email with the subject line: [[Subject line]]?

If they accept your request, follow up with a voice note or video with this talk track:

Tom, thanks for accepting my connection request. We work with a few SDR teams in London.

No need to reply here. I've just sent you an email.

To skip the back-and-forth, could you let me know if it piques your interest?

It came from Elric at Cognism, cheers.

What works for you to get a reply?

Now you have ideas to improve your reply rate and book more outbound meetings.

That’s it!

I hope this helps with your outbound journey.

Keep cooking up those great strategies!

✌️👨‍🍳

Elric

P.S. I'm cooking up this newsletter mid-flight, heading back to my place in Mexico. Instead of napping, I'm adjusting to the Mexico City time zone and cooking up content for the weeks ahead.

You might've noticed I've been a bit quiet lately. I've been sampling life in Europe, and let me tell you, the digital nomad lifestyle isn't quite my flavor. But now I'm back and my mind is bubbling with ideas.

Want a taste of what's coming? Here's a sneak peek:

A recipe for boosting your cold calling connect rate
My key takeaways from “Revenue Architecture”, "Outbounding" and "Cold Calling Sucks" (spoiler: it can be quite digestible)
Fresh cold-calling stats for 2024, ready to serve
How I brewed a cold calling script for my client from scratch
Everything I wish I had known about cold calling when I started my first SDR role, served up fresh
And there's more in the Outbound Kitchen

So pull up a chair, because we're about to spice up your outbound game.

As soon as you're ready, I can offer you a three-course menu of services:

Need help with your outbound motion? Book your 40-minute Outbound Consulting call here.
Outbound Private Chef:
1. Part-time: I design, build AND execute your outbound strategy and team
2. Coaching/Advising: Tailored guidance for your outbound strategy and team's success
3. If you are interested, reply to this email, or send me an email at bonjour@elriclegloire.com
Promote your product or yourself to 3,221 subscribers by sponsoring this newsletter. If you are interested, reply to this email, or send me an email at bonjour@elriclegloire.com