Being in the B2B space, you’re familiar with 1000s of sales emails that lie in your inbox. And guess what, you’re not the only one, since only 24% of all cold emails ever get opened (and read), while the rest go straight to trash. Interestingly, the number of replies these emails get is even lower.
It’s clear that companies need to change their outlook towards writing sales emails. They don’t have to actually be cold, salesy and non-personalized.
But how do we make our emails enticing enough to get a meeting booked and close deals?
Over the years, we’ve sent thousands of sales emails; only to realize that personalization is the secret sauce to increased customer engagement.
Knowing how to write a sales email can help you land more replies and an increased number of meetings for your B2B business.
Today, we’ll be discussing the 10 tips for writing sales emails that land in the inbox, and get more customers for your business.
Let’s dive right in!
10 strategies to write outbound sales email that convert
Given below are 10 of our battle-tested strategies for writing sales emails that are guaranteed to generate replies for your business:
1. Understand your prospect
Understanding your prospects is a crucial first step before you start writing a sales email, and the numbers back this up, since companies that invest time researching their Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) see a 68% higher win rate compared to those who don’t.
When done right, performing ICP research helps you pin down your prospective customers’ most relevant pain points and their symptoms. Based on these insights, you can then align their challenges with the USP and features of your own service or product.
But the journey doesn’t stop here, since ICP research also helps you answer questions like:
– What kind of words to use in a sales email?
– Who are the decision-makers that you need to be pitching?
– Do you need to add social proof to your email or not?
When done right, ICP research is a great way to gather genuine understanding of the prospect’s situation, thereby increasing the chances of conversion.
2. A compelling subject line
Once your ICP is documented, the next step is to think about an attention-grabbing subject line. It’s the first thing your prospect sees, and which sets the tone for the entire email.
With the average email response rate being a mere 8.5%, a well-written subject line is your chance to outrank the competitors. Besides increasing conversion rates, personalizing the subject line for your sales emails boosts engagement, increases open rates and builds a rapport with the recipient.
3. Nail down the preview text
When it comes to writing sales emails, it’s crucial to pay attention to every detail, including the preview text.
Interestingly, auto parts seller Autoplicity saw a 7.96% increase in their open rates after using the preview text in their emails.
The preview text is like a sneak peek into what your email is all about. It’s that extra opportunity to grab the recipient’s attention and make them curious enough to open your email.
To make sure the prospect opens your email, you must keep the content in the preview text different from that of the subject line. You can also personalize it based on the preferences of your prospect.
The key here is to make it conversational yet informative.
That being said, here’s how you can optimize the preview text for your next outbound sales email:
– Keep it short and sweet. Aim for 50-100 characters.
– Make it compelling and relevant to your subject line.
– Avoid repeating the subject line, instead, offer additional information.
4. Focus on the email body
Your email body is the golden ticket to your prospect’s attention. Keep it concise and straightforward. Avoid using complex jargon that might confuse your reader. Clearly spell out your value proposition, highlighting how your product or service can solve their specific challenges.
With the ideal cold email length being 25 to 50 words, it’s important to structure your message in a conversational and concise manner. Make sure that the most crucial information is communicated first.
You can also add testimonials and case studies for a dose of credibility and social proof while writing the sales email.
Make sure to personalize your message, referencing any prior interactions or shared connections.
Wrap things up with a soft call-to-action (CTA) prompting recipients to take the next step, such as requesting more info or booking a meeting.
5. Address the prospect’s needs
Remember, your prospect is busy. So get straight to the point, cutting out unnecessary fluff to write outbound sales emails that address specific challenges faced by your prospects.
Do your research to understand their industry, company, and role to show how your product or service can improve their situation.
You can also include some real-life examples to illustrate how others in similar situations have benefited from your offer.
6. Include social proof
Think about this – when you’re about to try a new restaurant or buy a new gadget, don’t you check out the reviews first? Or ask a friend who’s already tried it? That’s social proof in action, and it’s super powerful.
Now, when it comes to cold emails, social proof works the same magic – Imagine telling your prospect how amazing your product or service is.
Sure, they might be interested, but they might also be thinking, “Well, you would say that, wouldn’t you?” This is where social proof comes in!
You see, when you throw in a testimonial from a satisfied customer, or mention how a well-known company in a specific industry found your solution beneficial, it’s like a friend vouching for you.
The prospect will think, “Hey, if it worked for them, it might work for me too!”
And….just like that, you shift from being a salesperson selling something to a trustworthy source of valuable solutions.
Isn’t that a neat trick?
7. End with a strong call-to-action (CTA)
Imagine you’re in a new city, and you’ve just hopped off the train. You’ve got places to go, but you’re not sure where to head first.
Wouldn’t it be great if there were a big, bright sign pointing you in the right direction?
Well, that’s exactly what a CTA does for your sales emails. It’s your big, bright sign showing your prospect what to do next.
Now, a good CTA isn’t just about telling someone to ‘click here’ or ‘buy now’. It’s about inspiring action while making it clear what the recipient gets when they take that step.
While writing sales emails, remember to keep your CTA focused on the value the prospect will get.
Use action words, keep it short and sweet, and don’t be afraid to show some personality.
Make the CTAs in your outbound sales email stand out visually too, so it’s easy to find and click.
8. Have a follow-up strategy
The average response rate for an initial email is a mere 16%. Throw in a strong follow-up email, and the response rate shoots up to a whopping 27%.
Impressive right? That’s exactly why you need to include follow-ups in your outbound sales email strategy.
Imagine you meet someone at a party, and you hit it off.
You promise to meet for coffee, but then you forget to call. It’s the same with sales emails – if you don’t follow up, you could be missing out on a great connection.
A sound follow-up strategy is a safety net that can catch all those potential customers who slipped through the first time. Plus, it shows prospects that you’re genuinely interested in solving their problems.
Make sure to personalize, remind, provide value, and don’t be pushy. It’s important to strike the right balance between being persistent and respectful of their time.
At the end, don’t just hit “Send” and hope for the best. Make sure you put in efforts to nurture the relationship further.
9. A/B test your sales email
Think of A/B testing your cold emails like trying on outfits before a big event. You want to know what looks best, right? It’s the same with emails. By testing different parts of your email – like the subject lines, the CTAs, or even the way you format your content – you get to see what your audience prefers the most.
This way, you can tweak and fine-tune your emails, making sure they’re hitting the mark each time. Ultimately, it’s all about connecting better with your audience and turning those cold emails into engaging, non-salesy conversations.
You can test various elements of your email, like the subject line, CTA, body content, and more. Tools like Instantly or Lemlist are great for this purpose.
10. No links or images in the email signature
Now that we’ve talked about the main components, it’s important to discuss a small yet mighty aspect of writing sales emails – the email signature.
Now, you might think, “Hey, it’s just a bunch of contact details. How important could it be?”
But here’s the thing – your email signature is essentially your digital business card. It’s a chance to tell your prospects who you are, what you do, and how they can reach you, all in a compact, easy-to-read format.
Contrary to popular belief, we’ve found email signatures with no links or images to have much better deliverability rates.
Why you’d ask?
Well, firstly it’s because of the spam filters. You see, most email clients are built to protect users from potentially harmful content. Adding images and links to the email signature often triggers these filters, making your emails land straight into spam.
Secondly, it’s about first impressions.
Imagine you’re the recipient. You get a cold email from someone you don’t know, and there are a bunch of links or flashy images. It can come off as overwhelming and salesy, which isn’t the first impression you want to make.
Instead, keep your signature simple—your name, your role, your company. You can always share more details once you’ve started the conversation.
Bonus: How to Use AI for Writing Sales Emails that Convert?
Thanks to advancements in AI, there are multiple tools that can help you craft persuasive emails at scale, ensuring higher conversion rates.
Here are some common ways you can leverage AI for sales emailing:
1. Personalized Messaging: AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT can analyze prospect data, enabling you to tailor your emails to individual needs. These platforms can generate personalized content, including subject lines, greetings, and body paragraphs, that resonate with recipients on a deeper level.
2. Language Enhancement: AI can also help fine-tune your email copy. It offers language suggestions and helps ensure clarity and persuasiveness. It can guide you through structuring your email effectively for maximum impact.
3. Scalable Solutions: One of the biggest benefits of AI is scalability. AI tools empower you to create compelling sales emails at scale. By harnessing the capabilities of AI, you can generate multiple email drafts quickly, saving time while maintaining a high level of personalization.
4. Understanding your Prospects: AI’s data analysis capabilities can be used to research and comprehend your prospects’ pain points, goals, and industry trends. You can then use this information to customize your emails and position your product or service as the perfect solution.
5. Experiment and Optimize: AI also allows for continuous testing of different subject lines, email structures, and calls-to-action. You can analyze the results to identify the most effective strategies and refine your approach for even better conversions.
In essence, AI can supercharge your outbound sales email campaigns by making them more personalized, persuasive, and effective.
So, why not give it a go and see the impact it can have on your email conversions?
Everything you need to write sales emails like the top 1%
There you have it – a clear understanding of how to write a sales email that gets a response.
At the end of the day, it’s about understanding your prospect, and writing an email that addresses their pain points in a persuasive and non-salesy manner.
Apply these tips to your next outbound sales email, and see the difference for yourself.
