Have you seen this unicorn?

If you spend approximately 5 minutes online, you’ll hear rumors of the mythical “Best cold email subject line.”

Gurus will whisper of it to their following. Brag how they have the secret words that unlocks doors to wealth, riches, and open rates.

They say, “Use this message, and money will flow like wine.”

And I’m here to snap you out of the dream.

There is no best, one-size-fits-all subject line… that’s fool’s gold. However, there is a framework that I have personally used to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales from cold emails.

It’s simply called “Being relevant.”

The Relevant Bias

The secret of successful cold emails isn’t in the exact words you say; it’s where you say them from. It’s a matter of positioning yourself as something or someone relevant to the end user. Forget the glittery promises; this is about real-world connection.

After all, every one of us has something that’s always on our radar — something that’s relevant to our lives.

For example, I used to be a territory sales manager for a construction company. We had a unicorn project in my territory — an Amazon Distribution center.

Now, if you’ve ever seen one in real life, you’d know this… they’re huge —gigantic even— and as someone who sold parts that would be used in this project, the payday was a very real deal.

But I had a problem: The contractor who had the project, I couldn’t get ahold of. I tried stopping in, showing up, and even using friends to get an introduction. No dice.

But I had a secret superpower up my sleeve. I can write emails that get opened.

So what did I do? I leaned into the power of being relevant. I knew the contractor had the Amazon project, so guess what my subject line was?

You guessed it- “Amazon Project.”

And know what he did? He opened my email and responded.

Why It Works

It works because what we focus on is what we notice. It’s as simple as that.

My girlfriend runs an online crystal shop — 24 hours/ 365 days a year; if you were to mention crystals, she’s going to notice.

Myself, I’m a copywriter with an interest in comedy. If someone were to mention something about comedy or copywriting, more often than not, it’s going to get my attention. It’s relevant to me. 

And everyone is more or less at the mercy of this bias. So the real question becomes how do we use this to our advantage?

Start With Empathy

Most, if not all, of effective marketing and sales boils down to one thing: empathy.

Put yourself in your buyer’s shoes and make decisions from their viewpoint.

Take my Amazon example. I knew the contractor had Amazon on his mind — he had to; it was his job. So, instead of beating around the bush, I just decided to lean into it. And it worked.

Today, if I’m ever cold-pitching a client or writing an email for my customer base, I simply put myself in their shoes.

What do they care about?

What do they want to know?

What’s important to them?

You see the quality of your message will always be connected to the relevancy of your message. So only ask yourself this: How relevant is your cold email to your prospect’s life?

The closer you get, the more opens you’ll get.

Your Customers Are Your Compass.

Today, I am no longer in construction sales and am instead running my business. (In addition to being a marketing manager as my 9–5.)

For my personal business, I heavily lean into the relevancy principle. And truly, out of the past twelve cold emails I sent, nine have been opened. And it’s simply because I used my customers as my compass. What’s important to them is important to me.

Stay relevant my friends, it will change your life.

please like, comment, share, and tell me what you think! Want to work with me? Anthony@anthonyrobertagency.com