Every day, our inboxes fill with unsolicited emails. The average professional receives more than a dozen per day. Most get deleted without a second glance.
But timing is everything.
A few weeks ago, one email caught my attention—a simple inquiry about our office’s coffee needs. On another day, it might have been swept away, too, but it arrived just as our (third) trusty Nespresso machine had started showing its age.
The timing was impeccable. Obviously, the sender couldn’t have known about our coffee machine’s decline. They simply reached out with a straightforward solution at exactly the right moment. Today, an Illy machine that promised quality without complexity is installed on our counter, delivering consistent cups of coffee and (surprisingly excellent) hot chocolate with touch-screen simplicity.
The experience offers a masterclass in effective outreach. The key lessons? First, sometimes the most successful outreach efforts aren’t about revolutionary products or groundbreaking innovations—they’re about solving problems when your audience most needs what you offer. So timing—and consistency—improve results. Second, simplicity sells. The pitch wasn’t dressed up in jargon or promises of paradigm shifts. It was straightforward: “Here’s a better way to provide coffee in your office.”
Success often lies in understanding your audience’s fundamental needs. We can’t always know when a prospect’s coffee machine is failing, so to speak, but we can focus on common pain points and present clear, uncomplicated solutions.
The real art of emailing isn’t just about what you say—it’s about reaching the right person with the right solution at the right time. As Wayne Gretzky said (or was it The Office’s Michael Scott?), “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” and the same holds true for email outreach. Most of us aren’t trying to reach everyone with an inbox or an empty coffee cup. We’re targeting specific segments with specific needs.
When you narrow your focus and keep your message clear, response rates improve—and a well-timed email can turn into your next success story.
For more than two decades, we’ve helped businesses across industries create compelling, consistent content that drives results.
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