The Secrets of a Successful Sales Email: Templates and Strategies
A sales email is a message sent to promote a product or service with the goal of increasing sales. It’s a targeted approach to reach potential and existing customers, each at different stages in the buying journey.
Nearly 60% of customers say no four times before saying yes to sales emails. A sales email outreach requires consistent follow-ups to make the recipients take the desired action.
We’ll break down the fundamental components of good sales messages as well as the different types of sales emails and equip you with a powerful repository of email templates and strategies to boost your sales game.
Everything to Know About a Sales Email
A sales email is sent to prospective and existing customers to inform, engage, and drive more sales.
It’s like planting a seed. As some seeds take longer to sprout than others, some prospects require nurturing with additional emails to get a sale.
Sales emails typically contain information about:
- A product or a service,
- Its features and benefits,
- Pricing details,
- A CTA inviting to schedule a demo, make a purchase, etc.
While sales emails can elevate your email marketing game, one wrong move can put you on the list of spam senders with Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
To avoid this scenario, alter your email-sending frequencies, eliminate spammy approaches, and include appropriate email components.
Key Components of a Winning Sales Email
A well-structured sales email will solve common industry problems and help prospects connect with your brand. This starts with a compelling subject line and other critical factors for a more comprehensive approach.
Here are the basic sales email components to focus on.
| Component | What it Does | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Subject line | Acts as the first impression, grabs attention, and entices recipients to open emails | Increases open rates and sets the stage for engagement |
| Personalized opening | Addresses the recipients by their name or mentions something relevant to them | Builds rapport and credibility |
| Value proposition | Explains how your product or service can solve common customer challenges | Showcases benefits and tells customers why they need your product or service |
| CTA | Tells recipients what you want them to do next | Increases the likelihood of getting recipients to take the desired action |
| Social proof | Includes testimonials, case studies, and reviews | Instills trust in new customers |
Let’s take a closer look at each of the elements below.
The Subject Line
Your subject line is a window to your email content. It informs recipients who the sender is and why they should open your emails.
This is your single opportunity to grab the reader’s attention and gradually guide them towards the desired action. It’s important to keep it short and sweet, ideally under 50 characters.
Use these tips to craft effective sales email subject lines:
- Personalize them: Always use the recipients’ names to make them feel valuable. For example, “A free gift for John Miles.”
- Spark curiosity: Ask relevant questions or sparingly use riddles to increase interest in your sales emails. For example, “An opportunity to unlock the secret to success.”
- Create urgency: If applicable, use time-sensitive offers to showcase urgency in emails. For example, “Get 30% off on new summer collections.”
- Use sentence case: Avoid capitalizing every word in the subject line. Instead, use lowercase letters to increase interest.
- Avoid generic statements: Refrain from using industry jargon even if it makes sense to your recipients. Write in a human-ly tone and try to solve customer challenges. For example, “Trying to connect with you [prospect name].”
Personalized Email Opening
The opening to your sales emails will differ depending on who you send them to. It’s important to understand your customer preferences. Do they expect formal greetings such as ‘Mr,’ ‘Mrs,’ or ‘Sir?’ Or would they be happy with ‘Hey,’ ‘Hello,’ or similar? You can figure this out by looking at your ideal customer profile and by studying customer behavior.
Apart from personalizing the greeting, you must find relevant ways to connect the subject line to the email opening. Be direct and address potential concerns at the beginning of the email.
Value Proposition in Email Body
A sales email can have different goals, and you must tie your value proposition and give recipients a compelling reason to click on the CTA.
These tips will help you include relevant information in the email body:
- Identify customer needs: Identify what your customer is going through and explain how your offer will solve that challenge.
- Quantify the results: Quantify the outcomes the customer can expect from your product or service. This could include testimonials or case studies.
- Tell a story: Share personal or brand anecdotes to connect with customers on a personal level.
Compelling Call-to-action
A CTA is the final step a prospect takes to complete the process. Keep it simple and use action verbs. For example, “Are you available for a quick call on Mon, 30 Sep 2024 23:47:39 -0700? This puts the power back into the recipient’s hands and increases curiosity.
The structure of your sales emails can vary depending on their intent and marketing goal. But in general, you’ll work with one of the email types below.
9 Types of Sales Emails and Their Purposes
The world of sales email is vast, with each email satisfying a distinctive purpose.
Here’s a table with common sales emails and their goals to help you get a fair idea of each.
| S.No | Type of Sales Email | Purpose | Key Information to Include |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prospecting emails | Introduce your company to potential customers (leads) | ‣ Briefly explain your value proposition and how you can solve challenges in the industry ‣ Include a downloadable resource such as reports or e-books |
| 2 | Pitch emails | Present a compelling offer for qualified leads nearing a buying decision | ‣ Clearly outline the benefits of working with your company ‣ Include social proof with a strong CTA such as “Request a quote” |
| 3 | Introduction emails | Build rapport with prospects who have shown some interest | ‣ Personalize the conversation by including the previous interaction ‣ Provide additional resources |
| 4 | Appointment request emails | Secure a meeting or call with a prospect to discuss their needs in detail | ‣ Offer time slots for a call or meeting |
| 5 | Follow-up emails | Maintain communication and nudge the prospect further down the sales funnel | ‣ Offer solutions to a particular challenge or show the next steps |
| 6 | Upselling, cross-selling | Encourage existing customers to purchase additional products | ‣ Highlight complementary products that enhance their existing purchase |
| 7 | Abandoned cart emails | Acts as a reminder for customers to complete their purchase | ‣ Showcase the benefits of the chosen product ‣ Provide additional discounts, if applicable |
| 8 | Thank you emails | Show appreciation for customers’ time and engagement with your brand | ‣ Thank them for their business ‣ Provide information about future products or services |
| 9 | Cold outreach emails | Similar to prospecting emails, but sent to people with less prior brand connection | ‣ Targets people with minimal or no brand awareness ‣ Personalizes emails with specific solutions to common industry problems |
How to Write a Sales Email
With so much information to focus on, writing the perfect sales email is never easy.
But these tips should help you start a good sales email and close more deals:
- Structure the subject line — highlight a solution, ask a question, or personalize it based on prior customer actions. Most importantly, avoid salesy or spammy language such as “Once in a lifetime opportunity.”
- Briefly introduce yourself or your company and tell recipients how you can solve their problems. Avoid starting the sentence with “Hi, my name is.” This sounds generic and less personalized.
- Convey your value proposition in the body copy and avoid generic phrases like “we help email marketing firms increase their lead generation by 200%.” unless you have case studies to back up your claims.
- End with a question or social proof to increase brand credibility.
- Include important details in your email signature, such as your name, company name, designation, and social links.
- A/B test your sales email components to tailor them to specific customer needs.
The success of your sales email depends on many factors, such as content, subscriber segmentation, personalization, and, significantly, timing.
The Best Time to Send Sales Emails
The best day and time ideally depend on your industry, audience, and email type.
Generally, sales emails perform well on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
It’s best to split-test various sales emails to understand the effectiveness of how they perform in your industry as well as with different subscriber types.
Each stage of your sales cycle may demand a different approach to nurturing leads. Let’s examine the types of sales emails and templates to get you started.
1. Prospecting Sales Email
Prospecting emails are sent to potential customers to initiate a conversation, solve problems, and move them closer to the sales pipeline.
Although they sound similar to cold emails, prospecting emails are sent to people, aware of your brand or who have interacted with it in the past.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Helps provide personalized solutions | Not including or solving the pain points might be ineffective |
| Can increase brand credibility | Sending similar emails to many prospects might reduce open rates |
| Higher chances of getting a reply | Sending irrelevant emails could frustrate prospects |
Prospecting Sales Email Template
Subject Line: [Value proposition] for [Prospect’s company]
Hello [First name],
Do you need help with [problem] to achieve [business goal]? It’s one of the biggest issues that could disrupt growth.
We have worked on similar projects before and helped companies grow their revenue from [mention numbers].
Would you like to schedule a call to discuss this further? How does Tuesday or Wednesday at 4 pm sound?
Please let me know your availability.
Cheers,
[Your signature]
2. Sales Pitch Email
This type of sales email focuses on a persuasive email body to capture the recipients‘ interest. Typically, you’ll write a condensed presentation highlighting the nature and benefits of your business.
Always lead with naming a problem and seal the message with a solution. This way, you can show the recipients how your brand can add value to their existing needs.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Allows for targeted communication | Difficult to stand out in recipient inboxes |
| A relatively inexpensive way to reach potential customers compared to other channels | Risk of coming across as spammy |
| Saves time for the customers | Increased likelihood of higher unsubscribes or bounces |
Sales Pitch Email Template
Subject: Increase sales by X % with [product name] free trial.
Hi [Name],
It was great meeting you at the industry event last week and learning how [their company name] is looking to increase sales leads.
As promised, I’m sending information about how [your company] can solve current [mention challenges] and increase sales leads by up to ‘X %.’
Would you be interested in seeing how [Your product] can work for your company? Please let me know a good time to connect.
Meanwhile, you can check out our case study on how [company name] increased their sales by 15% using [your product name].
Thanks,
[Your name, company name, and designation, and contact information]
3. Sales Introduction Email
As the name implies, introduction emails try to provide information on your product or service to potential customers. The aim is to let people know about your brand’s existence rather than persuade them to convert.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Allows for targeted communication | Difficult to stand out in recipient inboxes |
| A relatively inexpensive way to reach potential customers compared to other channels | Risk of coming across as spammy |
| Saves time for the customers | Increased likelihood of higher unsubscribes or bounces |
Introduction Sales Email Template
Subject: I noticed you’re expanding your social media reach, here’s how we can help.
Hi [Name],
I noticed your social media handle and I have some ideas on how to reach more followers without having to go through [state a problem].
The [product name] is a game-changer for social media marketing and is geared toward reaching out to like-minded individuals.
You can check out our page on [provide link].
Feel free to get in touch if you have queries or would like to hop on a call to discuss strategies.
Best,
[Your name & company name]
4. Appointment Request Sales Email
This type of sales email aims to secure an appointment with the recipient to solve their pain points or introduce a product or service.
Appointment Request Sales Email Template
Subject: I would love to discuss how we can increase your leads by 15%
Hi,
Thanks for downloading our case study on [name]. As you can see, [your company name] has helped [your clients in similar industries] connect and grow with potential customers using [product name].
We’re delighted to show you a demo of how it can solve your [mention challenges].
Are you free this [mention time and dates]?
Looking forward to hearing from you
Thanks
[Your name]
5. Follow-up Sales Email
Not all sales emails get an immediate response. A follow-up email strategy can help you nudge the recipients to take the desired action.
These 17 sales follow-up email templates will help you increase engagement and response rates and close more deals.
6. Upselling, Cross-selling, and Abandoned Cart Emails
Sales emails increase the likelihood of recipient interaction with your brand.
You can offer complementary products to increase sales or remind customers of their abandoned cart items to increase response rates. Personalize those emails with dynamic fields or customers’ past purchase histories for better engagement rates.
7. Outbound Sales Email
Popularly known as ‘cold emails’, the outbound sales email strategy involves sending messages to people who have had no previous interaction with your brand.
Most cold emails are ignored and have decreased open rates unless the subject line spikes recipients’ interest. A cold outreach email introduces your brand, talks about customer problems, and promises relevant solutions to increase response rates.
However, its unsolicited nature can trigger spam filters or increase spam complaint rates if handled incorrectly.
Campaign Refinery doesn’t entertain senders with bad email marketing practices. User accounts resorting to these practices are immediately banned without prior notice.
Writing effective sales emails and sending them on time can sometimes take months or years of practice. If you need support until you reach that point, use an email service provider with powerful automation and email templates.
Automate and Send Powerful Sales Emails in Minutes
Campaign Refinery is an all-in-one solution for your email marketing needs.
As our client, you can:
- Save time by automating repetitive tasks and following up with leads.
- Set up automation to tag recipients based on what they engage with and track clicks to understand the campaign performance.
- Organize and track your sales email outreach in a single place.
- Utilize ‘Engagement Rewards’ and ‘Evergreen Flash Sale’ features to increase email opens and click-throughs.
- Integrate with 800+ marketing tools for a seamless sales email marketing experience.
- Personalize emails using dynamic content blocks and prior customer data.
- Send super-fast emails with our ’email batching’ mechanism (emails usually reach recipient inboxes in a few seconds).
Automate your sales emails and close more deals — apply to become a Campaign Refinery client and enjoy access to premium tools and features!
