We’ve all been on the receiving end of some bad emails. I mean, it’s an unavoidable part of life. But what’s annoying is that most businesses have no idea how important first impressions are in business communications; this shows up mostly in emails.
How you start your email makes a big difference in whether you get a positive response or not! If someone opens your email and sees nothing but text, do you think they’re going to read through it? Probably not.
Your opening words need to stand out from everything else happening in their inbox so that they stop what they’re doing and pay attention (especially if you want them to buy something)!
In this article, we’ll talk about how companies can write effective b2b sales emails: the complete guide…
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Understand your B2B audience’s pain points and needs. |
| 2. Craft compelling subject lines for higher open rates. |
| 3. Personalize emails to resonate with individual recipients. |
| 4. Clearly communicate the value your product/service offers. |
| 5. Include a strong call to action for desired responses. |
| 6. Test and optimize different email elements for better results. |
| 7. Keep emails concise while conveying essential information. |
| 8. Provide relevant social proof to build credibility. |
| 9. Avoid spam triggers to ensure successful delivery. |
| 10. Continuously analyze and refine your email strategy. |
Write Your Subject Lines Like Headlines
When writing subject lines, think of them as headlines. The goal is to capture the reader’s attention and compel them to continue reading. Here are some tips for what goes into a great headline:
Short: Keep it short and sweet, at around 15 words or less (that’s about 65 characters).
Captivating: Your subject line should be catchy and engaging so that readers will want to click through. Think about what draws you in when scanning your email inbox – maybe it’s funny or gets straight to the point so you don’t have time to consider whether it’s worth clicking on or not.
As long as they’re relevant, personalizing your subject lines will go a long way toward increasing engagement with customers!
Relevant: This can mean being relevant by using keywords that match search queries related specifically just like any other type of article like this one before buying anything else about how fast-growing companies can grow even faster!
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Provide Value In The Subject Line
The subject line is the first thing your prospect will see. You want to make sure that it conveys the value of your email and gets them excited enough to open it. There are a few ways you can do this:
Provide value by answering a question. If you have an article or blog post about a common pain point for your audience, include “[Your product] solution” in the subject line. This will get prospects excited about what they might find inside, and make them more likely to open it.
Provide value by providing solutions to problems that people face every day (if applicable). For example, if you’re selling enterprise software for managing projects then consider including something like “[Your product] Project Management Software.
How We Solved Our Clients’ Project Management Challenges” in your subject lines so they know they’ll get actionable tips on how to solve their problems when they read the emails you send out!
Provide value by giving case studies or testimonials from customers who have used what you’re selling before (if applicable).
The goal here is not only to show off how awesome these products are but also to help prospects feel confident knowing other people were able to use them successfully too!
Personalize Your Subject Lines
You’ve carefully crafted your email copy and now you’re ready to hit send. But wait! Don’t forget one important thing: the subject line. If a recipient sees an unpersonalized subject line, they’ll likely delete it without reading it.
How do you make sure that happens? Personalize your subject lines so they feel like they were written just for them.
Use their name or company’s name in the opening sentence of the email and then follow with something that shows how much research you’ve done on them (their job title, company name, industry, location).
This way when someone opens up an email from “Matt” at “XYZ Company,” they’ll be intrigued by why he wants to talk about what he does at XYZ Company and will read through the content instead of immediately deleting it as spam and maybe even respond if needed!
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Use Numbers In Your Subject Lines
The first thing to consider is the subject line. Remember, this is the first thing people will see before they even open your email. So make sure to use numbers in your subject lines to grab attention and make your email more memorable.
For example, if you’re selling a subscription service for $1 per month, you could say: “Save $5/mo on our service!” Or if you have an offer running until Friday at midnight (i.e., time-sensitive), write: “Last chance!”
These are great ways to communicate urgency and scarcity two tactics proven by research studies to increase clickthrough rates by up to 20%.
If you’re selling something with a price tag of $10 or less (like a PDF guide), it may not make sense for someone who isn’t interested in buying something from you right now anyway (since there’s no urgency).
However, if someone is interested enough in what you’ve got going down that they’re willing to spend money on it or at least put some effort into clicking through before deciding whether or not they want it then go ahead and try using one of these strategies!
Use numbers! They work!
Brainstorm Multiple Subject Lines
You don’t want to send out an email with a subject that doesn’t get noticed, but you also don’t want to send out one that has been seen too many times before. The solution? Brainstorm multiple subject lines before your final draft is ready to go!
Use a thesaurus and synonym generator websites like [Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus) and [Thesaurus. com](https://www.thesaurus.com/) to find different words for your main topic or idea (e.g., “blog” instead of “website”).
Try using the word “you” in your subject line to make it more personable this is something Aweber does very well with their email templates (e.g., “How To Write An Effective B2B Sales Email”).
You could also try using numbers (e.g., “7 Ways To…”), as these tend to be effective at grabbing people’s attention because they’re so unusual and there are lots of them!
Another option: try adding some urgency or scarcity into your phrase by including a time limit (“Last Chance!”) or placing some sort of limit on what will happen if they don’t act now (e.g., “First 10 People Only”).
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Avoid Writing Vague Subject Lines
If you’re writing a sales email, the subject line is your best chance to pique the reader’s interest and make them want to read your message.
The main purpose of a subject line is to give the recipient an idea of what your message is about so they can decide whether or not they want to read it.
It’s not enough for your subject lines just to be clear, though; they also need to be specific. Vague subject lines like “Hello” don’t tell readers anything about what their emails are about.
So if there are any other messages from you in their inboxes at that moment (and chances are there will be), they’ll get lost in the shuffle unless you do something different with it.[1]
Personalize Your Email Copy
Personalize your email copy.
Use their name in the subject line, opening line, and closing line. If you’re going to include “Dear [first_name],” be sure to put their name in all caps!
This is a good rule of thumb for sales emails in general: Personalize it so they feel like they’re getting a one-on-one sales call from someone who knows them.
Include their name at the bottom of each email (sometimes called a signature). This will help ensure that people remember who you are when they come across other emails from you later on down the road.
Even if those other emails get buried on different pages where another person may not see them as quickly or easily as this first one did.
Keep Your Email Copy Short And Concise
You’ve probably heard the phrase “brevity is the soul of wit.” That may be true, but brevity is also a great way to make sure your B2B sales emails aren’t ignored.
One of the most common reasons why sales emails get marked as spam is because they are too long and don’t satisfy their users’ needs and while this may not seem like a big deal at first glance, it’s pretty important.
There are three main ways that you can keep your copy short:
- Bullet points
- White space (or “negative space”)
- Short sentences
Include Bullet Points In Your Email Copy To Make It Easier To Read
If you’re not sold on the idea of bullet points yet, consider this:
Bullet points make your email more readable. You can think of them as “subheads” for email content.
When we read long emails with a lot of text, we tend to skim rather than read every word from top to bottom. By breaking up your copy into sections and using bullet points to highlight key information, you help people digest and process what they read faster.
Bullet points make it easier for readers to scan your emails. When someone receives an email from you or any other sender.
Their first instinct will usually be to skim through it quickly to get an overview of what’s being offered or asked for (e.g., “What do I need? How can I benefit from this? Is there anything else I should know? What do they want me to do next?”).
Using short sentences and lists helps guide readers through these questions so they don’t waste time trying (and probably failing)to figure out what’s going on by themselves
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Use Words That Create A Sense Of Urgency Or Scarcity In Your Email Copy
To create a sense of urgency and scarcity, use words such as “only” and “limited.” For example, you can say something like “Only four left!” or “Limited time offer ends soon!”
Another way to add urgency is by including a deadline for when the offer is valid.
For example, if you make a limited-time offer for your service that will no longer be available after December 31st, 2018, then saying so in your email copy would go a long way towards increasing conversions because it creates scarcity: people want what they can’t have.
In addition to including deadlines in your emails (or phrases like “last chance” or “if you miss out on this deal…”).
Another thing that helps build urgency is including deadlines on discounts/coupons when they’ll no longer be valid after reaching certain numbers of purchases or total sales volume thresholds.
Include A Call-To-Action (CTA) In Your Email Copy
If you’re sending cold emails, there should be a clear call-to-action (CTA) in your email copy. A CTA is an instruction that tells the reader what to do next. An effective CTA will help you achieve your marketing goals and ultimately increase sales.
There are two types of CTAs:
Clickable links. These can link directly to your website or landing page, or they can send recipients offsite if they’d like more information on a topic related to what was discussed in the email itself (like an eBook download).
Non-clickable links. These include text like “learn more” that directs readers offsite with no specific destination tied together with that phrase.
End With A Postscript (P.S.) For Extra Persuasion Power
When you’re sending an email, it’s easy to forget that there are people on the other end of it who may not be as familiar with your business, product, or service.
A postscript is a great way to provide extra information to help them understand why they should take action.
You can provide additional information about products, services, and promotions. You can also provide social sharing buttons so readers can share your content on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
But the most important reason for using a postscript? It makes you sound like you know what you’re doing!
Here are some ideas for how to use postscripts:
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Conclusion
Writing effective sales emails is a lot like writing effective blog posts or landing page copy. You’re trying to persuade your reader to take one specific action: to reply.
So once you understand how to make a good sales email, you can apply virtually everything you learn here to other types of writing as well.
If you want more tips on how to communicate effectively and persuade people with words, check out our great resource on copywriting.
Further Reading
Explore these additional resources to enhance your understanding of writing effective B2B sales emails:
How to Write a Compelling B2B Sales Email Short Description: Learn the art of crafting engaging B2B sales emails that resonate with your target audience and drive results.
The Cold Email Template That Acquired 16 New B2B Customers Short Description: Discover a successful cold email template that helped acquire 16 new B2B customers, and gain insights into its key components.
Mastering the Art of Writing Effective Sales Emails Short Description: Dive into the world of sales emails and learn proven strategies for creating impactful messages that capture attention and generate responses.
FAQs
How can I improve the effectiveness of my B2B sales emails?
Crafting effective B2B sales emails involves understanding your audience, personalizing your message, and focusing on the value your product or service offers.
What elements should be included in a cold email to B2B customers?
A compelling cold email to B2B customers should include a personalized greeting, a clear value proposition, relevant social proof, and a strong call to action.
How do I avoid my B2B sales emails from being marked as spam?
To prevent B2B sales emails from being flagged as spam, ensure that your subject line is relevant, avoid excessive use of capitalization and exclamation marks, and provide a clear way for recipients to unsubscribe.
What’s the ideal length for a B2B sales email?
B2B sales emails should be concise and to the point. Aim for around 150 to 200 words, focusing on delivering a clear and compelling message.
How can I make my B2B sales emails more personalized?
Personalize B2B sales emails by addressing recipients by their name, mentioning specific pain points or challenges relevant to their industry, and tailoring the content to their needs and interests.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.