my #1 tip for sending cold emails

I'm probably not the best person to give advice on sending cold emails.

For the first few years of my copywriting career, I had steady work from a single client...

Which means I avoided that dreaded phase where you have to send hundreds of cold emails every month just to get enough work to pay your bills.

So I have hella respect for any copywriter, freelancer, or business owner who has built their business using cold emails.

That shit takes persistence, dedication, and incredible faith in yourself.

So if you've done that -- or you're doing it -- keep pushing forward.

Anyway, the other day, I was talking with a friend who is a freelance camera operator in NYC.

He wants to add some new clients to his roster. He's going to use cold emailing to do it. And he asked if I had any tips for him.

I rattled off a few things I had learned from my own experience and from the copywriters I follow.

The next day, he sent me the cold email he was planning to send to potential clients.

I read it and sent him an email back with a few tips about improving it.

Here's part of my response to him:

"It seems like most of the messaging is focused on you.

'I'm a freelancer... my website... I have some availability coming up, etc.'

I think that's helpful information. But I don't think they need it this early in the process.

I also think my ranting yesterday probably skewed you in that direction... so that's my bad.

The #1 thing to keep in-mind with stuff like this is that people are always unconsciously asking 'What's in it for me?' So your goal is to make it instantly clear how you can help."

Remember -- the people you're emailing are busy. And, odds are, they're not waking up, thinking:

"Damn I hope someone sends me a cold email today!"

But they might be thinking:

"Man, I am really stressed about this upcoming project. I don't think I'm going to have enough time to handle everything on my own..."

So if you show up in their inbox and instantly make it clear how YOU can help THEM...

They're much more likely to respond.

At the end of the day, business is about solving problems for other people.

So if you can make it crystal clear to someone how you can help them solve a problem...

They're much more likely to give you money.

Robert