Ben Rasmussen’s Post

Currently the paid waitlist for my done-for-you 'Reverse Cold Email System' is over half full. But yesterday I got a lot of email replies from people asking different questions about how it would work for their unique situation. One of those people asked to book a Zoom call with me. It's RARE that I take a 'sales call' these days. But since it's a brand new offer... I said yes. Actually, I ended up deciding that I'm going to personally take 5 more calls next week with people who are interested in my done-for-you 'Reverse Cold Email System'. On the call, you & I will: ✅ Go over your unique situation ✅ Figure out if the 'Reverse Cold Email System' makes sense for your business ✅ Go over what it looks like to work together, pricing, results, etc, etc, etc... If you're interested in grabbing one of the 5 remaining spots to talk to me about cold email next week... Reply to this post with: A. What you sell. B. Who you sell to. With that information, I will be able to do some quick research & see if the 'Reverse Cold Email System' may work for your business. If so, I'll reply back to you with my private calendar link so you can select a time for next week.

99% of AEs and SDRs believe the secret to cold email is to sharpen the message and desired outcome. They're wrong. Here's what the top 1% of cold emails do differently (3 examples in the video): 1. They agitate pain. Step 1 in a successful cold email is to describe the PAIN better than the prospect can say it. That's not the same thing as promising an outcome. Cold buyers aren't thinking about outcomes (yet). They're thinking about the thorn in their side. Capture that thorn, and you'll earn the right to have them read the next sentence. 2. They create a compelling "chain" of sentences. Write this one down - EVERY sentence your write in a cold email has one purpose: To get them to read the NEXT sentence. The only exception to this rule is the last sentence. If a sentence doesn't accomplish this, strike it. Pretend you get $100 for every word you remove. Get ruthless. 3. They read like a page in your buyer's journal. As the buy scans your email, the way you capture the pain should FEEL like a conversation they already have going on in their head. The "best of the best" cold emails get this response: "Damn, that puts words to something I've been struggling to articulate." If it could pass as a journal entry, you're bound to win. 4. They have an "easy to say YES to" call to action. The best cold emails are easy to say yes to. They don't ask for 30 minutes. That's hard to say yes to for any busy exec. They don't ask for time (explicitly). They simply reference the problem, and ask if it's worth having a conversation to explore fixing it. TAKEAWAY: Almost everyone gets cold email wrong. They either think it's ALL about outcomes and benefits. Or they think it's all about WHAT and HOW you do it (positioning). Cold email is about neither of those. It's about a describing your buyer's problem so well, it feels like you're peering into their soul. Tag an AE or SDR that would like these tips. P.S. Once you book the meeting, here's 39 questions that sell that generate urgency, uncover pain, and create momentum: https://go.pclub.io/list

99% of AEs and SDRs believe the secret to cold email is to sharpen the message and desired outcome. They're wrong. Here's what the top 1% of cold emails do differently (3 examples in the video): 1. They agitate pain. Step 1 in a successful cold email is to describe the PAIN better than the prospect can say it. That's not the same thing as promising an outcome. Cold buyers aren't thinking about outcomes (yet). They're thinking about the thorn in their side. Capture that thorn, and you'll earn the right to have them read the next sentence. 2. They create a compelling "chain" of sentences. Write this one down - EVERY sentence your write in a cold email has one purpose: To get them to read the NEXT sentence. The only exception to this rule is the last sentence. If a sentence doesn't accomplish this, strike it. Pretend you get $100 for every word you remove. Get ruthless. 3. They read like a page in your buyer's journal. As the buy scans your email, the way you capture the pain should FEEL like a conversation they already have going on in their head. The "best of the best" cold emails get this response: "Damn, that puts words to something I've been struggling to articulate." If it could pass as a journal entry, you're bound to win. 4. They have an "easy to say YES to" call to action. The best cold emails are easy to say yes to. They don't ask for 30 minutes. That's hard to say yes to for any busy exec. They don't ask for time (explicitly). They simply reference the problem, and ask if it's worth having a conversation to explore fixing it. TAKEAWAY: Almost everyone gets cold email wrong. They either think it's ALL about outcomes and benefits. Or they think it's all about WHAT and HOW you do it (positioning). Cold email is about neither of those. It's about a describing your buyer's problem so well, it feels like you're peering into their soul. Tag an AE or SDR that would like these tips.

Let's settle this: are email open rates worth tracking? (industry secret revealed at the end) The truth is open rates have become wildly inaccurate Due to recent updates with most email service providers So I'm going to answer if there's any point in tracking them Been doing this for 3 years now, so let’s break it down together. 🖐 One the one hand: I do look at increasing open rates (if it’s low) with new clients Simply because the more opens you get, the more engagement And you can do that by making them relevant, here's a few ways how: - Give them a fact about their industry - Mention their name or company name - Reveal their close competitors The first hurdle to get over is having your prospect actually open your email. 🖐 On the OTHER hand: Every week I mark all unread emails as read if I don't want to read them So does everyone else and this is one of the main killer culprits In the real world, you need to pay your bills An open rate doesn't pay the bills, sales do. If you've managed to triple your open rate, well done But if it ultimately made no difference to your sales then you’ve wasted time And should of spent more time perfecting your offer/target So here's my verdict: 1. If your open rates are low, add more relevance. 2. If you get over 40% open rates, forget about them and focus on replies. If your opens are dangerously low (like below 25%).. That's an indication your not hitting the inbox and landing in spam If your open rates are decent, put effort into perfecting your email copy And here's one BIG SECRET for you: Your emails are more likely to be opened based on your name, not the subject. If you recognized someone you liked, you're far more likely to want to read the email The subject simply sparks a bit more curiosity. And that's it's big job ✨ -- If you wan't to forget about open rates and actually get replies Follow me for advice on getting appointments with cold email I literally reveal all my knowledge acquired so you don't have to learn the hard way My next post: How to turn cold email replies into meetings (and make sure they show up) 🤝

The ultimate cold email checklist: 15 must-haves for maximum deliverability and replies (...screenshot this): Tired of your cold emails getting lost in the abyss of prospects' inboxes? Or worse, getting marked as spam and damaging your sender reputation? The truth is, getting your cold emails delivered and replied to is harder than ever. With increasingly sophisticated spam filters and savvy prospects, you can't afford to leave anything to chance. That's why I've put together the ultimate cold email checklist. 15 non-negotiable elements that every cold email needs... Check out the cheatsheet below! . . . P.S. We’ve helped clients generate $51.2 M in revenue and book 224,700 sales calls. If you need help growing your business, click here to learn more about how we can help: https://lnkd.in/dc9rcj-Z

This reminds me of when I used to work in politics. When you’re starting out, you end up making tons of calls to voters for donations and surveys. At first, I thought I needed to sound bright and cheery. But no one wanted to take my survey. I realized bright and cheery sounds salesy and people hate that. So I invented what I called the Eeyore Intro and greeted everyone with a very depressed hello. The number of surveys I had completed went way up (maybe they felt sorry for me?) and I was even asked to explain my method on a company-wide call 😂 I think the main lesson is just to think about how each element of your communication will be perceived. Make sure it’s the perception you’re looking to create.

Subject Lines So Good, They Can't Be Ignored! 😛 Struggling to get your cold emails opened? We've all been there. That's why we've cooked up 20 irresistible cold email subject lines guaranteed to boost your open rates. They're intriguing, personalized, and action-oriented. Check them out ⤵ 1. "Quick question about [service/product]" 2. "Your competitors are using this – don’t get left behind" 3. "Exploring [solutions] for [problem]" 4. "Are you the best person to talk to about [concept/idea]?" 5. "Looking to brainstorm so we can all keep our jobs" 6. "Hey [First Name], check this out" 7. "Last chance: Secure your spot now" 8. "[First Name], see what’s new in [industry/product line]" 9. "Are you sitting down? Because we’ve got news" 10. "You’ve struck gold! Well, almost…check inside for details" 11. "Are you making these [industry] mistakes?" 12. "[First Name], let’s fix [problem] together" 13. "Quick win: Improve [metric] in less than [timeframe]" 14. "Let's make a deal: you open this email, we make your day" 15. "This email is better than finding money in your pockets" 16. "Discover what 90% of your peers don’t know yet" 17. "Your competitors are watching — shouldn't you be?" 18. "Unlock the secret to doubling your ROI" 19. "You seem to have cracked the code on [achievement] - teach me?" 20. "Seeking advice on [concept/idea]" And, there you have it. Share your favorite cold email subject line trick in the comments! 🧙♂️ #sales #coldemail #prospecting

If your email replies and follow-ups do not add value, why are you sending them? What's the point? What are you hoping to achieve? I received a follow-up to a prospecting/sales email yesterday, and the entirety of the email was: Thoughts, Mallie? And while I would applaud the lack of "circling back" references and and any attempts to shame me into a reply, I'm also appalled by the lack of something else crucial to any hoped for response to a cold sales email. Value. The email provides ABSOLUTELY no value to me as a potential purchaser. If it's an automated response, BOO HISS. But if the sender actually wrote this, well, worse than BOO HISS! Why should I share my thoughts? And my thoughts on what, exactly? Cold emails? Poorly written emails? Her product or service? I'm not scrolling down to any prior, unanswered, emails to figure out what she's talking about. I don't have time for that. For the love of Pete, add value to email replies and follow-ups. Be specific. Ask for EXACTLY what you'd wish for if I chose to respond. Give me a reason NOT to ignore this email. Remember, vague isn't valuable.

The best cold email checklist. (how to boost open and reply rates) 1. Subject lines = short/boring Use 1 to 3 words that are dead simple. If you're selling software for planning sales kickoff: Example 1: SKO Example 2: sales kickoff Example 3: sko planning 2. First sentence = relevant/personalized Make sure what they see in the preview text catches their attention. "Jill - Saw you're hiring AEs." "Jill - How are you planning SKO this year?" "Jill - Have you picked a city for SKO yet?" 3. Body = problem focused There's a lot of different frameworks for the body but my favorite is problem/solution: How’re you making sure SKO isn’t too expensive with the bigger team? We helped XYZ Company plan SKO in less than a month and under budget: Including flights, hotels and meals for 57 reps. 4. Call to action = permission based Don't ask for time or to book 30-mins with you right off the bat. Instead just ask if they're interested at al. Here are some of my go-tos: Interested to see how? Curious to learn more? Worth a chat? 5. Bump emails = context based Whatever you do... Don't use "any thoughts?" Instead, a shorter version of the first email is much much better: "Hey Jill - You’ve hired a lot of AEs. Usually that means a focus on SKO planning and making sure you don’t go over budget. Is that the case for you?" Or even sending a video: "Hey Jill - Here's a quick 30 second video of how you could plan SKO in minutes." 𝗠𝘆 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗽: Really spend the time studying, thinking about and writing down how you help customers. That's usually the hardest part. 👉 Join 5,000+ sellers getting my (free) sales newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/gwQVvVBK