How To Write A Sales Email People Want To Respond To

“Top open, or not to open?” That’s the question running through everyone’s mind when they skim their inbox. If that someone is your potential customer, you, naturally, want their answer to be “open.”

So, how do you write a sales email that gets your recipients to open? Or better yet, open and respond? This guide will cover the steps to writing the perfect sales email, great examples of sales emails, when you should send your emails, and strategies to improve your response rates.

Let’s dive into each of these five components. The suggestions below come from real results seen by sales pros. 

1. Subject Line

Keep your sales email subject line short and enticing. According to our research, the most effective subject lines engage curiosity, include promotional offers, and are personalized to each recipient's interests. 

Remember, the goal is to pique your reader's interest, not sound like a used-car salesperson. Here are some examples used by HubSpot sales reps:

• Jerry recommended I get in touch.
• Ideas for [thing that's important to them]
• Question about [recent trigger event].
• Question about [goal they have].
• Thoughts about [title of blog post].
• Have you considered [thought / recommendation]? 

Also, avoid “spammy” words in your subject lines at all costs. Here are some examples:

2. Opening Line

When it comes to your sales email's opening line, avoid beginning with, “Hi my name is …”

Start with something more impactful by directly addressing the reader. Here are some examples HubSpot's sales team has seen success with:

• I noticed you ...
• [Mutual connection] mentioned ...
• I saw that we both ...
• I loved your post on ...
• Congratulations on ...

3. Body Copy

Your body copy should convey value by connecting your business to your prospect. Avoid generic propositions like “We help web marketing firms increase their lead generation by 400% and effortlessly prove ROI to their clients.”

Ask questions that align the research you've conducted with your prospect’s goals. Here are some examples:

Also, keep in mind that you’re speaking to a human being. Ruben Dua, CEO of Dubb, says, “When it comes to sales emailing, it is critical to remember that there are human beings on the other side of your inbox, and when we reach out to them, we must respect their time and the rules of engagement.”

He adds, “This is why I always recommend that people focus on value, trustworthy communication, and creative storytelling.”

4. Closing

A strong close to your sales email gives recipients a clear path to action. Try ending with one of the following questions to prompt a definitive response:

• Do you have time on your calendar to discuss?
• Have you given any additional thought to the proposal?
• Let me know what makes sense as a next step, if any?
• Do you have ten minutes to catch up tomorrow?
• Does it make sense for us to talk? If not, who is the best person for me to talk to?
• Do you have any more questions I can clear up?
• Are you available for a 30-minute call on [date and time]?
• Let me know if [business goal] is a priority for you now, or perhaps sometime in the future.
• If you aren’t interested, do I have your permission to close your file?

Sarah Brazier, Account Executive at Gong, recommends “Asking for interest (i.e, ‘Does this sound interesting?’) instead of recommending your desired next step.” She adds that Gong Labs' internal data shows that asking for interest can double the success rate when compared to a specific call to action because an open-ended question gives your prospect autonomy and respects their ability to say no.

5. Signature

A sales email signature should not be a distraction — nor should it be a source of cliché inspiration. Instead, stick to these email signature guidelines:

Below we’ve included six sales email templates that have proven to be successful for HubSpot sales reps and other industry leaders for your review.

Download 25 sales email templates proven to help you boost conversions.

Participants in a recent HubSpot survey reported that their emails receive the highest engagement between 9 AM and 12 PM and 12 PM and 3 PM. The days of the week that received the most engagement were Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Sales email sent.

Phew, the hardest part is over ... right? Not yet.

So, what can you do if you know your recipients are opening your emails but aren't responding? And how do you earn their trust?

We’ve outlined a 3-step strategy explaining what to do after you send your initial sales email to effectively follow up and engage with your prospects. These steps include:

1. Measure engagement, call fast, and open with context.

If a prospect engages with your sales emails, opens them many times, or clicks on links and attachments, you can use that as a measure of interest. And, the more interested, the higher your probability of engaging with them. 

You can track and measure email engagement with HubSpot Sales Software which also allows you to easily personalize email templates and reports, create an automatically-logged call queue, learn how prospects engage with content through document sending/ tracking, and follow up with highly targeted and timed emails with the help of email automation.

Once you determine a contact is engaging with your emails, you can reach out. Here's an example of something you could say to get the ball rolling:

2. Track trigger events, follow up fast, and open with context.

Instead of manual follow-up, you can use trigger events to create relevant and personalized sales emails recipients are more likely to respond to. 

Examples of trigger events include product launches, vacations, birthdays, exceeding Q4 earning expectations, or getting a Yorkshire Terrier puppy. You can use various tools, such as Google Alerts or LinkedIn, to keep track of trigger events.

Google Alerts

You can have Google Alerts send you notifications whenever a specific prospect, company, product, or industry buzzword is mentioned on the web.

LinkedIn

Use LinkedIn's "Mentioned in the News" feature or find a group relevant to your prospect — or their company or industry — and use relevant resources, material, or information to follow up.

3. Add value at regular intervals until the prospect is ready to talk business.

Sometimes you catch a prospect at a bad time, but this doesn’t mean game over. In fact, it’s a unique opportunity to demonstrate your value. 

Here are five examples of how you can prove your value to prospects:

1. Share your prospects' company, products, or content on your social media accounts or other mediums.
2. Mention them in an article, blog, or offer to promote them.
3. Share helpful articles, advice, or books to help them solve an issue they may be encountering.
4. Introduce them to someone they might find valuable such as a thought leader in their industry or a potential candidate for one of their position openings.
5. Provide them with insightful feedback on their products and content.

Jignesh Shah, Head of Global Integrated Incentives at Blackhawk Network, says that you can also consider adding a reward to cut through the noise and encourage prospects to schedule a conversation with you. 

He says, “Many of our customers have been able to increase the number of sales calls scheduled and decrease the number of no-shows just by offering a small digital reward, which ultimately leads to more close deals.”