How many times did you get an outreach email from someone with 'Hi there' as an opening greeting? Or an email that is totally irrelevant to you?
Probably too many times to count...
You would never get this type of emails if people learned how to PAUSE before they hit send.
We created the following framework to help people understand what makes a good outreach email. You don't have to include every part of the 'PAUSE' in your emails, but you should try and include at least 2 or 3:
Personalized - You want your prospect to feel that your message is directed to them, not to a large group of people. With OutreachPlus, you can upload custom fields (merge codes) and then use them as part of your outreach. For example, you could import the title of the person and mention it to make the message feel more personalized (e.g. as a fellow CEO). If you have a smaller outreach list you can build your emails using relevant merge codes and templates and then do minor changes to each email before you send.
Appreciative - Everyone likes to feel appreciated. When you're reaching out to someone, you can show your appreciation for the book they have written, content they provide, etc. All good outreach emails show some level of genuine appreciation. 'I loved your post' simply isn't going to cut it. You need to demonstrate that you are not just saying this. Pick out something that will really resonate with them.
Useful - Providing something of value in your outreach emails will certainly increase your chances of getting a positive response. You need to give a little in order to get something back in return. For example, as a marketer, I could share some really valuable tips that will help my prospects improve their online presence. What can you add to your email that will make it more useful/valuable?
Small requests and short email - It's always better to ask for something small before you ask for something big in your emails. So for example, instead of asking for a meeting ask for a 5-minute call. Or instead of asking someone to publish an infographic ask if they don't mind you sending the infographic for them to consider. Also, short emails work better than long ones.
Engaging - A good outreach email is engaging. It might be humorous, quirky, talk about something really controversial, etc. If you want your email to stand out from the pile of bland, ineffective emails, make sure it reflects your personality and engages the reader!