Consider the opening line to be a tiny hook designed to entice readers and capture their attention. Whether you’re sending an email introduction or closing a sale, the first few words will determine whether they’re interested enough to continue the conversation.

What if you could make your emails stand out from the rest? We’ve put together this guide on creating personalized lines that grab someone’s attention, keep them reading and make them want to respond.

Why Is Your Email Opening Line Important?

The opening line of an email is one of the most important aspects to consider when creating a message. It can set the tone for the entire email and can make or break its chances of being read. It is also important to help build rapport and persuade the lead to keep reading.

When composing an email, it’s important to choose an opener that will grab the readers’ attention and help orient readers towards what follows. A good opener should be concise, informative, and interesting enough that people want to continue reading your message.

Aside from the quality of your email content, other factors that can affect a cold email’s success include targeting your lead well and making sure that it is relevant to them, as well as incorporating personalization so that the recipient feels like you are speaking directly to them. Additionally, an effective opening line will compel the reader to keep reading and may include a hook or suggestion for further information. Finally, it is important to consider including a call-to-action or reminder for what the reader can do next in order to increase the chances of success. Follow these approaches if you want to achieve results quickly.

Cold Email Opening Line Approaches

1. Contact after you’ve met in person

This email opening line works because it specifies where you met and what you discussed right away. The more specific you are, the more you demonstrate that you listened and genuinely cared about what someone had to say. Furthermore, the tone is friendly, casual, and complimentary. Use this email introduction to connect and network, or to steer the conversation in the direction of sales.

Example: 

Hello Kirsten, 

It was really nice chatting with you at the 2022 SaaS Marketing Trend event last Saturday! I found your point of view on the growth of social media marketing for small businesses to be interesting and decided to contact you personally.

2. Connect to a content creator on LinkedIn

This email opening line works because it demonstrates that you are truly interested in their content, that you admire their work, and that the lead’s advice was beneficial to you as well. Use this email introduction to offer a solution that your lead may be interested in or that is complementary to the lead’s business.

Example: 

Hi Martin, 

A month ago, I came across your LinkedIn post on handling an objection, which helped your Sales Team increase RiseUp revenue by 20% in just 2 months! I've been following you and your content on LinkedIn, and I'm happy to report that following your advice increased my conversion rate by 15%.

3. Look into the solution your lead is already using

This email opening line is effective because it shows that you’ve done your research and are writing to your lead for real, tangible reasons. Furthermore, you are not immediately attempting to sell your solution but rather are first learning about customer satisfaction and developing rapport. Use this email’s opening to introduce your solution, which differentiates itself by capitalizing on the weakness of the rival.

Example:

Greetings Ivan!

I noticed your company uses SendNow for newsletter automation, is this correct? I hope you don’t mind me reaching out directly, I was wondering if you could change one thing about SendNow. 

4. Use the review of your lead as a reference

This email opening line is effective because it addresses a known pain point that your lead is experiencing. The fact that your product specifically addresses the problem they raised in their review should pique their interest, so you want to find out if they are.

Example: 

Hey Sam, 

I noticed that in your most recent evaluation of ClickMe on Pointip, you had reservations about their customer service. I'm aware of how aggravating that circumstance can be, so I wanted to take the time to introduce Hi You, who might be able to help you with that issue.

5. Make Contact With A Participant From Your Event/LinkedIn Event 

This email opening line works because it describes the lead’s attendance at the event, the company they work for, and their industry. It shows that you did your research and want to offer a solution that will specifically benefit their business/industry.

Example: 

Hi Monica, 

It was wonderful to see you at the Social Selling Strategy Event. I just wanted to personally thank you for your participation and inquire whether you found the event beneficial to FlyRide and the transportation industry in general. If so, I have something that might be of interest to you!

6. Pitch a Solution by asking a Question

This email line convinces the reader that you’ve done your homework before contacting the lead, which is why it works in an email. You have a solution that could help them save time and enhance their service or product because you are aware of their market’s challenges and opportunities for improvement.

Example: 

Hi Ross, 

I came across your LinkedIn profile while looking for SEO & Web Content Specialists. I decided to contact you directly because I'm curious if you've ever gotten valuable results in under 20 minutes when researching keywords and keyword synonyms.

7. Get in touch with a Lead that commented on a post on LinkedIn (or anywhere else) 

This email opening line works because you’re reaching out to your lead with the intention of assisting them. You’re also providing a resource to help them solve a problem or issue they mentioned in a LinkedIn comment (or anywhere else). Use this email introduction to pitch your product later.

Example: 

Hello Janice, 

I'm writing in response to your comment on Sarah Parker's LinkedIn post. I wanted to send you a resource that might help you understand when and how to use A/B Testing Messaging & Campaigns. If this helps to clarify the issue you raised in your comment, there's more where that came from!

8. Mention A Connection You Have With This Person

This opening line is persuasive because it’s wise to bring up a connection right away. Anyone who sees your name will probably keep reading because it gives you credit. Additionally, it shows that you are aware of the lead’s activities, and achievements and that they are the ones about whom you are writing.

Example: 

Hey Joey, 

Matt Jones from HighFive spoke positively of you and your professional accomplishments, your development of Sales Strategies for smaller Sales Units to be exact! That’s why I decided to directly contact you and speak about a possible collaboration.

9. Provide Value Before Offering Your Service

This email opening line works because you are providing value (a free gift) to your potential customer even if they do not hire you for the service. Use this email introduction to sell your service and demonstrate the caliber of your work.

Example: 

Hello Rory, 

I came across your website while researching Email Marketing Automation Tools the other day and immediately noticed things that you can adjust to enhance your visitor's experience (professional growth, hehe, sorry!). This advice may help you see this aspect of your company in a different light.

10. Following Up on a Cold Call

Even if the cold call didn’t go as planned, this email opening line serves as a great reminder (and even if it did). This is your second chance to pique your lead’s interest in learning more, or you can dig deeper into their pain points and areas for improvement.

Example: 

Hi Cayla, 

It was a pleasure speaking with you today! As promised, I'm sending you a quick summary of the topics we discussed this morning on the phone.

11. Create a Desire for The Product

This opening line works because it provides concrete statistics demonstrating that the lead’s method of doing certain things is ineffective (or maybe even counterproductive). You have the ability to completely change the way they do business.

Example: 

Hi Tom, 

When did Fun Ice last plan a company outing that involved more than just prepared foods after work?

Did you know that only 15% of workers reported feeling a connection to someone from a different division at events like this? In fact, 86 % say they would like to get more out of these interactions and develop real relationships with superiors.

Why don't we attempt something fresh?

12. Contact a Dissatisfied Customer

This email opening line is effective if you contact a churned user to inform them that you now have something that they cited as the reason for discontinuing the use of your product. It is always a good idea to reach out and try to re-sell the improved version of your product right away.

Example: 

Hello Rachel, 

I have some exciting news to share with you! Demand.Cloud now includes a LinkedIn Profile Optimization allowing you to easily attract quality leads. Let me summarize all of its benefits.

Conclusion

There are many different ways to create an effective email opening line, but the most important thing is to strike a professional tone. Make sure to research your target audience and tailor your opening line specifically to their needs.

If all of this sounds like too much work (or just downright daunting), don’t worry! We’ve got your back. Our team is experts at creating high-converting email campaigns, and we would be happy to take care of everything for you so that you can focus on more important things (like running your business). Get a demo now!