The Outbound Audit: Using Pain Points To Strike A Nerve in Cold Emails

As humans, we’re wired to care deeply about things that directly affect us.

That’s why prospects are more likely to engage with outbound emails that acknowledge a specific problem they have over ones that list multiple, vague value props.

Case in point: our client, Stark Industries. They specialize in audience insights, and for this campaign, they were targeting multiple titles at talent agencies, including strategy, research, and insights professionals.

Our original messaging performed well (it had a 0.94% lead rate), but it was largely focused on Stark Industries and the benefits of their research. It missed an opportunity to address the prospect’s day-to-day experience.

Here’s what the message looked like before we made adjustments:

Instead of using prime real estate at the start of the email to formally introduce Stark Industries, we decided to see what might happen if we took a more personalized, pain point-focused approach.

Here’s our revised message to the same targets:

You’ll notice that the offer hasn’t changed. What has changed is the way it’s framed.

The revision immediately pulls in the prospect’s title — letting them know why we chose to reach out to them specifically — and implies they might be struggling with limited access to data.

Leading with a single pain point lets us keep the message short and direct, and it gives us a more natural way to weave in the Big Three credibility.

We also took out the reference to dashboards/APIs in the third paragraph. This might be an eventual client’s favorite thing about working with Stark Industries, but it probably won’t grab their attention at the outset. In the world of outbound, specific selling points should be just that: points you bring up once you’ve gotten a prospect to say yes to an initial sales call.

With these revisions in place, Stark Industries achieved a 2.86% reply rate and a 1.43% lead rate.

Picking the Right Pain Point

B2B companies that offer a range of products and services often resist a pain point-style message because they’re afraid of being pigeonholed. They don’t want to miss out on a lead that needs SEO help because they emailed about social media ads.

That’s a valid concern, but sticking to a clearly defined problem/solution is far more effective at reaching someone who has that problem than an email that tries to cover every advantage.

To choose the best pain point for your campaigns, start by thinking about your last handful of closed deals and what these clients were facing when they came to you. 

It’s also worth thinking about how those pain points might differ between titles and industries, so you can tailor your message to the prospect as much as possible.

Above all, resist the urge to throw in a “we also do X and Y” line. It dilutes your message, adds unnecessary length to your email, and is unlikely to resonate.

If there’s another offer that might be relevant to the same set of prospects, you can always follow up in a few months with a new message. And unlike senders who pitch all their capabilities in that first email, you’ll actually have something worthwhile to say when you do.

The Takeaway

Prospects may have a hard time conceptualizing the value of your product or service if they’re busy working through an immediate problem.

Instead of spotlighting convenient features and eventual outcomes in your cold emails, try building a campaign around a hurdle they face right now and how your solution will make it easier to clear.

This pain point-driven approach demonstrates empathy, encourages engagement, and primes your prospect to hear the rest of the positives you bring to the table.

Need An Honest Outbound Partner?

Our outbound email campaigns are informed by years of experience building sales pipelines for companies with a desire for steady growth. Schedule a call with us to find out how we can help you win more clients.