7 prospecting mistakes hurting your positive reply rate
(Costing you valuable meetings)
Read time: 3 min
New episode on the SDR Game Podcast
This week, we talk about cold calling on the show:
Listen to the episode here: YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts
Lately, we've chatted about how to do cold outreach the right way.
But today, let's look at where folks often mess up.
Since I’m back in a leadership role, I've gotten over 50 emails and LinkedIn messages.
But, many of these messages? They missed the mark.
Oh, and remember last week?
My guest, Steph White, showed us some messages she got and talked about what was good and what wasn’t.
So, here's my list of big mistakes in cold outreach:
Not talking about issues I didn't even know about
Reaching out to the wrong company or person
Not doing your homework
Using Marketing Jargon
Making the person you're reaching out to feel guilty
Giving up after only 1 attempt
Using social proofs in the wrong way
Let's get into it and see how to avoid these mistakes!
#1: Not talking about issues I didn't even know about
Here's the challenge: It's hard to address problems your prospects aren't even aware of.
99% of cold outreaches try to "capture demand" instead of "creating it."
What's the difference?
Well, capturing demand means targeting prospects who already know they need a solution—those ready to make a change.
However, this is only about 10% of prospects.
The outcome?
Emails that only focus on product features, often miss the actual problems they can solve.
The result? A swift "not interested" or even an "unsubscribe."
But think about this. Many times, prospects don’t even realize they have an issue you can address. When they are aware, that's when they're more likely to engage.
The Fix?
Shift your focus.
Instead of detailing your product's features, emphasize the problems you can solve for your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and buyer personas.
Take it from me: Last week, I crafted a sequence for Asana. Instead of discussing Asana's many features, I honed in on the challenges they address and the business impacts.
#2: Reaching out to the wrong company or person
This mistake happens a lot.
80% of the cold outreach I get doesn’t match what I need or what my business does.
Sometimes, I get emails about English lessons or tips for setting up a support team.
What to do?
It's not complicated: Know your target. Understand your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and your buyer personas.
If you contact the wrong person, it's a loss for both sides.
#3: Not doing your homework.
A little story: someone from a company like Deel once asked me if we hire people from other countries.
But if they had looked at our LinkedIn or website, they would know the answer.
You don't need to spend a whole hour researching one person.
But a quick look? It's worth it.
It's always good to know a bit about who you're emailing.
When I started as an SDR, I tried to find everything about someone, but it's hard.
#4: Using Marketing Jargon
When sending cold emails, it’s important to sound human.
Avoid using jargon or terms that only marketers or salespeople would understand.
Remember, as a salesperson, your job is to connect with the prospect, not to sound like an ad.
If it were all about jargon, we wouldn’t need sales teams; we'd just use automation.
A quick tip: To understand the language your prospects use, check out reviews on G2 or listen to conversations on Gong.
#5: Making the person you're reaching out to feel guilty
We've all received those follow-up emails:
"You didn’t reply."
"Still waiting on a response from my last email."
This approach can make the recipient feel blamed. And often, it backfires. Instead of engaging, they might just hit "unsubscribe."
The better approach? Show you’ve done your homework. Provide value in your emails. Educate them about how you can address a problem they might have.
To help, here are 3 frameworks for cold email follow-ups that strike the right balance without putting off your prospect.
#6: Giving up after only 1 attempt
Getting the attention of your prospects isn't a walk in the park.
It's not that they're ignoring you on purpose.
Imagine getting 10 to 100 cold messages every day - overwhelming, right?
So, if you're sending just one message or making a single call, chances are you're getting lost in the noise.
Persistence is key.
In fact, a 2022 report by The Bridge Group highlighted that on average, it takes 11.3 attempts to get a response.
#7: Using social proofs in the wrong way
I'll share a personal lesson here.
When I was at Chili Piper, I tried to prospect a CRO of a mid-sized cybersecurity SaaS business.
I boasted about how we helped Facebook.
The response? "That's not relevant to me; we're not Facebook."
The lesson?
Tailor your social proof.
If you’re talking to a CRO from a SaaS company with 500 employees in cybersecurity:
Mention a success story from a similar company.
Discuss how another CRO tackled an issue that your solution addresses.
Bring up how companies targeting the same audience benefited from your product.
It's all about making it relatable.
What other mistakes would you add to this list?
So, there we go. Thanks for reading.
That's all for this Sunday.
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See you again next Sunday.
Happy prospecting!
Elric
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