Obviously, any cold email campaign cannot exist without prospects. So as soon as we’re ready to get about crafting our cold emails, we also need to find our prospects’ addressees. In step one, we define the profile of our ideal prospect. But in step two, it’s time to look for some actual contact data to write cold emails.
First and foremost, we need our prospect’s email address, name and company. Then, we can find some more information to personalize our emails. In this post, I give you 6 resources that we found helpful when building Woodpecker prospecting process. Hope you will find them helpful as well.
To start a cold email campaign you need 3 things: a prospect base, good cold email copy, ideally an automation tool to send the emails and follow-ups to your prospects.
- Check the Six-Step Tutorial to Cold Emails that Actually Work to take care of your copy.
- Check the list of 6 Resources below, to help you find your prospects’ contacts.
- Check out Woodpecker to set up a customized cold email campaign with automated follow-ups.
6 Resources that helped us learn how to build a contact base for cold emailing
Resource #1
How to get a $3,000 monthly contract (with exact scripts)
by Bryan Harris
If you’re looking for a guide on:
- how to find your prospects,
- how to get their emails,
- and how to reach out to them
– that’s a good post to start from. That’s one of the first resources I bumped into when we were starting our work on Woodpecker, and it helped me an awful lot.
What I love about Bryan’s posts is a totally practical approach. He actually leads you step by step through the whole process, shows you examples as well as the tools he used.
In this particular post, he described in detail how he reached out to leader-in-their-field companies to offer them his video services. This is a playbook on how to prepare a highly personalized cold email campaign from scratch – including finding the prospects addresses.
Resource #2
How To Build Highly Targeted Lists Of Ideal Prospects
by Peter O’Donoghue
Peter shares his 4-part free video course on how to generate B2B leads and connect with decision makers through cold emails. Part 2, which I’m featuring here, focuses in detail on how to collect prospects’ data based on trigger alerts.
In this 20-minute video guide, Peter shows the exact tools that may be used to get contact data of specific people from a company using their company site or LinkedIn profile.
If you’re still looking for some plugins or web apps that would help you build highly focused B2B contact lists, you definitely want to reserve 20 minutes of your busy day for this video. You can also check the whole 4-part series, because it’s full of practical advice.
Resource #3
14 Ways to Find Any Email Address in 10 Minutes or Less
Freddie writes about some savvy ways to get to the prospect’s email address. He features some tools but also some less obvious tactics to use when the tools are not enough.
For instance, have you ever used WHOIS data to look for someone’s email address? Or did you know that when you export your connections from LinkedIn, you’ll get their email addresses in a .csv file? Check out Freddie’s post for detailed descriptions of those and 12 more methods to get anyone’s email address.
Resource #4
How to Find Email Addresses
by Scott Britton
Scott describes the process he’s been using himself to find his prospects email addresses. He also lists some tools and presents little tutorials on how to use them to get to the contact data.
You may also want to check the comments part in this publication, as there are some additional ideas and technical solutions mentioned by Scott’s readers.
Resource #5
9 Actionable Ways To Find Anyone’s Email Address
by Nick Churick
The blog post actually features tools that may help us find any email address. Churick provides also a short description of how to do the research yourself.
I like that the post has a video on it if you prefer listening.
Resource #6
60+ Tools and Tips to Find Someone’s Email
by Brian Lang
And last but not least, there’s the 60+ list of tools and tips by Brian Lang. I think it’s been the most comprehensive list of solutions to find your prospects’ emails so far. Brian organized his list into 8 sections – which helps a lot if you’re looking for a specific type of solution for your business needs.
Except for traditional tools for finding email addresses, he also lists two ways to figure out an address based on someone’s Twitter profile or website. If you’re not looking to reach out to potential clients, but to influencers and journalists for marketing and PR purposes, there are some tools that may help you find them and their contact data as well.
Brian also provides the cost of each of the tools on his list, so you don’t have to check out each of the tools’ website to compare available solutions.
Final words
I hope the list will help you find tools that will fit your business and the requirements of your cold email campaign. Remember that you can always use more than one tool and that it’s always a good idea to test a few solutions before you decide on those that you’re going to use.
Please keep in mind that the first name and an email address is not enough nowadays to create an effective cold email campaign. Enrich your prospect base with additional information that will allow you to create personalized messages.
And as soon as you have your list, you can easily import it to a sending tool like Woodpecker to craft customized cold email campaigns in minutes and have them sent automatically along with follow-ups.
This is just an introduction to our new prospecting tools & techniques cycle. I’m going to focus more on technical solutions that will help you build a quality prospect base.
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If you haven’t checked this one yet, do it now:
What’s the First Step to Building a Good Prospect Base? >>
FAQ Section
1. What elements make a cold email template effective for a cold email outreach campaign?
An effective cold email template for a cold email outreach campaign includes several key elements: a compelling subject line that grabs attention, a personalized message that references the prospect’s company or their specific pain points, a brief but clear value proposition that outlines how your service or product can address those pain points, and a direct call to action, such as suggesting a brief call to discuss further. Additionally, incorporating a professional email signature adds credibility, while keeping the email body concise respects the recipient’s time.
2. How can you craft a cold email subject line that increases the chances of your email being opened?
To craft a cold email subject line that increases the chances of your email being opened, focus on creating a compelling subject line that is personalized, specific, and offers value. Use language that sparks curiosity or highlights an immediate benefit to the prospect. Avoid generic phrases that might make your email appear as unsolicited emails. Testing different subject lines in your cold email outreach can also help identify what resonates best with your target audience.
3. What strategies can be employed in the follow-up email to maintain interest in a cold outreach campaign?
In the follow-up email of a cold outreach campaign, employ strategies that maintain or increase the recipient’s interest by providing additional value or insights. Reference your initial email and any recent developments or achievements of the prospect’s company that relate to your offering. Include new information or a different angle on your value proposition that wasn’t covered in the first email. A gentle reminder of your call to action, possibly with a more specific suggestion for a time to connect, can also be effective. Personalization and demonstrating continued interest in their specific needs are key.
4. Why is personalization crucial in writing cold emails, and how can it impact the sales process?
Personalization is crucial in writing cold emails because it helps your message stand out in a crowded inbox by directly addressing the recipient’s needs, interests, or pain points. Personalized emails show that you have done your homework and are genuinely interested in providing a solution that fits the prospect’s unique situation. This approach can significantly impact the sales process by building trust and rapport from the first point of contact, increasing the likelihood of engagement, and moving the prospect more effectively through the sales funnel.
5. How can a direct call to action in a cold email influence the recipient’s response?
A direct call to action in a cold email can significantly influence the recipient’s response by clearly stating what you wish them to do next, whether it’s replying to the email, scheduling a call, or visiting a website for more information. A well-crafted call to action removes ambiguity about the desired response and makes it easier for the recipient to take the next step. By providing a specific and easy-to-follow action, you increase the chances of converting the cold email into a meaningful interaction or sales opportunity.
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