6 Ways to Guarantee the Success of a Sales Email

Sending out a well-crafted sales email is a fine art, especially if you know very little about the potential lead.

With most businesses getting sent hundreds of emails every day, it's hard to make sure yours doesn't head straight to the bin. If you're lucky, they may read the first line of your email and even recognize you as the sender, but often companies are too busy and your communication will be dismissed without a second's thought.

That's why it's important to use the right techniques in sales emails to ensure it engages with your prospect and generates a more valuable lead. Here are six ways you can guarantee the success of your sales email:

1. Focus on your subject

The subject line is perhaps the most important element of your sales email as it will determine whether your email is opened or deleted. Of course, you'll want to make sure you're not using any words that may be flagged up by spam filters, such as free, cheap or X off. It's also important that you're looking at the content of the subject line. Is it engaging? Would it make you open it?

A good idea is to focus on something that you know is important to them, such as 'Just a quick question'. This will automatically pique their interest and get you to the next stage.

2. Don't make assumptions

Starting off any correspondence with 'I know you need...' is a big gamble. Even if you're right, you're likely to rub your prospect up the wrong way because no one likes a complete stranger knowing things about their business. Instead, use your email to share the information you have on the topic you think they'll be interested in and ask questions about how best you can help them.

You shouldn't be trying to sell in your first sales email. Think of networking, you wouldn't start with 'you need to buy this from me', you'd start by finding out more about your prospect to help you understand who they are. Do the same in your sales emails.

3. Keep it clear and short

If your email contains large chunks of text or uses a lot of jargon, it's likely that your prospect will be instantly turned off. Your sales email should get straight to the point and be clear about why you're reaching out to them. It can also help to tell them where you got their information from, such as 'you recently downloaded our whitepaper' or 'you visited our website'. These can be effective ways to initiate a conversation about their needs and how you could potentially help.

4. Include a call-to-action (CTA)

Having a clear CTA in your sales email sets up the next step for your communication and puts the control back with your prospect. It can be something as simple as 'let me know if you want me to send you X across' or 'if you want more information, please get in touch'. The point is that it shows your prospect how to follow up on your email if they want to, without having to jump through a bunch of hoops.

5. Don't neglect your signature

Your email signature can be a key element of your email but many people often leave it blank. It can really help to show your professionalism or showcase your expertise so use it wisely. Maybe your company has been nominated/won awards recently or you might have an exciting new ebook to share with people. These are ideal for advertising in your signature, rather than just wasting the space.

It's also a good idea to link your social media handles if you use them for work. Including your LinkedIn or Twitter accounts can give your prospect another way to reach out to you, and to check whether you're a reputable contact.

6. Get feedback

If you're still struggling with your emails, send them to your team or even friends outside the company to see what they think. Getting feedback can allow you to see what you're doing wrong and make changes to ensure your sales emails are being more effective in future.

Email tracking software can also be a good way of getting feedback about your communications. This can tell you whether your email actually reached the recipient and suggest whether it was opened or read. If you're not sure whether your emails are getting through, you can try another tactic, such as LinkedIn messaging or calling them.