CONTEXT MATTERS

It’s shocking how many people send me cold emails that start like this:

“Hi Josh, I noticed you worked at Jellyvision from 2007 - 2018.”
“HI Josh, It looks like you’re the founder of Braun Training.”

That’s like saying, “Hi Josh, I noticed you breathe air.”

Saying something that’s obvious that didn’t need to be said falls flat. 

Why?

There’s no context.

What does the number of years I spent working at Jellyvision have to do with a problem or opportunity?

The first question I ask myself when I read a cold email is:
“Why are you emailing me as opposed to someone else?”

Here’s an example of a cold email with context:

“Pete - It looks like you have 9 SDRs, which suggests you’re sending cold emails.

I spoke to an SDR out of NC who’s booking 15 meetings a month (mid-market) with Directors of Benefits via cold email. No cold calling.

Since you folks sell into HR, I thought you might be open to learning how she’s doing it."

Feel the difference? 
The observation or context relates to the opportunity. 

The switch?
No context → Context