3 offers to test in your first week of cold email
Three short emails to test side by side: one tests the offer, one the problem, one a customer story. Copy and fill in.
Use this when you've picked a segment and need to learn which message works. Each email tests something different. Keep them all under 100 words.
How to set up the test
- Export one segment of about 500 contacts from ContactYard.
- In your sheet, add a column called version and fill it with A, B and C in turn, down the rows.
- Send each version to its third of the list, on the same days.
- After a week, count positive replies for each version.
Tip: About 170 emails per version is a small sample. Only trust a big gap, such as three replies against none. A small gap is noise.
Version A: lead with the offer
Hi {first_name}, We help [type of company] [get a specific result] in [time]. [Risk removed, if any]. Would it be useful if I sent a short plan for {company}? [Your name]
Version B: lead with the problem
Hi {first_name}, Most [job title]s at [type of company] tell us [problem] is slowing them down. We [short description of the fix]. Is this something you deal with at {company}? [Your name]
Version C: lead with a customer
Hi {first_name}, [Customer], a [type of company] like {company}, went from [before] to [after] in [time]. We could do something similar for you. Worth a quick look? [Your name]
A filled-in example
Fictional business: bookkeeping for dental practices
- Version A
- We keep dental practices' books up to date every month, and fix any error for free.
- Version B
- Most practice managers say month-end takes them two days they don't have.
- Version C
- A 6-dentist practice in Leeds closed its books in 3 days instead of 12.
Reading the results
Look at positive replies per 100 sends, not opens. Then read the actual replies. The version that gets thoughtful objections is often one worth keeping.
Next week, keep the winner and change one thing: the offer, the proof or the ask.
What to do next
Offers not landing? Why a weak offer wastes good data.
Keep reading
Offer first, list second: why a weak offer wastes good data
The best list in the world can't rescue an unclear offer. How to write one worth replying to before you pull a single contact.
How to test a new market with 500 emails before buying any tools
Treat cold email like a small ad test: one question, one segment, 500 sends and a rule for when to stop.
How to split one big list into segments that each get their own email
One email to a whole list sounds like it was written for nobody. Group people by shared situation and write once per group.