How to Introduce Yourself in An Email the Right Way

Do you know how to introduce yourself in an email the right way?

When sending a cold email, you need to introduce yourself in a way that’ll hook your recipient. This means gaining their trust right from the start.

We have five ways to build trust with your recipient. So that you can enter their inbox with confidence, right from the start.

Why Knowing How to Introduce Yourself in an Email Matters

When you send an email, it’s important to know how to stand out.

Meaning, how are you going to be in a crowd of people and show your worth right from the start.

It’s almost too easy to miss an email. Especially if you aren’t someone your recipient knows. It’s almost too easy to ignore a message that comes from a stranger. You don’t owe your recipient anything.

That’s why it’s important to belong to something bigger.

5 Ways to Gain Your Recipient’s Trust and Start an Email the Right Way

We covered these in an earlier blog post about conversation starters, but there are simple ways to gain your recipient’s trust and make them want to respond to you.

1. Find a shared uncommon commonality

People want to be around others who share their attitudes, values, and preferences.

It’s the Similarity-Attraction Effect.

Interacting with people who share your beliefs or interests validates your own feelings.

How to introduce yourself in an email this way: Look for uncommon commonalities you might share with your prospect:

1. Search social media for a shared interest, hobby, like, or dislike
2. Reference the shared interest at the beginning of your conversation

See how you can start a cold email (and steal a template) with 7 Reply-Worthy Cold Email Templates.

2. If you have a mutual connection, bring them up

Nine out of 10 people trust recommendations from others they know.

Bringing in a mutual connection can change the way your prospect sees you. You transform from someone reaching out to another person, just like them.

How you can do this:

• Find a mutual connection on LinkedIn. Go to the “Highlights” section of their profile to see any connections you have in common
• Let your recipient know about the connection. Include how you know the person. Chances are, your recipient will let the person know you reached out
• Include positive details about the connection. How we talk about other people reflects how people see us. If you say something nice about someone, people will associate those traits with you

3. Ask for advice and stroke their ego

A good way to connect with someone before introducing yourself in an email?

Give your recipient a compliment.

Humans love to talk about themselves. We spend about 40 percent of our day doing it.

In a research experiment, volunteers were given two options:

1. Answer a question about someone else and receive money
2. Answer a question about themselves and receive no payment

Volunteers gave up 17 to 25 percent of their earnings to talk about themselves.

How to introduce yourself in an email this way: Ask for your recipient’s opinion because it truly matters to you.

According to Keith Ferrazzi’s best-selling novel Never Eat Alone, here are three elementsyou need to address:

1. Set the stage: Give your recipient a moment to switch gears and become receptive to your ask
2. Give a reason: We crave explanations and need to know why we’re wanted to do something
3. Provide an escape clause: When you give someone a way out, you double the chances they’ll say yes. It’s a classic copywriting formula

Know your recipient’s email engagement after pressing send with this tool [free to try].

4. Scratch their back so they scratch yours

If you help someone in advanced their goals, they’ll feel obliged to return the favor.

It’s The Rule of Reciprocity.

In an experiment, waiters provided customers with a piece of candy then let them select a second candy before leaving the bill.

Their tips increased by 21%.

People feel obliged to return an act of generosity (even when they didn’t ask for it in the first place).

How to do this:

• Find a piece of content that would help your recipient in their role
• Link to the content in your email, explaining upfront that you thought they might find it useful

5. Give a compliment where it’s deserved

Flattery creates a positive impression of you and your company.

A recent study indicates that insincere and genuine flattery are equally effective. So, even if your recipient knows your ulterior motives, they will still think highly of you.

How to do this:

• Look at their LinkedIn for personal/professional accomplishments. Example: Recent promotion/title change, work anniversary, publication of an article, etc.
• Set a Google alert for their company so you’re the first to know when any major announcements come up

Major Takeaways

Knowing how to introduce yourself in an email is an important skill. You must know to put the spotlight on your recipient.