Convert More Cold Emails to Cash

Cold email outreach is a potent tool for recruiters, agencies, and businesses seeking to expand their client base and generate leads. However, many face the common challenge of low cold email conversion rates. If your cold emails are well-delivered, your lead list is refined, your landing page is captivating, and your email domains redirect to your website, but conversions remain elusive, it's time to reconsider your call-to-actions (CTAs). In this article, we'll delve into hard and soft CTAs and provide insights to boost your cold email conversion rates.

The Challenge of Cold Email Conversions

Initiating a conversation is the crux of cold emailing. Once you've achieved that, converting a lead becomes more feasible, especially through consistent follow-ups and direct communication via phone calls. However, crafting a compelling CTA that encourages the recipient to respond is the real challenge.

Hard CTAs: Seeking Immediate Commitment

Hard CTAs are direct and explicit calls-to-action demanding substantial engagement. While they can work in certain scenarios, they may not be effective in cold email outreach. Examples of hard CTAs include:

1. "Can we schedule a 15-minute chat tomorrow at 10 am?"

2. "Are you interested in booking a call to discuss further?"

3. "Would you like to discuss this further over a 15-minute chat?"

4. "Slightly interested? Leave your name and number for a quick 3-min call. No commitments."

The challenge with hard CTAs lies in demanding too much commitment upfront. Expecting a stranger to hop on a call can be daunting. Trust and familiarity need to be established before such commitments are sought. Hard CTAs work better when you have a robust testimonial base or brand recognition.

Soft CTAs: Gradual Engagement

In contrast, soft CTAs adopt a more subtle and gradual approach. They initiate conversations without immediate commitment. Examples of soft CTAs include:

1. "May I send you a brief 2-minute video to demonstrate our approach?"

2. "Could I share a one-page case study showcasing our results?"

3. "I've created a 2-minute video explaining 'x.' Can I share it with you?"

4. "Thoughts?"

Soft CTAs provide value without demanding much in return, reducing the friction associated with immediate commitments. They open the door to a natural and trust-building conversation.

The Power of Soft CTAs

In cold email outreach, the initial reply is often the toughest hurdle. Soft CTAs are effective because:

• Low Commitment: Soft CTAs are unobtrusive, respecting the recipient's time and autonomy. This increases the likelihood of engagement.

• Value First: Soft CTAs offer valuable content such as videos or case studies before requesting anything in return, building goodwill and trust.

• Gradual Progression: Soft CTAs enable you to guide the conversation organically. Once the recipient engages and shows interest, you can then move towards more substantial commitments like scheduling a call or meeting.

In conclusion, if cold email leads are proving hard to convert, reevaluate your CTAs. Soft CTAs focus on initiating conversations, offering value, and building trust gradually. Remember, successful cold email conversions often depend on making that initial connection.

Writer: Kidous Mahteme

Co-Founder of Inframail
Lover of Content Creation