Networking can give you insights, opportunities, and motivation in your career. It can also help you expand your contacts. You don't always need to meet in person. Sending a cold email is a good way to reach out and introduce yourself. If you’re wondering how to write a cold email for networking, you have come to the right place.
To make your cold email list effective, be intentional by knowing your goal and who to contact. You must create a memorable subject line to grab their attention. Provide a pleasant greeting and address them by their name. You can also introduce yourself with a brief bio. Try offering a compliment or gift to make a good impression. Show the value of connecting by explaining mutual benefits and include a clear call to action, being specific about what you want. Finally, thank them and close the email, showing appreciation and adding your signature.
Effective Tips To Write a Cold Email For Networking
Here are some effective tips to make your cold emails effective.
1. Decide on the Right Person To Connect
Ask yourself what your goal is to find the right people to contact. You might want to learn about the work culture of a company you like, connect with an experienced person to get a mentor or get advice about a career change from someone who did it. Knowing your goals helps you find the right people to contact. This can be good for both you and them.
2. Write a Strong Subject Line
A memorable subject line is important when writing a cold email for networking, especially if the person doesn't know your name or company. It should be specific, appropriate, and catch their attention without being urgent or apologetic. Here are some subject line ideas:
- Name a mutual connection: A Colleague of your Husband or name the person.
- Mention something you share: Fellow Yale Graduate
- Highlight something they've done: Inspired by Your Lecture Series
Use the title case for a professional look and better response rates.
3. Start With a Greeting
When writing a cold email for networking, always start with a sincere greeting and use the person's name. If you met before, use the name they gave you. Otherwise, use a formal version of their name. If they have a title, include it.
4. Introduce Yourself
Introduce yourself by sharing your name, where you're from, and what you're aiming to do. Keep it short and clear, ideally in one or two sentences. Make sure your introduction fits the person you're emailing and what you want to discuss.
5. Offer a Compliment
Complimenting others is an easy way to make a good impression and encourage them to help you. Make sure your praise is genuine. Mention their recent achievements or express admiration for their work.
Offering a gift in a cold email can be bold but rewarding. For example, you might solve a problem for them or introduce them to someone valuable.
6. Show The Value of Connecting
Mentioning mutual connections is important when writing a cold email for networking as it can make you seem more trustworthy and less like a stranger. If you don’t have any common contacts, talk about something else you share, like being a parent of twins or liking kitesurfing. Explain what you want to achieve by reaching out and how it can help them.
7. Add a Clear-Call-To-Action
Be clear about what you want so it's easy for them to respond. Whether you want to meet for coffee, ask for a follow-up email, or pitch a product, make your request simple and flexible with their schedule.
Sometimes, you might just want to start a conversation without making a specific request. It’s okay to say something like, I admire your work and would love to stay in touch.
8. Thank and Close the Email
Adding a thank you at the end of your email shows you appreciate their time and effort. You can say things like:
Thank you for reading this, and I appreciate you taking the time to connect. It means a lot.
Also, make sure your email signature is updated. Include your full name, job title, contact info, social media links, and links to your work.
How do you write a professional email for networking?
Introduce yourself, explain why you are reaching out, mention common interests or connections, and ask for a specific action, like a meeting or advice.
How to write a cold email for networking on LinkedIn?
Start with a friendly greeting, mention a common interest or connection, explain why you want to connect and ask for a specific action, like a chat or advice.
How to send a networking email for consulting?
Introduce yourself and your consulting services, explain how you can help them, mention any mutual connections or relevant experience, and ask for a meeting to discuss further.
To Sum Up
In short, when writing a cold email for networking, you must be very clear about the goal of your email. It helps you connect with the right people. Not only this, but in order to ensure your cold email is effective, you must craft a strong subject line, offer some value to the receiver, and add a clear call to action so the receiver knows what you expect in the response. You must also briefly introduce yourself, add a gentle greeting, and thank them for their valuable time.
If you need any help in email marketing, we at LISTGIANT can help. We have a customer database of 280M consumers and 28M businesses. We can help you connect with the right people and conduct effective marketing.