The 6 Best Cold B2B Email Templates to Increase Conversions

“You’re hot then you’re cold, you’re yes then you’re no.”

Walnut’s Unofficial Queen of Pop, Ms. Katheryn Perry

This song was written about B2B prospects, didn’t you know? But definitely not the prospects that are going to get your SaaS cold outreach. Nope, they are just gonna be hot the whole time.

(Ok, fine. The song was obviously NOT written about sales and probably only added to this blog at all because we have it currently stuck in our heads.)

Anyhow, let’s get to the point.

Cold emails see results in B2B sales

If you thought that cold calling does not apply to B2B sales, guess again. The average ROI for cold emailing in 2021 was a whopping 3,800%. Simply put, for every $1 spent, you get $38 in return. 

The return on investment is clear, but it doesn’t mean it’s easy. 

Cold emails are notoriously difficult to write effectively. Even tiny changes in the subject line or call to action can have a dramatic impact on your open and response rates.

As a salesperson, you end up waiting to see the response rate and whether or not your latest email chain has been a success. But don’t leave it to chance.

Read on for SaaS cold emailing best practices, as well as some easy-to-implement examples.

Top 6 practices for writing high-converting SaaS cold emails

Here’s what we can tell you for certain: There are no hard and fast rules for SaaS cold emails. 

You will always need to be experimenting and changing your approach over time to see which cold prospecting email templates are the most effective. However, there are still a few best practices to adhere to if you want the best results: 

1. Choose the right email subject line

You want people to open your email? That subject line has to be noteworthy. 

Working out the exact subject line to your email is absolutely essential so don’t waste the opportunity by writing something too boring, like “We have this tool that is really cool and you should see it, ” or too salesy, like “This is a generic sales email to try and get you to buy from us.”

2. Personalize your emails

By using the recipient’s first name and company details in your emails, you show them that you understand who they are and their business needs. This way, you build trust and increase your chances of them converting. 

Make sure to add a line about how they can use your product in their specific role. You should also provide them with a link to a customized product demo to demonstrate the value of your SaaS solution.

3. Show them who you are 

Who are you and what is your product’s unique selling proposition? Make sure this part is very clear to the reader. Include jokes, memes, GIFs, stats, data, or whatever else you would like to use to show what you’re all about. 

Don’t be too salesy or pushy. Instead, give the client an idea of your company values and personality. 

4. Touch on the most critical points 

The client is busy and they don’t want to sift through a long sales pitch. If you send them a whole block of text, they’ll likely not even read it.

Instead, get straight to the point and demonstrate the value you have to offer. Break it down by using short sentences and paragraphs and bullet lists. This will help make your content easier to read. 

5. Optimize for mobile

A huge percentage of your audience will see your email on their phones. So don’t write a whole megillah in the subject line. Keep it relatively short and to the point. 

The client should realize what it’s about at a glance and be intrigued to read more. 

6. Write a clear call to action

The CTA part of a cold email is crucial. Without it, prospects might not convert at all. Make sure your reader knows the next steps and how to take action.

Your CTA should not leave an opening for the prospect to ignore it. Therefore, it is best to embed a calendar with a few options for the prospect to choose from to request a demo with a sales representative. 

Keep in mind that once the client attends the meeting or demo, remember to send a killer demo follow-up email to close the deal! 

The 5 best SaaS cold email templates to book meetings

Cold email templates need attention and time investment. If you take the time, you’ll create a powerful tool that lets you squeeze the potential of email marketing—an already super effective channel. 

And as previously mentioned, the end goal of a cold email in SaaS is to close a demo meeting. So, don’t rush them. Instead, take all the time you need to perfect your templates as much as possible.

Ready to get started? Let’s look at some of the best cold email templates for B2B SaaS business. 

1. The AIDA template

The AIDA formula of cold outreach email templates stands for:

• Attention – Start the email by grabbing the lead’s attention with an engaging hook. 
• Interest – Pique their interest by demonstrating that you understand their pain points and industry.
• Desire – Explain how they’ll benefit from your solution to create a desire for the value you offer.
• Action – Make it very clear to the prospect what they have to do next.

Here’s an example of the AIDA template:

Hi (Client’s Name), 

Did you know that your stress is affecting your health?

As a (Client’s Role), you know how important it is to (the primary duty of your client’s department) efficiently. Our (product/service) can reduce the stress and inefficiencies in this process by (one-sentence pitch). 

We recently implemented (the solution) at XYZ company, and they realized a (describe the benefit) in under two weeks! 

You can see for yourself how our product works by clicking through this short interactive demo (link to personalized demo snippet). 

If you are interested in implementing this at your company, please email me at xxxx@company.com, and we can set up fifteen minutes or so next week to go through the options.

2. The BAB template

The BAB template also follows a simple formula. 

• Before – Start off by describing the current issue the client is having.
• After – Then describe what operation could be like with that issue resolved.
• Bridge – Finish the email with an explanation on how your solution can solve their problem and improve their business. 

Here’s an example in practice, with a talent management system as the hypothetical product:

Hi (Client’s Name) 

We know how tough it is to find talent within the tech industry. Many enterprise-level organizations such as yours struggle to maximize and mine the talent that already exists in the organization. 

Wouldn’t it be great if you had a system that could flag recruits for advancement based on existing personnel files? 

Our software solution can identify and automatically highlight data using your existing HR files. We can also flag areas where talent might be reallocated for greater efficiency. We already work with enterprise-level organizations such as X, Y, Z and would love to speak to you about implementing it at (Client Organization). 

You can see for yourself how our product works by clicking through this short interactive demo (link to personalized demo snippet). 

You can click here to book us a 15 minute meeting at a time that works for you.

3. The PAS template

PAS stands for Problem, Agitate, and Solve and is not only simple but also effective. When you break the formula down, this is what you get:

• Problem – Identify the issue or problem that the prospect is facing.
• Agitate – Agitate said issue/problem by pointing out the ways in which the problem affects their life and work.
• Solve – Find, present, and explain how your product can act as a solution.

Whereas AIDA and BAB are pretty positive in nature, PAS leans into the pain of the problem. 

Here’s an example of a PAS email template:

Hi, (Client’s Name),

Does your organization have major issues with (problem) at the moment? 

You’re not alone! X% of all companies in your industry suffer from this problem, leading to financial losses of almost $3 million annually! 

But don’t worry, we can help. Our product can help eliminate (problem) with (one-sentence pitch). 

You can see for yourself how our product works by clicking through this short interactive demo (link to personalized demo snippet). 

If you’d like to know more, I’d be happy to provide a demo or more information. Are you open to a call next week to discuss the options?

4. The relevant question template

The best way to get a response in any conversation is to ask a question. 

A relevant question template is specific to a lead. Keeping the email simple and to the point comes across as low commitment and simple while also piquing the client’s curiosity. 

Check out this example:

Hi (Client’s Name), 

Would you like to increase the number of your subscriptions? 

I know you are probably swamped with (client’s business function), so I’ll keep this short and sharp. I’m the Sales Development Representatives at (Your Company), and I have a few tips that can help you save money right away. 

You can see for yourself how our product works by clicking through this short interactive demo (link to personalized demo snippet). 

Sounds good? If you have 15 minutes to talk next week you can book us a meeting by clicking here.

5. Site visitor template

If a client has visited your site, they’ve already shown interest in your company and probably just need a nudge in the right direction. 

This template example offers a friendly, non-pushy way of eliciting a response by mentioning that you know they visited your website. 

Hi (Client Name), 

We saw that you visited our website and honestly, it’s a moment we’d like to relive.

We’d love to book a meeting with you to catch up. (How’ve you been?) 

Until we meet again, check out how our product can help you by clicking through this short interactive demo (link to personalized demo snippet). 

You can book a time to chat with me by clicking here.

Add demos to qualify leads and increase conversions

Now that we’ve covered the best practices for SaaS cold emails and examined templates like the AIDA, BAB, PAS, Relevant Question, and Site Visitor templates, the rest is up to you. 

Why not make your cold emails even more convincing by including a link to a demo that is personalized for your prospect and customized to address their specific pain points? 

Walnut lets sales reps create beautiful, engaging, and tailored demos without coding. You can then track the demo performance to see which features attracted the prospects interests the most, who they shared it with, and how long they spent looking at it. This way you can better qualify your leads and give your prospects the opportunity to understand your product’s value from the outset.

So what are you waiting for? Stop wasting time and push the big purple “Get Started” button at the top of your screen to start improving your sales funnel today.