Sales emails are necessary to help the marketing team reach its goals. However, they can become very formulaic and predictable if done repeatedly with no variation in content or style. Every day, attractive prospects are bombarded with dozens, if not hundreds, of cold emails. Given this fact, it’s no surprise that most individuals are ready to press the delete key. Your prospects have just a few seconds to examine their inbox and determine whether or not to read your email. It may seem impossible, but a well-crafted sales email may generate outstanding results for your outreach effort.
In just six easy steps, you can create your first sales email. It may seem simple, but the devil is in the details, as with most things. To compose the ideal sales email, follow these steps:
- First, decide on your value proposition.
- Create a Catchy Subject Line
- Decide on your opening line.
- Write the body of the email.
- Finally, make a call to action.
- Include a Signature in Your Email
The Good
Writing a fantastic sales email may seem challenging, but it isn’t. Each of the five critical components of a strong sales email is outlined in the steps below. If you master these elements, you have an excellent possibility of significantly increasing your prospects.
Check out these facts from recent McKinsey research if you’re still not sure that email is your finest tool for prospecting and outreach:
- Email generates 40 times the amount of traffic as Twitter and Facebook combined.
- Ninety-one percent of people use email daily.
- Email conversion rates are expected to be three times greater than those on social media.
- An email has an estimated 17 percent greater average order value than social media.
Another nice tidbit is that it will become easier. Email templates enable you to keep most of the email’s text while simply changing a few details to make it more personalized for prospects. Your email templates will do the hard work for you once you get the hang of it.
There are a plethora of free sales email templates available online as well. You may use them as a starting point for developing your winning template. In summary, your first sales email efforts will pay off in the long term. You won’t have to go through the same arduous procedure every time you contact a lead.
The Bad
There’s no other way to put it. Prospecting by email might be difficult. People don’t appreciate it when strangers bombard their email, so you’ve got your job cut out for you. Email open rates vary from 19 percent to 25 percent, depending on the business. It takes work to persuade someone to receive your email (much alone close a transaction!).
Another issue that salespeople face is that a sales email is essentially spam. The two methods are opposed. Spam is sent to untargeted contacts, while sales emails are sent to targeted communications. In addition, unlike spam, sales emails supply the recipient with valuable and relevant information. Even when you know your email doesn’t spam, a significant portion of your receivers will nonetheless report it as such. Even yet, you may avoid these two essential traps by getting a head start on writing a good sales email. The actions listed below will assist you in doing so!
Steps to writing a sales email:
Step 1: Choose a value proposition.
We’ve just scratched the surface of the distinction between spam and prospecting, but it’s a thin one. Even the most well-crafted sales email might be mistaken for spam in some instances. Spam is defined as any unwanted communication unrelated to the recipient’s identity or context. For example, if your email could be sent to a large number of other people with no apparent context or relevance, it might be called spam. The goal is to send a message to a specified group of people for a specific cause. This concept distinguishes outbound lead creation and spam.
- Make use of your buyer persona.
Based on research, a buyer persona is a thorough description of a fictitious person or individuals who best reflect your ideal prospective consumers. This profile will assist you in determining who your sales email campaign should target. A solid buyer persona should include the following information about your target audience:
- Details about the demographics
- Information for professionals
- Characteristics of behavior
- Challenges and goals
- Buying habits
- Values
- Interests
If you don’t already have one, it’s a good idea to make one. You may construct a basic profile using a variety of free web tools. Before you write a single paragraph, at the very least, consider who you should be addressing. The free Make My Persona tool from Hubspot is a terrific place to start.
- Look for a cause to connect.
The first step is to find the right person to send your message to. Next, you must offer them a compelling cause to engage with you. Common ground may be found by discussing shared contacts, having comparable experiences or backgrounds, praising their accomplishments, or referencing trigger events. You want to establish rapport straight away. Then you can clearly and briefly describe your value offer.
- Examine your options.
You’ve got a prospect in mind, a motive to connect, and something valuable to say. It will be easier to tie everything together if you do some background research on your prospect. If you have a few possibilities in mind, this strategy works very well. Professional sites like LinkedIn and social media are gold mines for learning about your prospect’s beliefs, aspirations, and pain spots. You may also look for commonalities among your candidates. Then, while still addressing your target’s pain areas, you may build sales email templates that cast a broader net.
Snov.io is an excellent tool for assisting you with this phase. This outreach automation platform includes some useful prospecting features, including:
- Email addresses may be found by searching by person, business, or domain.
- Check email addresses for accuracy.
- Gmail allows you to keep track of emails that have been sent.
- Start drip campaigns.
Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, and Asana are just a few of the CRMs that Snov.io interfaces with. Monthly plans start at $33.
Step 2: Create a Catchy Subject Line.
Now that the foundation has been laid, it’s time to work on the actual sales email. Again, the topic line is an excellent place to start.
This one line is significant since it is your prospects’ initial point of contact. The subject line is also what most competitors use to determine whether or not to open an email. It makes no difference how well you master the stages that follow. If they don’t read your email in the first place, it won’t matter.
- Pick the prospect’s interest.
Your subject line should ideally entice the prospect to read the second line of your email. To do this, the subject line should imply that the opportunity will benefit from opening your email.
Significant examples include hints on how the prospect may increase their sales in the next quarter or a desire to learn why a mutual link suggested you to them. Here are a few examples of fascinating topic lines:
- [Mutual contact] recommended that I contact you/li>
- I’ve had a brilliant thought for how to fix [prospect’s problem].
- Keep it short.
Keep the subject line brief and avoid revealing too much information. The goal is to stimulate curiosity rather than make a transaction right now. Aim for a character count of 50 to 60 characters or fewer. The most important thing to avoid is having your topic line chopped off. When this occurs, the receiver is left in the dark regarding the subject of your email. Almost half of your prospects may be reading your email on their phones, so keep the subject line short.
- Make the subject line unique to you.
It may make all the difference if you include your prospect’s name in the subject line. You come out as considerate and not simply sending out emails to folks at random with a customized touch. You might take it further by mentioning something specific to your leads. Consider the following scenario: Hello, [prospect’s name], I like your [website name] article. Personalization to such an acceptable degree may not always be achievable. Even so, just mentioning the prospect’s name should have the intended impact. Most CRM systems allow you to automate this procedure, so you don’t have to send out bulk emails manually. To help you manage your sales funnel, check out our piece presenting the eight finest CRM software packages.
- Don’t be scared to use the word “urgent.”
If you have a limited-time deal, this strategy is very effective. However, some customers need a little prodding to open the email. Creating a sense of urgency encourages recipients to read the email right away in case they’re missing out on a great bargain.
The following is an excellent example of a subject line: [X] hours till our [offer] expires!
Step 3: Choose an opening line.
The first sentence establishes the president’s tone for the remainder of the communication. The prospect will determine whether or not to read the rest of the email at this point. There are far too many generic, unimaginative, and salesy beginning phrases in circulation. Make your first sentence fascinating enough to pique the audience’s interest.
- Take a friendly attitude.
Approach your sales email with a friendly tone. Make use of your opening line to see if you and the prospect can have a mutually beneficial connection. To accomplish so, you’ll need to put time and effort into cultivating a real relationship.
You may do this by mentioning a trigger event or demonstrating that you care about the prospect’s problems. Here are some examples of good starting lines:
- In [Magazine], I read about your company’s [event].
- Thank you for participating in [event].
Another excellent technique to establish trust is to use any shared ties you have with the prospect. Someone instinctively likes to work with people who can be trusted. In this scenario, a good starting sentence maybe something like this:
My name is [name], and I work for [firm]. I worked on [project] with [mutual relation], and [a sentence or two about why you’re reaching out]…
In the first line, look for methods to connect with your prospects on a human level.
- Keep it current.
Ideally, your opening line should state what your message is and why it is crucial to the prospect. People don’t have much time to read and comprehend your email. This is also a terrific method to establish trust by demonstrating that you’ve taken the time to learn about your prospect’s problems.
- Keep it brief
A protracted sales presentation might put your potential customer on the defensive. Keep in mind that the goal here is to find a mutually beneficial connection. Keep the introductory line short and related to the email’s subject line.
Step 4: Compose the body of the email.
The meat of your sales email will be the body. You have the opportunity to present your case for why the prospect should take the desired action.
- Get the perfect length.
The length of your body text is determined by your target audience. A brief email of 50-125 words, for example, could be enough for a busy CEO. When writing to a prospect with a shared common link, on the other hand, you could require a lengthier email, perhaps 300 words or more. Only include what is needed and essential to make your case in the email body.
- Add context to the situation.
This phase is dependent on how complex your introductory sentence was. First, you may need to say a bit more about yourself. Then, discuss the outcomes you’ve produced for comparable businesses or businesses in the same sector that have used your goods or services.
- In your pitch, provide value.
Knowing your value shouldn’t be challenging if you previously established your worth in the first phase. The most important thing is not to come off as pushy. The prospect is most likely uninterested in you and your company. It’s nothing personal, but the quality of your goods or services isn’t at the top of your prospects’ priority list. Focusing on the customer rather than your company is the most excellent method. Discuss the client’s difficulties and how you may assist them. Demonstrate that you are genuinely interested in helping them rather than simply looking to make a fast sale. Emphasize the unique advantages your prospect will get by adopting your goods and services.
- Concentrate on the purpose of your sales email.
It helps if you know precisely what you want to accomplish and why you want to do it with your sales email. This clarity will help you organize your email in a way that achieves your purpose.
Step 5: Conclude with an actionable call to action.
Add a call to action at the end of your email (CTA). After reading your email, you want the prospect to do this. The kind of call to action you choose is determined by your email’s aim to accomplish.
- Create a solid call to action.
There should be no ambiguity in the prospect’s mind about what they should do next. Organizing a Skype conversation, signing a contract, responding to your message, scheduling a meeting, signing up for a free trial, or any number of other chores are instances of a call to action. Keep it short and to the point. For example, an excellent call to action should consist of just one or two phrases.
- Maintain a straightforward approach.
Building trust with prospects takes time. For the time being, make a straightforward request that the possibility can easily accomplish. You should schedule a 30-minute conversation with the candidate as soon as feasible. Most folks, however, do not have the time. Furthermore, the majority of individuals prefer to communicate through email. Start small and work your way up to the big request, whether a phone call or a meeting.
- Give dates and times that are precise.
If you go this way, provide particular times and days when you want the prospect to arrange a call or a demo. Leaving it up to the prospect’s availability is too open-ended and unlikely to generate many answers. Every day, professionals must make critical choices, and scheduling a follow-up with you may not be high on the priority list. Instead, in your call to action, include particular times and days. Is next Tuesday at 10 a.m. or Thursday at 2 p.m. a good time for a 10-minute call? This method makes it easy for the prospect to respond yes or no.
Step 6: Sign the document.
The impact of an email signature is often overlooked and underutilized. A sound email signature makes an excellent first impression. It’s a perfect opportunity to establish credibility and demonstrate why the prospect should react to you.
- Turn your attention to yourself.
So far, the overarching theme has been to concentrate on the future. You’ve already given your prospect something of value. It’s time to sell yourself at the signing. Begin with your most popular social media profile. Because LinkedIn is a community for professionals, it’s always a safe option. Other social media platforms, such as Twitter, may be as effective. Share the social media profile that best represents you. If you have a high level of involvement with other industry experts on the site, you’ll get bonus points.
- Put a tagline on it.
It’s no coincidence that well-known companies have catchy slogans. You, too, may benefit from the enduring impact of a memorable slogan. Consider creating a brief, extraordinary quotation that expresses your core principles. Taglines aren’t only memorable; they’re also catchy. They also convey your beliefs and values.
- Show off your achievements.
Showing off your accomplishments is another excellent method to develop social proof. These might be pieces published in big media or well-known clientele with whom you’ve worked. Adding your successes to your resume might help you gain credibility and confidence with potential clients.
- Maintain a light tone.
It’s easy to go overboard with links, photos, and media. Too many images might have your emails marked as spam. There’s also the possibility that your photographs won’t appear correctly on the prospect’s computer. The receivers may get distracted or overwhelmed if there are too many links. Only include the most important connections that will help you establish a reputation. It’s a good idea to aim for two to three linkages.
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