Cold Emailing Workshop: Prospecting Training with Jason Beraud

You spent 3 hours crafting your prospecting emails. You’re satisfied. Then you launch your campaign. Silence.

This is exactly what happened to Jean-Philippe and Christophe before attending Jason Beraud's workshop. Their emails were too long, too promotional, too product-focused. Zero appointments.

This guide shows you exactly what they learned — and how to apply these principles today.

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1. The Problem 90% of Entrepreneurs Make: Emails Too Long

Jason Beraud immediately diagnoses the problem with Jean-Philippe, who sells micarta (an innovative material) to knife makers:

"Your emails are too long AND you introduce yourself too much. You have a promotional approach, while the goal of a cold email is to get an appointment."

This is the classic trap: confusing cold email with a sales brochure.

Jean-Philippe had written entire paragraphs about his "recycled French" product, its properties, its advantages. All this text killed his chances.

Why? Because a prospect receiving a cold email doesn’t know you. They don’t trust you. They don’t want to read your pitch. They want to know: "Does this concern me? Is it relevant for me?"

Length also creates a technical problem: the longer the email, the more likely it is to trigger spam filters. Email server algorithms penalize dense emails.

The key figure: Emails of 50-125 words have a 50% higher response rate than emails of 250+ words.

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2. Start with the Client, Not Your Product

This is the fundamental pivot of Jason Beraud's method.

Instead of saying "I have a fantastic product," he says "Your clients have a problem. Let’s talk about that first."

With Jean-Philippe, Jason digs deeper:

• Why does a customer buy from a knife maker rather than a supermarket?
• Because they want a story, differentiation, "made in France".
• What is the real problem for the knife maker? Finding differentiating materials that allow him to tell a story to his customers.

It’s not "my micarta is revolutionary". It’s "I understand that you struggle to differentiate yourself in a saturated market of generic knives."

The mental structure changes: - ❌ Before: "Here’s my product, buy it" - ✅ After: "Here’s the problem you have, I’ve helped people like you solve it"

This angle transforms your email from a transactional approach (selling) to a consultative approach (helping).

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3. The Spectacular Rewrite: From Promotional to Consultative

Here’s exactly what Jason advised Jean-Philippe. Compare:

Email 1 — BEFORE (rejected)

"Hello,

I am Jean-Philippe, co-founder of [Company]. We produce micarta, a revolutionary material made from reclaimed materials. Our micarta is made in France, environmentally friendly, and offers a unique denim aesthetic.

We would like to discuss a collaboration to integrate our materials into your knives. We offer competitive rates and superior quality.

Can you give me 15 minutes this week?"

Problems: - Starts with "I am" (nobody cares) - "Revolutionary" (spam word, empty hype) - Talks about the product, not the client - Mentions "competitive rates" (fatal error) - Directly asks for time (aggressive)

Email 1 — AFTER (approved by Jason)

"Hello [First Name],

I help knife makers in the [XYZ] region create knives using micarta from Nîmes made from reclaimed materials.

I have already helped a dozen knife makers create custom denim-inspired knives that truly stand out from traditional knives.

On average, knife makers find that their customers appreciate this trend and increase their sales by 4-5% towards a new clientele (younger).

Would you like to learn more about Nîmes knives that you can sell?"

What works: - Starts with "I help" (you = consultant, not seller) - Specific number: "a dozen" (credible) - Concrete result: "+4-5% sales" (not fluff) - Talks about the client, not the product - Ends with a soft question (exploration, not selling) - Length: 80 words (perfect)

The transformation in numbers: - Before: 210 words → After: 80 words (62% shorter) - Before: 0 concrete figures → After: 3 figures (10 knife makers, 4-5%, younger clientele)

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4. The Fibonacci Sequence Applied to Cold Emailing

This is one of Jason Beraud's best-kept secrets.

Most people send follow-ups every 3 days. That’s a mistake.

Jason uses the Fibonacci sequence: each number is the sum of the two previous ones. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21...

Application to cold emailing:

Email	Days to wait after the previous one
Email 1	Day 0 (immediate send)
Email 2	+2 days
Email 3	+3 days (5 days after Email 1)
Email 4	+5 days (10 days after Email 1)
Email 5	+8 days (18 days after Email 1)
Email 6	+13 days (31 days after Email 1)

Why it works:

Jason explains it simply: "The more you send, the more likely you are to get a response. But the more you send, the more likely you are to annoy someone. That’s why the more you send, the more you need to space them out."

The increasing spacing respects two psychological principles:

1. Recency: Your email stays in the prospect's mind
2. Fatigue: You’re not pestering them too quickly

Tests conducted by Jason show that this method generates a response rate of 5-10% (vs 1-2% with daily follow-ups).

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5. The Spam Words That Kill Your Campaigns

When Christophe (business strategy consultant) presents his email with "free discovery meeting," Jason jumps:

"Never put 'free' in an email! It’s a spam word. Always!"

Why? Two reasons:

1. Technical reason: Spam filters detect "free" as a signal of promotional email. Your email lands in spam, even if the content is excellent.

2. Psychological reason: "Free" has no value. "Offered" does. A prospect receiving something free thinks it’s worthless. A prospect receiving something offered thinks there’s real value, but it’s being given to them.

Complete List of Spam Words to Avoid

• Free
• Offered (except "offered by", not "offered to you")
• Click here
• Urgent
• Limited
• Exclusive
• Revolutionary
• Unique
• Guaranteed
• Risk-free
• Free trial
• Download now
• Buy now
• Limited offer
• Promotion
• Discount

How to Say "Free" Without Saying It

❌ To Avoid	✅ To Use
"Free audit"	"No-obligation audit"
"Free consultation"	"Discovery consultation"
"Free offer"	"Discovery offer"
"Free trial"	"Trial period"

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6. The Magic Structure: Problem - Solution - Benefit (PSB)

Jason applies a 4-paragraph structure to each email:

Paragraph 1: Hook + Positioning

"I help [target] achieve [result]."

Example: "I help knife makers create knives that stand out and increase their sales."

Objective: Immediately state if the email concerns them.

Paragraph 2: Social Proof

"I have already helped [X] [target] achieve [result]."

Example: "I have already helped a dozen knife makers create denim-inspired knives."

Objective: Show that you’re not a theorist, that you’ve done this for others.

Paragraph 3: Concrete Result

"On average, [target] sees [measurable result]."

Example: "On average, knife makers find that their customers appreciate this trend and increase their sales by 4-5% towards a new clientele."

Objective: Provide a specific number. Not "many sales", but "+4-5%".

Paragraph 4: Soft Call-to-Action

"Would you like to [light action]?"

Example: "Would you like to learn more about Nîmes knives that you can sell?"

Objective: Get an appointment, not an immediate sale. The action is light (discussion, not purchase).

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7. The Vital Importance of Multiple Angles

Jason reveals a strategy that most people overlook: you should not send the same sequence to everyone.

With Christophe, who supports SME/ETI leaders, Jason identifies three completely different angles:

Angle 1: Increase Revenue and Margin

"I help SME/ETI leaders realign their marketing and sales teams to increase their margin by up to +10%."

Target: Leaders obsessed with profitability.

Angle 2: Conquer a New Market

"I help leaders identify and conquer new markets to accelerate their growth."

Target: Leaders in scaling phase.

Angle 3: Internal Restructuring

"I help leaders reorganize their teams to gain operational efficiency."

Target: Leaders with organizational issues.

The testing strategy:

Jason recommends sending 100-150 emails with each angle, then measuring which angle generates the most responses.

Typical result: One angle generates an 8% response, another 3%, another 2%. You identify the winner and replicate it.

Key figure: Testing 3 angles on 100-150 emails each takes 2-3 weeks and saves you 6 months of ineffective prospecting.

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8. The Psychology of Precise Numbers

Jason emphasizes a point: always use precise numbers.

Never: - "About 30 companies" → "34 companies" - "Around thirty clients" → "28 clients" - "About 20% growth" → "+23% revenue and +23% margin"

Why?

A precise number creates an illusion of specificity. Your brain processes "34" as a measured, counted number. Your brain processes "about 30" as a vague estimate.

Psychologically, "34 companies" seems more credible than "about 30 companies," even if the actual number is the same.

Concrete example from Jason:

❌ "I have helped many knife makers." ✅ "I have helped 12 knife makers."

The number "12" is not more precise than "many," but it seems more true. It’s pure psychology.

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9. The Fatal Error: Talking About Price Too Early

When the question of pricing comes up, Jason cuts straight:

"No pricing, no discounts, no stuff. We don’t care!"

Why?

Because you don’t have a price-based approach. You’re not "20% cheaper". You don’t have a differentiation element based on pricing.

You’re based on value: "I help you increase your sales by 4-5%."

If you mention price in the cold email, you pose a trick question to the prospect: "Is it good enough for the price?" Instead of: "Do I have this problem?"

The correct timeline:

1. Email 1-3: Establish the relevance of the problem
2. Email 4-5: Propose a discussion/audit
3. Phone call: Qualify the prospect
4. After the call: Talk about price

Prices are a conversation. Not an email.

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10. The Last Email Technique: Poking the Ego to Trigger a Response

The 5th email in the sequence uses a particular psychology: the ego.

Here’s the structure Jason recommends:

"Hello [First Name],

I haven’t heard back from you.

Three hypotheses:

1. You’re not interested.
2. You don’t have time to respond.
3. You’re not the right person.

If it’s 1, no problem. If it’s 2, here’s my calendar: [link] If it’s 3, who should I call on your behalf?"

Why it works:

The prospect thinks: "I’m not 'not interested', I’m not 'not the right person', so I must respond to show I have time."

It’s a bit of reverse psychology. Jason explains it mischievously: "The goal is to try to poke at their ego a bit."

Result: 15-20% of prospects who didn’t respond to the first 4 emails respond to the 5th.

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11. The Three Main Families of Universal Angles

Jason reveals his framework for identifying good angles in any sector:

Family 1: Making Money

"I help [target] increase their revenue/margin by X%."

Examples: - Agencies: "Increase clients' revenue by 15-30%" - SaaS: "Reduce acquisition costs by 40%" - Services: "Increase average ticket by 25%"

Family 2: Saving Time

"I help [target] save X hours per week."

Examples: - Software: "Save 10 hours a week on billing" - Services: "Automate repetitive tasks" - Consulting: "Reduce decision time by 50%"

Family 3: The Ego / Status

"I help [target] achieve [status improvement/recognition]."

Examples: - Training: "Become recognized as an expert in your field" - Events: "Be invited to the best conferences" - Consulting: "Be seen as innovative by your peers"

The strategy: Identify which family your offer fits best, then test all three. One will dominate.

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12. AI and Chat GPT: Extension of Brain, Not Replacement

A delightful moment in the workshop: Jean-Philippe admits to using Chat GPT to write his emails.

Jason and Sébastien jump:

"You didn’t do your homework! This