Email is one of the oldest digital communication strategies, and it is one of the most efficient ways for business owners to promote their offers.
Email marketing remains a robust sales and prospecting tool. In fact, sales reps spend around one-third of their work hours emailing. While using email as part of your overall marketing strategy is great, it’s how you create those sales emails that actually matters.
What is a Good Sales Email?
Sales emails are the baits to catch the right audience’s attention for your products and services. A good sales email comprises the following:
- A compelling subject line
- An enticing opening line
- Personalized body copy
- A value proposition to pique the consumer’s curiosity
- A clear call to action
These elements should all work together to push your audience into taking a specific next step.
Best Subject Lines for Sales Emails
According to the US Consumer Device Preference Report, you have three seconds to catch your audience’s attention via email. As a result, your hook must be catchy to lure your readers into opening your email and digesting its content.
Keep your email subject lines short and personalized to subscribers, and avoid flagged words that will push your email to the spam folder or promotions tab. Words like “near you,” “as seen on,” “affordable”, “best price,” “cash bonus,” and many more can flag your emails as spam.
Below are some subject line ideas to try for your next email.
[Mutual connection] said we should get in touch
Mentioning a mutual connection in your subject line will encourage subscribers to open your emails. For instance, if you have John Smith as a mutual connection with the client, mentioning the recipient’s name will spark something familiar in the recipient and provide third-party credibility.
Did you find what you were looking for?
Using a question as your subject line will arouse their curiosity and compel them to open your email.
A [benefit] for [their company]
When you propose value to the email recipients, they tend to be all ears.
5 ideas for [a topic the prospect cares about]
Learn more about the prospect and their pain points. Your open rate is bound to increase when you include a critical point that addresses their problems.
The Best Way to Start Your Sales Email
Your introduction is the next important part of your email after your subject line. It is crucial to remember that the sales email is not solely about your company or your personality. Try as much as possible to focus on how to provide value for your prospects.
A personalized introduction that aligns with your prospect’s pain points will drive open rates. Your potential customers will open your email, knowing that you are sharing a solution to one of their problems,
For instance, if your prospect is a realtor, you can use “Are you in a position to take advantage of this brand new opportunity? Why not try this app that markets your real estate offers to thousands of home seekers?”
Another way to begin your email is to talk about what the main competitor of your prospect is doing and ask about their next line of action.
For example: “We notice that your competitor, BlueSpring, is using an innovative app that collects leads. Would you like to make a plan to keep up and stay competitive?”
17 Actionable Tips for Creating Sales Emails that won’t get Ignored
Not sure where to start when putting together your own sales emails? Here are 17 actionable tips for creating the most engaging sales emails that will delight your prospects.
1. Prepare
Before you begin composing your email, take some time to gather relevant information on your target audience. The best sales negotiation training can equip you to identify your target recipients. Be sure to keep your target audience and personas in mind.
Also, consult your CRM software to see whether the contacts that you want to reach out to are already in your prospect database. Utilize any data you already have to better understand what your recipient cares about and what sort of content they are engaging with. Also, check your prospects out online by looking for any content they’ve created, publications they read or contribute to, or what their social media activity is like. Determine the posts and tweets the recipient shares and review their company’s website.
2. Use Engaging Subject Lines
As mentioned earlier, your sales email subject line is the most critical part of convincing your prospect to open your email. Crafting the perfect subject line can influence the recipient’s initial perception of the message and ultimately determine if they will open it.
Use the tips mentioned previously, but also try personalizing your subject lines by including the recipient’s name to grab their attention.
3. Drop the Formality
Formal structures sound too impersonal. Drop the corporate talk and write like you’re talking to a friend. Keep your message casual, friendly, and lively. An informal email is likely to put your contact at ease. A warm tone can increase your chances of landing a face-to-face meeting or a seat at the negotiating table.
An informal tone gives the contact the impression that they can get along with you when you reach the negotiation stage. Drop the strict structures and be the friend offering support for your contact’s goals.
4. Work On Your Opening Sentence
We covered the best way to start your emails earlier, as it’s an extremely important part of your sales email anatomy. Your opening line leads the reader to the rest of your email and, possibly, negotiations. A weak opening can result in a quick dismissal, sending your email to archives or trash. Avoid opening with, “Hi, my name is…” Instead, lead with something more impactful, specific, and personable.
5. Use Simple Design
A complex email marketing design may obscure your message. Eye-catching designs are great, but you don’t need to use all the available bells and whistles. You need a simple, clutter-free design that highlights your main message points. You may also need to use an interactive, mobile-friendly design, as many people use mobile devices to view their emails on the go.
There are several online tools to create beautiful, user-centric emails. Use email design tools that make it easy for even the least tech-savvy team members to customize their sales emails.
6. Make It Short and Sweet
The body of your email needs to be concise. Your prospect is likely busy and has little time to wade through a load of minutiae.
Your email needs to elicit a response, not inundate the reader with information. Make the body no more than three paragraphs long. Each paragraph could have two to four sentences. Space your paragraphs for easier reading and comprehension.
If writing concise, compelling copy eludes you, make sure you check out Benchmark Email’s Smart Content feature. It helps take the guesswork out of writing emails with the assistance of AI technology.
7. Personalize Your Message
The fastest way to lose your prospect’s interest is to send a cookie-cutter email. Sending out a mass email to many prospects may send all your future emails to the spam box.
Get personal. Refer to your contact by name. Mention events and causes your prospect may be interested in (many LinkedIn profiles list interests at the bottom). Your value proposition should focus on your prospect’s pain points.
8. Leverage Connections
Do you have any mutual connections with your prospect? Is there someone of high standing you both know on a personal level? Mention events you may have attended together, such as training, trade shows, or other corporate events.
Use your connections to make an introduction. A mutual connection can establish your credibility. A shared connection offers the prospect a chance to do a quick background check before they decide whether to engage and negotiate with you.
9. Reveal Your Trigger
You’ve already introduced yourself and answered the “who.” You have included your value proposition, explaining the “what” and the “why.” The next question to address is “why now?” Advance your sales agenda by telling the prospect why you’re reaching out now. What’s the trigger that made you make your pitch?
The answer could be that you saw an ad that they recently pushed. Maybe you read the prospect’s recent blog post outlining the company’s challenges. Perhaps it was a meeting you had with one of their employees. The prospect may have recently viewed or commented on your content. Whatever the reason, mention it and make it plausible.
10. Clarify Your Value Proposition
Your email’s body should deliver a clear value proposition. What is the recipient getting out of reading this email? Avoid generic value propositions such as “Our firm helps growing companies to boost their conversion rates by 300%.”
A better strategy would be to ask questions that align with the prospect’s pain points. Some examples of winning questions include:
- Would you like to improve your sales negotiation strategy for the upcoming holiday season?
- Are you locking out prospective clients in your sales funnel?
- Wouldn’t it be valuable to have reliable email marketing automation for your lead generation systems?
- Do you need a seamless integration between your sales, marketing, and accounting departments?
11. Include Timelines and Deadlines
It works to create some sense of urgency in your sales emails. Timelines and deadlines can inspire your contact to take immediate action or risk losing the benefits you’re offering. Timelines set up practical expectations and provide a tentative timetable for taking the next step in the sales cycle.
12. Create a Call to Action
An increasing number of email users are desensitized to most calls to action. Yet, including one is still relevant, as a strong call to action prompts and guides the recipient to the next step.
Make a call to action that appeals to your contact’s self-interest rather than your sales agenda. An example would be, “Could your sales negotiations team benefit from a demonstration on how to boost their sales quotas?”
13. Embrace Technology
Several tools can make the sales process much more effective. Specific email add-ons and browser extensions can reveal your prospect’s reactions, like the links the reader clicked on, whether the reader opened the email, and whether the reader scrolled to the bottom of the email.
Some popular add-ons and extensions allow you to:
- Create dynamic email marketing templates
- Quickly attach files and images
- Schedule email blast templates
- Create videos right inside your mailbox
- Include your calendar for easy scheduling of calls and meetings
- Track emails and clickable links
14. Find Out Who To CC
Your first email is not for closing sales or initiating negotiations. Instead, your first email is an attempt at building relationships. Use your initial email to find out who else in the prospect’s company may need to join in the conversation.
For instance, does your email recipient need to consult someone else? If so, ask your contact whether you need to CC someone in their organization in follow-up emails.
15. Have a Strong Closing
Closing strongly leaves a memorable impression while providing the recipient with a clear path of action. A strong closing sets the stage for the next interaction. Try the following questions to prompt a positive response:
- Can we set up a meeting to discuss the next steps?
- Are you available tomorrow for a 10-minute phone call?
- Let me know if improving your (business operations) is a priority for your company now.
- Can I send over our top rep to make a presentation and explain the benefits further?
16. Craft Your Email Signature
Your email signature is not a vanity tool. It shouldn’t distract from the rest of the email or contain too many links. You need a professional signature that’s on-brand and offers quick contact info.
Have your phone number and one or two of your most active social media buttons. Avoid inspirational quotes and images. You want your contact to focus on the message rather than vanity designs. Take your email signature to the next level with some tips we share here.
17. Think About Timing
Inconvenient timing can result in your contact ignoring your email. You want to be at the top of your recipient’s inbox when they are fresh and have just started their workday.
Scheduling allows you to write your emails when you’re in your best frame of mind. Let’s say you feel you write your best emails at two in the afternoon. With scheduling, you can draft your pitch when it’s most convenient for you, and the email is sent when it’s most suitable for your recipient.
Examples of Sales Emails You Can Draw Inspiration From
Ready to get the ball rolling? Here are some ideas for you to use in your next sales email.
Example 1:
Subject Line: This has your name written all over it
[First Name],
I saw your company just received another round of funding. Congrats! That’s wonderful news! With this new round, you may be looking to up your tech stack, so I wanted to pass along this article that lists the best software tools for small businesses.
Hope you find it helpful. Let me know if you’d like to chat about it.
Best of luck,
[Your Name]
Example 2:
Subject Line: [First name here], are you struggling with [insert challenge here]?
Hi [First Name]
I’ve worked with your colleagues and peers in [industry] for X years. One of the critical challenges they struggle with is [business challenge].
Over the past year, we’ve helped companies like yours to achieve [goals], resulting in [revenue added, money saved, productivity increased].
If this issue is one that you are contending with, too, let’s schedule a quick call. I have some ideas that may help.
Best,
[Your Name]
Write a Sales Email Using Benchmark Email
If you’d like to take your sales emails to the next level, consider using Benchmark Email. We have tons of HTML email templates, and our AI-powered suite of tools ensures your emails have compelling copy and make it to the inbox.
Benchmark Email offers you the option of either building your sales email manually or using the drag-and-drop editor. While building by hand offers you creative flexibility, it also requires technical know-how and testing.
With our easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor, you also have the creative flexibility to build and personalize your sales emails to your taste and brand them with your identity while potentially saving hours of work.
Draw creative inspiration from our comprehensive library filled with numerous templates for different purposes and occasions. Brand and customize a template you like and use it as is or build your templates for different business areas and purposes within the drag-and-drop editor.
Sales email campaigns can be challenging, especially if you’re sending cold emails to prospects. Using a friendly tone can set you up for success. Personalizing your email, from the subject line to the value proposition, pushes your subscribers to click through and read your emails.
At Benchmark, we’re here to help you plan your most successful campaigns ever. Ready to take your sales emails to the next level? Sign up for free today.