Ending Your Email On The Right Note Ending your email on the right note increases the chances of getting a reply

Messaging applications have changed the way we communicate. However, for business purposes, 86% of professionals prefer to use email. Cold emails are still an effective strategy to land a new job or your next client.

You might have previously read the perfect ways to start an email and tips for writing a better work email. What's often ignored is how to end your cold email pitch.

Ending your email on the right note increases the chances of getting a reply. Most professionals may make a compelling offer in their email's body, but they end it with the generic "let me know."

Here's why it's ineffective.

"Let me know..."

Picture this.

You write an email with a strong pitch suggesting how you can help the recipient. You use data to back up your arguments.

As you reach the climax, you are confused.

• If you ask for a 15-minute slot from your prospect to take things forward, you come across as pushy.

• However, if you use a seemingly empathetic line like "I can understand you're busy," then you appear underconfident.

Hence, you end your email with "let me know."

The three-word phrase has become so overused that all professionals understand it's a cue to signal the end of the message. Additionally, it makes you feel happy because you have empowered your recipient. Now, they have full control over how they want to take things forward.

However, even with an impressive pitch in your email's body, "let me know" is a loose ending and you need to avoid it. The problem is your recipient might receive a ton of such cold emails. They want to clear their inbox as quickly as possible. If you leave the responsibility to figure out the next step on them, then you have dumped extra work on them.

Instead of finding an easy way out, the alternative is ending your email with a specific and clear next step. Here are three call-to-action (CTA) examples you can use.

Three call-to-action you can use to end your cold emails

Most cold emails broadly run into the following three situations (given that the recipient has opened your email and they like your proposal).

1. The recipient contemplates if your proposal is worth taking forward,

2. The recipient is unclear about the next step,

3. The recipient understands your proposal, gets flattered and replies immediately.

A cold email's ideal scenario is c. However, with a clear call to action, you can fix the first two scenarios.

You want to end your emails with confidence and credibility. So, neither, leave your recipients confused with "let me know." Nor decide on their behalf telling them something like "I don't know if this is something you're interested in."

Here are three ways to drive the conversation forward.

1. Suggest a time to get on a call

If you are pitching your product and want to show them a demo, then request for a 15-minute meeting in the coming week. Ask your prospect if they prefer a Skype call or a regular phone call.

With such a clear action step, you come across a professional. You should also give your prospects sufficient time to accommodate your request - about a week from the day you send the email.

Your email's ending might look like:

"The best way to show you how [your product] can [business results expected] for you is a 15-minute call. We can get on Skype or a phone call, whichever is more convenient for you.

Does next week on XYZ at Y:00 work?"

2. Request to refer you to the right person

In many cases, you are cold-emailing a professional requesting them to connect you with the right person (relevant to what you are selling).

In such cases, you should keep your message crisp and directly ask them if they can refer you to the relevant person

It might look like:

"Can you please tell me the person in charge of [function relevant to your product] at [their company] and how I might get in touch with them?"

3. Genuinely praise your recipient's work

If you are sending a relationship-building cold email, then don't complicate it. Your email's body likely contains specific aspects you like about your recipient's work. In the end, you can ask them one specific question giving them the opportunity to show their expertise.

Here's a template you can use:

"I have a question on [their expertise], and it would be amazing to get your perspective:

How do you advise people on overcoming [a challenge that prevents people from developing their expertise]?"

If your cold email confuses your recipient and they can't make a decision, then your ending is likely faulty and needs a better CTA. Ultimately a cold email should pass the "tell me more" test - it should make the recipient curious enough to send a quick reply and move on to the next step.