Your new email mantra should be simple to understand; easy to answer.

I've seen hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of cold emails sent from all kinds of companies, from tiny startups to $20 billion+ behemoths. And of course, many of these cold emails go unanswered.

Whether you’re writing “direct” (straight to a decision maker) or “referral” emails — or any other kind of business emails, for that matter — keep in mind these four primary reasons why no one responds to cold emails:

1. Your emails are too long. 

Try keeping your emails to 300-500 characters, or 2-4 sentences, for a better response rate.

2. Your emails are confusing.

Don’t list more than one or two features, offers, benefits, or ways you can help. Another way to keep confusion at a minimum is to avoid jargon. How simple can you make your language? Try for third-grade reading comprehension.

3. Your questions are hard to answer. 

If someone on the receiving end of your email doesn't know you, he or she isn't going to give you much mental energy. People who don't know you won’t bother answering excessively open-ended questions like, “What are your key marketing challenges this year?” And why should they?

The easier you make questions to answer (“How many salespeople do you have?”), the more responses you’ll get. When you’re getting to know someone, cold questions should be open, but not too open.

4. Your calls to action are vague.

You'll see a lot of cold emails with sentences like, "Let me know if I can help.” What exactly does that mean? Don’t beat around the bush. Be clear and direct about what you’re asking the recipient to do or consider. Instead of, “I’d love your feedback,” ask, “When’s a good day this week for a 15-minute call to discuss . . . ?”  And no more than one question or call to action per email.

After all that work crafting the perfect cold email, what's next? In my experience, I've learned that you shouldn't be afraid to send a follow-up email. In other words, it's okay to follow-up on your follow-ups. (Thanks to Jessica Huang of SAP for that phrase!) Are you telling yourself, “Oh, I already emailed them” or “I don’t want to bother them”? Don’t be afraid to send one another message. Often, your recipient will thank you for the reminder.