10 Cold Email Mistakes & How to Fix Them

Conducting effective cold email outreach is crucial for cannabis businesses to connect with potential customers and partners. However, common mistakes can hurt your campaigns and damage your brand’s reputation. Here are the key points to avoid:

Not Knowing Your Target Audience
- Gather data on existing customers, industry trends, and market research
- Build a comprehensive profile of your ideal customer (ICP)
- Identify and prioritize high-quality leads, increase conversion chances
Sending Generic, Impersonal Emails
- Personalize emails by using the recipient’s name, mentioning their company, relevant tools/technologies, and achievements
- Show you understand the recipient as an individual
Using Poor Subject Lines
- Keep subject lines short, relevant, and personalized
- Avoid generic or spammy language
- Examples: "Quick question about [Company]," "[Name], can we chat?"
Making Emails Too Long
- Aim for 50-125 words
- Focus on one key point or question
- Use simple language and bullet points
Focusing on Your Product Instead of the Recipient
- Research the recipient’s needs and challenges
- Tailor the email to show how you can solve their problems
Not Including a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
- Clearly state the desired action (e.g., "Schedule a call," "Request a demo")
- Use action-oriented language and create urgency
Failing to Follow Up
- Send multiple follow-ups, spaced out every 5-7 business days
- Personalize follow-ups and provide value
Sending Emails at the Wrong Time
- Best times: Tuesday-Thursday, 9 AM – 2 PM
- Avoid weekends, early mornings, and Mondays
Ignoring Email Metrics
- Track open rate, click-through rate, conversion rate, bounce rate, and unsubscribe rate
- Optimize campaigns based on data
Using Unprofessional Email Addresses

-   Use an email address with your real name and a business or personal domain (e.g., [email protected])
-   Establish credibility and trust

By understanding and addressing these common mistakes, cannabis businesses can maximize the impact of their cold email campaigns and increase their chances of success.

1. Not Knowing Your Target Audience

Failing to understand your target audience is a critical mistake that can derail your cold email campaigns. Your target audience, or ideal customer profile (ICP), represents the group of people most likely to benefit from your products or services.

To create an effective ICP, you need to gather data on your existing customers, industry trends, and market research. Analyze factors such as:

Company size
Industry
Job roles
Pain points
Buying behavior

This information will help you build a comprehensive profile of your ideal customer, enabling you to tailor your marketing efforts, product development, and sales strategies to meet their specific needs.

A well-defined ICP allows you to:

Identify and prioritize high-quality leads
Increase the chances of conversion
Reduce the risk of wasting resources on unqualified prospects

Without a clear understanding of your target audience, your cold email campaigns may miss the mark, resulting in low engagement and poor return on investment.

2. Sending Generic, Impersonal Emails

Sending generic, one-size-fits-all emails is a common mistake that can hurt your cold email campaigns. Recipients are more likely to ignore or mark your email as spam if they feel like just another name on a list.

To avoid this, you need to personalize your emails. Personalization means tailoring your message to each recipient’s specific needs, interests, and challenges. It shows you’ve taken the time to understand them as individuals.

Here are some ways to personalize your cold emails:

Personalization Technique	Description
Use their name	Address the recipient by their first name to create a sense of familiarity and connection.
Research their company	Mention a recent achievement or news about their company to show your interest in their business.
Highlight relevant tools/technologies	If you know they use certain tools or technologies, mention them to demonstrate your understanding of their workflow.
Acknowledge their achievements	If they’ve received awards or been featured in the media, mention it to show you value their accomplishments.

3. Using Poor Subject Lines

A poor subject line can make recipients ignore or delete your cold email. It’s the first thing they see, so it needs to grab their attention.

Here are some common subject line mistakes to avoid:

Mistake	Why it’s a problem
Too long	Long subject lines get cut off on mobile devices, making them hard to understand.
Too generic	Generic subject lines don’t personalize the email and can seem spammy.
Using spam triggers	Words like "Free" or "Discount" can trigger spam filters, preventing your email from reaching the recipient’s inbox.
Not relevant	Subject lines that don’t match the email’s content can disappoint and frustrate recipients.

To create effective subject lines:

Personalize: Use the recipient’s name or company name to create familiarity.
Stay relevant: Make sure the subject line accurately reflects the email’s content.
Keep it brief: Keep your subject lines short and to the point.
Spark curiosity: Ask a question or make a statement that piques the recipient’s interest.

Good Subject Line Examples
"Quick question about [Company]’s marketing strategy"
"Idea to improve [Company]’s customer experience"
"[Recipient’s Name], can we chat about [relevant topic]?"
"Introducing a new way to [solve a pain point]"

4. Making Emails Too Long

Lengthy emails can be a major turn-off for recipients. When an email is too long, it becomes overwhelming and difficult to read, especially on mobile devices. This often leads to low engagement and poor response rates.

Why long emails are problematic:

They can be hard to follow, causing the recipient to lose interest or delete the email.
Important points may get missed or misunderstood due to excessive text.
Long emails can come across as spammy or overly promotional, damaging your credibility.

How to keep emails concise:

Aim for 50-125 words. This length ensures your message is clear and easy to digest.
Focus on one key point or question. Avoid cramming too many topics into a single email.
Use simple, straightforward language. Ditch jargon and overly technical terms that may confuse the reader.
Break up text with bullet points or short paragraphs. This makes the content more scannable and engaging.

Email Length	Potential Impact
Too Long	– Overwhelming for the reader – Important points get missed – Perceived as spammy or salesy
Concise (50-125 words)	– Clear and easy to understand – Focused on one key point – Maintains reader’s interest

5. Focusing on Your Product Instead of the Prospect

When writing a cold email, it’s common to get carried away talking about your product or service. You’re excited about what you offer and want to share all its great features. However, this approach can backfire.

Why focusing on your product is a mistake:

It comes across as pushy or salesy, which can damage your credibility.
The prospect likely cares more about how your product solves their problems than its features.
You risk overwhelming the prospect with too much information, leading to disengagement.

How to focus on the prospect instead:

Research the prospect’s needs and challenges. Understand what keeps them up at night and what they’re struggling with.
Tailor your email to their specific needs. Show how your product or service can solve their problems or improve their situation.
Use language the prospect understands. Avoid jargon or technical terms that might confuse them.

By shifting your focus from your product to the prospect, you’ll create a more personalized and relevant email that’s more likely to resonate with them.

Email Focus	Potential Impact
Product-centric	– Comes across as pushy or salesy – Overwhelms the prospect with too much information – Damages credibility
Prospect-centric	– Shows understanding of prospect’s needs – Tailors solution to specific pain points – Builds trust and credibility

6. Not Including a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)

When writing a cold email, it’s crucial to include a clear call-to-action (CTA) that tells the recipient what to do next. A CTA guides the prospect towards the desired outcome, whether it’s scheduling a meeting, requesting more information, or taking a specific action.

Why a clear CTA is important:

It provides direction for the prospect, ensuring they know the next step.
A clear CTA increases the chances of getting a response, as it eliminates confusion.
It helps measure the effectiveness of your cold email campaign by tracking responses and conversions.

How to create an effective CTA:

Be specific: Clearly state the action you want the prospect to take, such as "Schedule a call" or "Request a demo."
Make it prominent: Place the CTA in a visible location, like at the end of the email or in a button.
Use action-oriented language: Use verbs like "Schedule," "Request," or "Learn more" to encourage action.
Create urgency: Add a deadline or limited-time offer to encourage the prospect to act sooner.

CTA Type	Example	Effectiveness
Specific CTA	Schedule a call to discuss your marketing strategy.	High
Vague CTA	Let’s talk sometime.	Low
Urgent CTA	Limited time offer: Schedule a demo by Friday to receive a discount.	High

7. Failing to Follow Up

Not following up on cold emails is a common mistake that can lead to missed chances and lost sales. Sending just one email and waiting for a reply is not enough. You need to keep the conversation going to increase the chances of getting a response.

Why follow-ups are important:

Follow-ups help keep your brand fresh in the prospect’s mind and maintain a connection.
They give you a chance to address any questions or concerns the prospect may have.
Follow-ups can help build trust with the prospect.

How to create an effective follow-up strategy:

Send multiple follow-ups: Send at least two to three follow-up emails to ensure the prospect sees your message.
Space them out: Send follow-ups every five to seven business days to avoid overwhelming the prospect.
Personalize them: Tailor your follow-ups to the prospect’s needs and interests to keep the conversation relevant.
Provide value: Offer additional insights or information in each follow-up to keep the prospect engaged.

Follow-up Strategy	Potential Impact
No follow-ups	– Missed opportunities – Lost sales
Multiple, spaced follow-ups	– Keeps your brand top of mind – Addresses concerns – Builds trust
Personalized, valuable follow-ups	– Relevant to prospect’s needs – Keeps prospect engaged

8. Sending Emails at the Wrong Time

Sending cold emails at the wrong time can significantly reduce their effectiveness. If you send emails when your prospects are unlikely to check their inboxes or are busy with other tasks, your emails may go unnoticed or unopened.

Why timing is crucial:

Receiving a work-related email on the weekend can be seen as unprofessional and intrusive, especially for prospects who separate work and personal time.
Sending emails too early in the morning can cause them to get buried under other emails received later in the day.
Sending emails on Mondays can be ineffective, as people are usually catching up on weekend emails and organizing for the week ahead.

Best times to send cold emails:

Time	Effectiveness
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday	People are more likely to be active and engaged with their work.
9 AM – 2 PM	People are most active and alert during these hours.
Avoid lunchtime and late afternoon	People may be wrapping up work or heading out.

Sending cold emails during the optimal times increases the chances of your emails being noticed and read by prospects.

9. Ignoring Email Metrics

Overlooking email metrics is a common mistake that can hinder the success of your cold email campaigns. Tracking key metrics helps you understand how your emails perform, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your campaigns.

Why tracking email metrics is important:

It helps you measure the effectiveness of your email campaigns
It allows you to identify areas that need improvement
It enables you to make data-driven decisions to optimize your campaigns

Key email metrics to track:

Metric	Description
Open rate	The percentage of recipients who open your email
Click-through rate (CTR)	The percentage of recipients who click on a link in your email
Conversion rate	The percentage of recipients who take a desired action (e.g., sign up for a demo, make a purchase)
Bounce rate	The percentage of emails that are undeliverable
Unsubscribe rate	The percentage of recipients who unsubscribe from your emails

By tracking these metrics, you can gain valuable insights into your email campaigns and make adjustments to improve their performance.

Low open rate? Optimize your subject lines or email content.
High bounce rate? Clean up your email list or improve your email deliverability.

Tools for tracking email metrics:

Email service providers (ESPs) like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or Klaviyo
Email tracking software like HubSpot, Salesforce, or Yesware
Google Analytics or other web analytics tools

10. Using Unprofessional Email Addresses

Using an unprofessional email address can damage your credibility and make it harder to gain the trust of potential customers. In cold email outreach, it’s crucial to have a professional email address that positively represents your business or personal brand.

Why a professional email address matters:

It helps establish credibility and trust with potential customers
It positively represents your business or personal brand
It sets you apart from spammers and unprofessional senders

Characteristics of a professional email address:

Characteristic	Description
Real name	It includes your real name or a variation of it
No slang or nicknames	It avoids slang, nicknames, and unprofessional language
Clear and concise	It uses a straightforward format
Business or personal domain	It includes your business or personal domain (e.g., @yourbusiness.com)

Examples of professional email addresses:

Email Address	Description
[email protected]	Uses a real name and business domain
[email protected]	Uses an initial and last name with business domain
[email protected]	Uses a first and last name with business domain

Conclusion

Cold email outreach can be an effective way to generate leads and build relationships with potential customers. However, it’s important to avoid common mistakes that can damage your reputation and reduce success. By following these steps, you can improve your cold email campaigns:

1. Understand your ideal customer

Gather data on your existing customers, industry trends, and market research to build a profile of your ideal customer. This allows you to:

Identify and prioritize high-quality leads
Increase the chances of conversion
Reduce wasted resources on unqualified prospects

2. Personalize your emails

Tailor your message to each recipient’s specific needs, interests, and challenges. This shows you’ve taken the time to understand them as individuals.

Personalization Technique	Description
Use their name	Address the recipient by their first name.
Research their company	Mention recent news about their company.
Highlight relevant tools/technologies	Mention tools or technologies they use.
Acknowledge achievements	Mention awards or media features.

3. Write effective subject lines

Craft subject lines that grab attention and accurately reflect the email’s content.

Good Subject Line Examples
"Quick question about [Company]’s marketing strategy"
"Idea to improve [Company]’s customer experience"
"[Recipient’s Name], can we chat about [relevant topic]?"
"New way to [solve a pain point]"

4. Keep emails concise

Aim for 50-125 words. Focus on one key point or question. Use simple language and break up text with bullet points or short paragraphs.

5. Focus on the prospect’s needs

Research the prospect’s challenges and tailor your email to show how your product or service can solve their problems or improve their situation.

6. Include a clear call-to-action (CTA)

Clearly state the action you want the prospect to take, such as "Schedule a call" or "Request a demo."

7. Follow up

Send multiple follow-up emails, spaced out every five to seven business days, to keep the conversation going and address any questions or concerns.

8. Send emails at the right time

The best times to send cold emails are Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday between 9 AM and 2 PM.

9. Track email metrics

Monitor key metrics like open rate, click-through rate, conversion rate, bounce rate, and unsubscribe rate to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns and identify areas for improvement.

10. Use a professional email address

Use an email address that includes your real name and a business or personal domain (e.g., [email protected]) to establish credibility and trust.

Cold email outreach is an ongoing process that requires continuous refinement and improvement. By implementing these solutions and staying up-to-date with best practices, you can increase your chances of success and achieve your goals.