The 3 Things to Research Before Writing Any Cold Email (Skipping These Is Why You Get Ignored) Discover the top 3 things to research before writing any cold email, why skipping them hurts response rates, and how ProspectSonar can help. Cold email research checklist Cold Outreach & Copywriting 2100 words

Cold emails have a high failure rate due to lack of preparation, but knowing the right details before hitting send can increase response rates by 50% or more. In this post, we'll reveal the 3 things you need to research before writing any cold email, and what happens if you skip these crucial steps.


If you're sending cold emails, chances are you're competing for the attention of prospects who have thousands of similar messages in their inbox. Without proper research, your emails will likely get ignored or deleted, and you'll struggle to make meaningful connections. In this post, we'll break down the research checklist every salesperson, agency founder, or startup founder needs to complete before writing a single cold email. Understanding the decision-maker's challenges, identifying the best contact, and knowing the prospect's current goals is critical to writing a compelling cold email. Without this information, you're essentially shooting in the dark, and your message will likely get lost in the noise. So, let's dive into the three things you need to research before writing any cold email.

1. What are the Decision-Maker's Challenges?

Every business has unique pain points and challenges, but identifying the decision-maker's key concerns can help you tailor your message and stand out from the competition.

ProspectSonar's Niche + Location filtering and Issues Detected field allow you to surface these specific challenges in a prospect's business, making it easier to craft a compelling email that speaks directly to their needs.

For example, let's say you're trying to sell a cybersecurity solution to a marketing agency. By using ProspectSonar's features, you can quickly identify the challenges this agency faces, such as data breaches, ransomware attacks, or compliance issues.

With this information, you can tailor your email to address these specific pain points, making your message more relevant and increasing the chances of getting a response.

Example: By researching the decision-maker's challenges, you can craft a compelling email like this: "Hi [Decision-Maker], I came across your company and noticed you're struggling with [specific pain point]. Our solution has helped [similar company] overcome the same issue. Would you like to discuss further?"

2. Who is the Best Contact for This Prospect?

The person you email can make or break your chances of getting a response. Researching the best contact can save you time and improve response rates.

ProspectSonar's Decision Maker identification field helps you find the right person in a prospect's organization. By using this feature, you can quickly identify the best contact, their role, and their current responsibilities.

For example, let's say you're trying to sell a project management tool to a construction company. By using ProspectSonar's Decision Maker identification field, you can quickly find the project manager responsible for overseeing the company's construction projects.

With this information, you can tailor your email to address the project manager's specific concerns, making your message more relevant and increasing the chances of getting a response.

Example: By researching the best contact, you can craft a compelling email like this: "Hi [Project Manager], I noticed your company is currently working on [project name]. Our project management tool has helped [similar company] improve their project timelines. Would you like to discuss further?"

3. What Are the Prospect's Current Goals?

Understanding the prospect's current goals and priorities can help you tailor your message and stand out from the competition.

ProspectSonar's Business Opportunity field provides actionable intelligence on the prospect's goals, such as launching a new product, expanding their current customer base, or improving their overall efficiency.

For example, let's say you're trying to sell a customer relationship management (CRM) tool to an e-commerce company. By using ProspectSonar's Business Opportunity field, you can quickly find out that the company is currently planning to launch a new online store and needs a CRM solution to manage their customer relationships.

With this information, you can tailor your email to address the prospect's specific goals, making your message more relevant and increasing the chances of getting a response.

Example: By researching the prospect's current goals, you can craft a compelling email like this: "Hi [Decision-Maker], I noticed your company is planning to launch a new online store. Our CRM tool has helped [similar e-commerce company] improve their customer relationships. Would you like to discuss further?"

Key Takeaways

  • You need to research the decision-maker's challenges to tailor your message and stand out from the competition.
  • Identifying the best contact can save you time and improve response rates.
  • Understanding the prospect's current goals can help you tailor your message and stand out from the competition.
  • ProspectSonar's features can help you research the three things outlined in this post.

Discover Your Next B2B Sales Opportunity with ProspectSonar

With ProspectSonar, you can quickly research the decision-maker's challenges, identify the best contact, and understand the prospect's current goals. Get started with our 30-Day Free Trial today!

The Consequences of Skipping These Three Steps

Skipped these three research steps and you're essentially shooting in the dark. Without this information, your emails will likely get ignored or deleted, and you'll struggle to make meaningful connections.

The consequences of skipping these three steps include:

  • Low open rates
  • High unsubscribe rates
  • Lack of meaningful connections with prospects
  • Struggling to make cold email campaigns successful

In today's competitive B2B sales landscape, skipping these three research steps can have severe consequences for your email campaigns.

To avoid these consequences and increase response rates, make sure to research the decision-maker's challenges, identify the best contact, and understand the prospect's current goals before writing any cold email.