Just like it can be difficult to meet up with strangers and talk to them, sending a message or email to a potential employer can be equally challenging. There are a lot of things that could be going on in your head during this time – “What if they don’t reply? What if they don’t want me? and so many other ” What ifs” These questions continuously playing in your head can create so much anxiety that you decide to back out and say “I’ll try some other time.” The truth is, you may feel the same way some other time. Instead, take your time to look for the best ways to send that cold mail and look forward to something great.
What is a cold mail?
A cold mail is a message you send via email to someone you have no prior connection or relationship with. This person is usually an unfamiliar contact, you could have been seeing them from afar – say, during a conference, meet and greet, or even a random event. The idea of sending a cold email can also have the unconventional meaning of “Shooting your shot” and these concepts are usually adopted during cases of job hunting, business development, or marketing. When a cold mail is sent, the sender initiates a conversation introducing their proposition and establishing a connection with the potential employer even though they may not be expecting to hear from you because they don’t know you either.
Why should I send a cold mail to a potential employer?
There is really no harm in trying. If you see yourself doing very well for an organization, then you should shoot your shot. While sending a cold email to a potential employer may not guarantee that your request may be successful (depending on how you go about it), you might just hit a bigger opportunity that you may not have found if you waited to just apply for jobs when they get posted.
If an organization needs someone who is proactive and can take initiative and you, who is unaware, just send the employer a cold mail, that was timely and you may just be lucky. This means that you have just demonstrated what the company is looking for without any prior knowledge. Also, employers are impressed by people who can leave their comfort zone to get the work done.
Also, even if you don’t get an immediate job offer when you send a cold email because the company is not currently hiring, you must have established a good relationship with the employer. You can start a professional relationship that can later be profitable because whenever it looks like they will need a person with your skills, it will be quite easy to reach out to you.
It is normal to have been eyeing a company you would love to work with, sending a cold email to the owner of the company or the recruiter can help you gather enough information for your future interviews.
Do you want to know what works?
One of the common and natural concerns that can hold people back from sending cold emails is the fear of rejection. However, you can still be positive and gingered to send the cold mail if you try these tips:
Build a Template
What are you planning to say? How are you planning to say it? If you have several skills, which one are you looking to talk to the potential employer about? What difference are you looking to make in the organization? It is very important to answer these questions before going ahead to build a template for your cold mail. The answers to those questions will serve as a framework for what your letter will contain. Also, when you are deciding on your message, avoid all forms of grammatical errors. Typographical errors can be normal but at all costs, prevent them.
Say a little about the company in your email
If you are sending a cold mail to a potential employer, make a brief mention of the company as this shows that you have done thorough research and you are really interested in working with them. You can talk about their company culture and how it interests you, it could be something about their marketing that fascinates you even their online presence and community. Potential employers will be thrilled and impressed that you have followed the company for a while and that gives some positive signs.
You can tell your story
There is no doubt that people get fascinated and drawn to stories. So, share your story; talk about the skills that you have and what you have used them for. Talk about a big project that you were a part of. Also, include your collaboration patterns and processes, and your marketing efforts. However, do not forget to share the valuable lessons you’ve learned since your journey started – it could be something about how you have stayed 100% productive all through a period even while working from home. To the potential employer who would be reading your cold mail, this makes you come off as a goal-getter – someone who is resilient and goes for what they want.
Don’t make the email unnecessarily long
If your email has to be unavoidably long, be sure that you have more convincing and interesting parts to share with the employer. However, it is advisable to keep your message very brief yet covering the important parts. An employer probably wants to read your email and attend to some other ones; if it is too long and they don’t get the message in time, chances are they may not read it in the end and that makes the purpose of sending the email to be defeated.
Share your professional profile with them
Beyond the message, the employer wants to have more to see. So, if you are writing and sending out a cold mail, you can include the link to your portfolio, medium, or substack. Also, if you are a content creator, you can add a link to your Instagram page. Sharing your profile with them can answer questions that they have in mind to ask you. It technically means that you have given them access to other parts of your profession and also serves as tangible evidence of your knowledge and commitment.
It’s an email, use the best subject line
For most people, the subject line of an email determines whether they will open the e-mail or not. So, instead of sending your message with a regular subject line like every other person, be creative with it. Many people will possibly write “Applying for a job” and employers get a lot of these daily, so there is so much probability that the message may not be opened. Look for extra ways to catch the employer’s attention, you can write something like “Your Marketing Game can move to 100!” An employer who wants to do better with their marketing strategies will be triggered by this subject line and take their time to read the content.
Think of the best subject line, don’t forget to introduce yourself, tell your story, and share your profile (Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram, Medium, or Substack) with them and look to the brighter side. You won’t know what will happen unless you try. So, do it! Send that cold email.
