The Insider Guide to Sales Emails That Convert

In 2020, 306.4 billion emails were sent daily, and by 2025, that number is expected to reach 376.4 billion. Individuals receive 121 business emails a day. Because spam messages make up half that number, people are wary about incoming messages, especially from unknown addresses. How can you guarantee your sales email won’t end up in the spam folder alongside that spam email congratulating the recipient on winning a million dollars?

Use this guide on sales emails to find the best strategies for getting your audience to open and respond to your sales and marketing emails.

Key Takeaways:

• Sales emails build trust with prospects and offer value instead of selling products.
• Personalize your subject line and “From” line to encourage your readers to open the email.
• A timely follow-up to your sales email is crucial to conversion.

The Most Effective Types of Sales Emails

Your marketing and sales emails shouldn’t be large ads for your products and services. Those come across as spammy, and your readers will delete them before you can support your claims. Instead, your emails are ways to connect to your readers.

Treat emails like personal conversations with your prospects. You wouldn’t ask a stranger for a favor without first introducing yourself and building trust. Neither should your business jump right into a sales pitch without spending time greeting your customers, discussing their challenges, and offering solutions.

About 89% of marketers say that social proof is one of the most effective ways to sell a product or service. With social proof, you show how well your products and services work rather than telling your customers.

Some other types of sales emails that get great returns include:

• Welcome emails
• Case studies
• FAQ emails
• “How To” emails
• Discounts and special offers
• Lead magnets
• Industry insights
• Reminder emails

How Do You Write a Sales Email That Converts?

Follow this five-step sales email template to write sales emails that your readers will open and respond to.

Step 1: Get Your Readers to Open the Email

The average email open rate in 2020 was 21.3%. Quality sales emails won’t be effective if no one is opening them to read your offers and message, which is why your optimization starts before anyone clicks on your email.

Your “From” line should be part of your opening strategy. Since many readers won’t open emails if they don’t know who it is from, you can build trust by adding a name, title, and company to that line, so your readers know your email isn’t spam.

Your next focus is your subject line, which can tell your readers what they can expect and what value they will gain from the email, or capture their curiosity with a startling fact or question. Just avoid clickbait titles that resemble spam emails. You will also see a 50% higher open rate by personalizing the subject line.

Step 2: Capture Their Attention

Your email must be easy to view and have an intro that gives the recipient a reason to keep reading. Otherwise, it will not hold their attention after they open the email.

Half of the users open their emails on a mobile device. Of that number, 23% will open the email later on their desktops. In addition, over 42% of readers will delete any email that they can’t read on their mobile device, which is why you must optimize your email for both mobile and desktop readers.

Image from OptinMonster

You only have a few seconds to capture your reader’s attention once they open the email. If you fill the first lines with fluff and empty introductory phrases, your reader might not keep reading. Instead, save business information for later and devote that first line or two to connecting with your audience.

Consider these opening line strategies:

• Connect over a shared interest, person, or occurrence
• Mention a pain point
• Create suspense
• Congratulate or mention one of their achievements
• Be personal instead of generic

Step 3: Offer Value

The body is where you include the central message of your email. As you give business statistics and promote your products, always bring it back to how you add value to your readers. Offering value using a customer-centric approach will improve the customer experience and your chances of a conversion.

For example, you can translate your software features into measurable benefits, then tie those benefits to specific business goals.

Continue personalizing your message by using the second person and asking questions that resonate with your readers, like “Does this sound familiar?” or “Do you want to XYZ?”

Step 4: Provide the Next Step

Your closing shouldn’t be the end of your email. Rather, it’s a bridge that will lead the readers from your email to the next step. The concluding action ensures your audience doesn’t close the email and forgets about your content. 

Some examples of email call-to-actions include:

• Contact us for a consultation
• Take advantage of these sales or offers
• Sign up for an upcoming event
• Follow us on social media
• Get your free demo

Step 5: Follow Up with Your Prospects

A sales email doesn’t guarantee a conversion. About 80% of customer touchpoints take over five sales follow-ups before the client purchases. All the follow-ups don’t have to be on the same medium as your initial point of contact. Even though you initially contacted them over email, your next contact can be over the phone, via social media, in person, or another email.

No matter which medium you choose, timing is vital. As your recipients open their emails, click, and respond, you can record those actions and qualify the prospects to identify the most interested leads. Then, respond quickly and personally to those leads while they are still interested to encourage further interactions.

When to Send Your Email Matters

According to a HubSpot study, Tuesdays saw 20% more opens than the average open rate. Monday and Wednesday were the second most popular day for opening emails. Sales emails also saw the most responses when sent between 10 AM and 12 PM EST.

Image from HubSpot

How Can You Improve Your Sales Email Strategy?

Unify your marketing and sales team to deliver the best experience to your customers across all your marketing channels, from sales emails to outbound phone calls. Televerde’s customer journey platform manages and supports your sales efforts to increase your conversion rate.

Contact us to learn about our sales and marketing solutions to find the best option for your needs.