Cold Email Structure for CMOs in eCommerce

Cold email tip: The problem with most cold emails is that there’s no problem. Here’s a cold email I got that nailed the problem. ⸻ Hey Josh, Was poking around your TongueTied flashcards (yes, I poke around E-comm sites for a living), and noticed something on the checkout page… Shipping outside the U.S. is $47. That might be scaring off some international fans. We help drop that to around $5, but only if you’re shipping at least 100 units a month overseas. We set up distribution closer to where your buyers live so your margins (and their wallets) can breathe easier. Worth a chat? ⸻ Let’s break it down: 1. Opens with context. They’re not just cold-emailing me out of nowhere. They show they were on my site. They noticed something specific. That builds instant credibility. 2. Human moment. “Yes, I poke around E-commerce sites for a living.” It’s a throwaway line, but it makes them sound like a real person, not a sales bot. It adds warmth. 3. Illuminates a big, expensive problem. $47 shipping is likely killing conversions. That’s what a good cold email does: reveals a hidden cost that now feels impossible to ignore. 4. Gives a clear payoff. $47 ➝ $5. No vague promises. Just a straightforward benefit I can instantly understand. 5. Includes a qualifier. “But only if you’re shipping at least 100 units a month overseas.” This part is gold. It frames the offer as exclusive, not for everyone. That makes it feel more like an exclusive offer than a mass-market pitch. It also builds trust because they’re being upfront about the requirement. 6. Tone is calm and confident. No hard sell. No urgency plays. Just a gentle, “Hey, this might help.” If you want your cold emails to work, move off the product. Moving into the problem.

I analyzed 1,000+ cold emails. Here's what actually works: Forget gurus and "secret formulas." The best cold email messaging comes from understanding your buyers and practicing relentlessly. 5 key elements of high-performing cold emails: 1. Personalization that shows you've done your homework • Reference a recent company announcement or LinkedIn post • Mention a specific challenge in their industry 2. Clear value proposition in the first 2 sentences • What specific problem can you solve? • Quantify the potential impact (e.g., "10% revenue boost in 30 days") 3. Social proof tailored to their situation • Name-drop similar companies you've helped • Share a relevant case study snippet 4. Clear, low-friction call-to-action • Avoid asking for call or demo in the first email • Offer a valuable resource (no strings attached) 5. Brevity and scannable format • 3-5 short paragraphs max • Use bullet points for easy reading The real "secret"? Continuous testing and improvement. No AI or guru can replace hands-on experience with your specific audience. #ColdEmailing #InsideSales #B2BSales #SaaSales

When someone tells me, “Cold email is dead”, what they actually mean is, “I wasn’t competent enough to make it work.” The real issue is: - Most people testing cold email have no idea what they’re doing - They don’t know how to write - They don’t know how to warm up - They don’t know how to target - And they quit after one bad try What separates winners from losers in outbound is what they do after it doesn’t work the first time. Losers quit and blame the channel. Winners retest, refine, and reinvent their approach — until it performs. Because here’s the hard truth: Cold email is no longer plug-and-play. You can’t just: - Buy a list - Paste a template - Hit send…and expect meetings to roll in. Here are 4 steps to write a good cold email: 1. Start with buyer psychology Most people start with: “What should I say?” Wrong question. Start with: What is this person going through right now? What would make them stop scrolling, open this email, and feel like it was written just for them? Every message should reflect a real signal ie something you’ve observed about the company, role, team, or market that justifies your interruption. 2. Build custom targeting If your “list” is just a CSV with job titles and company names, you’re already behind. Great outbound starts before the email is written. It starts with intentional list building. → Are these companies in a buying window? → Have they shown a signal of pain? → Can you infer friction from hiring trends, funding, tech stack, or org shifts? That’s how winners build a list. Precision > Volume. 3. Match relevance to pain Personalization is not just saying “Hey {{first_name}}, saw you went to [school].” What you need is relevance — context that proves you understand a pain the buyer might be experiencing right now. For example: “Noticed you just rolled out HubSpot and are hiring a RevOps lead. That shift often breaks lead routing. We’ve helped a similar team boost SQLs by 32% in 30 days — want me to walk you through it?” 4. Test methodically, not emotionally This is where most reps fail. They send 50 emails. Don’t get replies. And decide, “Cold email doesn’t work.” That’s like going to the gym for two weeks, not seeing abs, and blaming the dumbbells. You need to treat cold email like a product launch. - Test copy frameworks (pain > proof > CTA, insight > tease > question) - Test value props by segment - Test CTAs (soft asks vs. direct) - Monitor deliverability, not just reply rates Winners analyze and iterate. Losers panic and pivot to LinkedIn DMs with the same broken messaging. ——— When people say cold email is dead, what they really mean is: They gave up too early. Cold email still works but it’s no longer a one-size-fits-all growth hack. It’s a channel that requires craft, context, and commitment. The bar is higher now. But the ROI is still massive if you’re willing to do the work.

When I was at Salesforce, I used this exact cold email framework to book meetings with CEOs, COOs, and CFOs at the biggest companies in the world. Now I coach 100s of reps to use it—and they’re landing meetings that most sellers only dream about. Most reps never get to sell to the C-suite. Not because they don’t work hard. But because they reach out with transactional garbage that looks like every other email in the inbox. Executives don’t want another seller. They want a partner who understands their business. Here’s the cold email formula that works: 1. Warm and personal Lead with a sincere compliment. “I saw your podcast on ___…” “I read your Forbes interview and was moved by…” Show them you did your homework. Not some AI-generated flattery—real human admiration. 2. Shared values or struggle Make it human. “I related deeply when you talked about overcoming ___. I’ve faced something similar.” Vulnerability isn’t weakness—it’s how you earn trust. 3. Research-backed insight Cite a 10-K, public statement, or article. “Based on your Q1 earnings call, I noticed you're focused on X.” Link to the source. Build credibility. 4. A sharp POV + direct linkage Don’t say, “We help companies like yours.” Say, “You’re trying to achieve X. Companies on that journey often hit Y. Here’s how we solve it.” Make the connection crystal clear. 5. Soft CTA, strong conviction No desperate energy. Just: “If this is a priority, would it make sense to connect?” You’re not begging. You’re offering value. If you want my exact cold email template (and to see 13 real email examples me and my clients used to book C-suite meetings) grab them here: https://lnkd.in/g84w_utx

I’ve sent over 100,000 cold emails (and I learned the hard way). 45% failed because the copy isn’t good enough, or the email never reaches the inbox. That’s why you need both: 1. Copy that gets replies 2. A system that ensures delivery Here’s my 7-step framework to write cold emails that actually get responses: 1. Get crystal clear on your ICP “Founders” is not an ICP. “SaaS founders at $2–10M ARR, hiring SDRs” is. The narrower you go, the stronger your message. 2. Subject line = half the battle 47% of recipients open based on it alone. Examples that work: → “Scaling SDR hiring?” → “Quick note on your Series A round” Keep it under 60 characters. Curiosity-driven, not clickbait. 3. First line > small talk “Hope you’re doing well” kills momentum. Better: “Saw your team just crossed 50 employees—congrats. Curious how you’re managing outbound at that scale?” 4. Keep it under 120 words Data shows 50–125 words = highest replies. One email = one idea. If you need more space, the positioning isn’t sharp enough. 5. Write like a human Short sentences. Simple words. Conversational tone. If you wouldn’t say it in a coffee chat, don’t write it in an email. 6. Call-to-Value, not Call-to-Action “Can we hop on a quick call?” is about you. “Would it help if I showed you how [peer company] cut reply times in half?” is about them. People don’t buy calls. They buy outcomes. 7. Follow-ups make the difference 70% of replies to cold emails come from follow-ups. Most reps stop after 1–2 emails. Big mistake. Change the angle each time…new benefit, proof point, or case study. The framework gets you replies. But scaling it consistently? That’s where most teams fall short. → Staying out of spam filters. → Keeping sequences human. → Testing which subject line actually works. → Managing dozens of replies without losing track. That’s exactly where Saleshandy makes the difference: → Find what works faster with subject line + copy testing → Scale with reply-based sequences that feel personal → Stay out of spam with inbox placement tests → Manage replies in one AI-powered inbox Because at the end of the day: Good copy gets replies. Saleshandy gets it delivered. 👉 Try it out here: https://lnkd.in/dtGtKYUR What’s the most underrated cold email tip you’ve learned from experience?

These 8 cold email frameworks helped generate over $5M in revenue. Here’s how they work (and how to use them): The truth? Most cold email templates are outdated and super generic. Buyers have seen them all. And they delete them all. But some people are getting 15-20% reply rates using frameworks they never share. I asked them to break down exactly what works: 1️⃣ Monika Grycz 💌 (AIDA Structure) Start with a single, painful observation. Then back it up with real results from similar companies. End with a next step that feels easy. ↳ We've seen X% reply rates when this is executed properly. 2️⃣ Aaron Reeves (Trigger, Implication, Pain, Proof, Solution) Start with a relevant reason you're reaching out that's tailored to them. Connect what this might mean for their priorities. Highlight the risk of doing nothing. Show how you've helped similar companies avoid that outcome. ↳ This framework works especially well for expansion-stage companies. 3️⃣ Tal Baker-Phillips (Typical Problems Framework) Name the 1–2 issues they’re likely facing and offer a simple way to solve them. ↳ Short, direct, assumes they have the problem without being pushy about it. 4️⃣ Brian LaManna (Champion Play) Target people who've used your solution at previous companies. ↳ Converts at ridiculous rates because there's instant credibility. 5️⃣ Leif Bisping ("Why are you paying?") Highlight the inefficiency of their current tool. Then frame your solution as the obvious alternative. ↳ Creates immediate curiosity and positions you as the obvious alternative. 6️⃣ Ethan Parker (Lead Magnet Framework) Lead with a free resource. Offer something genuinely useful (like a cheat sheet or playbook) before you ask for anything. ↳ Gets them saying yes to something small first. 7️⃣ Thibaut Souyris ("Do the maths") Use hard numbers. Show how your solution saves time, money, or both, and back it with a simple calculation. ↳ Makes the ROI impossible to ignore. 8️⃣ Patrick Trümpi (Challenge of Similar Companies) Point to a challenge others in their space are dealing with. Share how you helped. ↳ Creates FOMO and positions you as the industry expert. The thing is, most people try to reinvent the wheel with cold email. But the best frameworks already exist. You just need to test them and see what works for your audience. Test 3-4 simultaneously and double down on what drives the highest reply rates. P.S. Swipe to see actual emails that booked meetings → 👋 Follow me for modern outbound strategies.

Here’s the actual cold email we sent to land our first enterprise customers. Screenshot below. At the end of the day, cold emails should be simple. Here's how I think about how to write cold-emails: ————————— 1. Don’t warm up, cut to the outcome. I used to start emails with “Hope you’re well.” Delete that. No one owes you attention. Buyers get 100+ cold emails a week. The only way to not be archived in 1 second is to punch them in the problem. For eg. we used: “increase CSAT without additional headcount costs…” I want them to read the first line and immediately self-identify: “Is this my pain? Is this my job?” ————————— 2. Know exactly who you’re writing to (and what keeps them awake at 1am). Forget “personalization” for a second. If you don’t genuinely know your ICP’s stress, the email falls flat. How do you do it? Treat cold email as a playground. I was running constant A/B tests: - What pain point gets opens/replies? - What language do they use? - Which problem actually makes people’s eyes light up on a call? If your messaging never gets replies, your product probably isn’t solving a big enough pain. The best feedback loop in B2B, after talking to your users directly, is cold emails, in my opinion. ————————— 3. Show what it actually does, but as simply as possible. We spelled out how Solidroad works. Not “revolutionary AI enablement platform for improved CX.” Just: - We monitor all your channels (phone, live, chat, email) - We generate rep training simulations - Then send you coaching tips ————————— 4. Social proof (for credibility) I dropped real customer names (Podium, Tech Mahindra, ActiveCampaign) Make them feel like they’re missing out if they don’t reply. This part is key. If you have any traction, flex it. ————————— Steal this and if it lands you a deal, send me a message. Or an intro to a future customer. Or a referral to a kick-ass engineer. Or all three.