Are you in Sales and looking to improve your conversion rate? Are you tired of writing prospecting emails that get ignored? Do you fall into the same traps time and time again? If so, it's time to rethink (and improve) your sales prospecting approach. Sales is about obtaining sales appointments and conversions, which can only happen when the leads you're sending emails to are interested in what you have to say.

Steps to writing the perfect sales email

Your Introduction is important

It’d be naive to assume that your prospect has any idea who you are, even if you’ve spoken before. People are busy and see a lot of people everyday. A simple introduction should be the first step when writing a prospecting email. It doesn’t need to be super long, just don’t forget to include important information like your name, company and what your title is.

Don’t overcomplicate it

Reading a wall of text is daunting. People invest the absolute minimum effort when it comes to reading an email from a stranger. This is why it needs to be as digestible and easy-to-read as possible. Outline your basic idea and try to lead them to a follow-up for more information if they’re actually interested.

Nail the subject line

You can write an amazing, convincing sales email, but if you have an unengaging subject line, no one will ever read it! Consider the subject line your foot in the door for someone's attention, for an opportunity to tell them why they need your product or service. Most people will open an email based only on the subject line, especially if they don’t know who you are.

Tell them what to do next

You need to make the journey as simple as possible, from first contact to sale. This means the next step needs to always be made clear with a call to action (CTA). What do you want them to do after they read your email? There should be one simple and easy step for them. Schedule a call? Sign up? Respond to your email with a certain detail or need? Let them know!

Don’t give up, follow up!

You don’t hear back after a day or two. This must mean they’re not interested, right? No! It often takes a few attempts to get through to someone. Follow up at set intervals. It might not have been the right time when they saw your email. Maybe they didn’t see it at all? There’s a lot of reasons why following up is always a good idea. Don’t forget to space out your follow-ups to avoid being spammy.

10 Ready-To-Use Sales Email Templates

1. Introduction Sales Email Template

Often your prospect has no idea who you are, and you need to give them a reason to speak to you. Here making sure you mention something specific to them, while still keeping it general enough to automate these to multiple people. Targeting specific goals which many people in a role or industry might share is a good way of doing this.

Subject: Are you having issues with [goal]?

Hi [First Name],

After speaking with others in your industry, I believe you may also be struggling with [goal]. Now I don’t want to make any assumptions, but I often see [goal] as an important step to success for other similar businesses. [Here you can include “such as…” and list examples of other similar businesses, if you have them]

You might not have heard of [your company] before, we help others in your field achieve goals such as:

[list examples of the goals you’ve outlined]

How about a call in the next few days to discuss [their company name]’s strategy?

Thanks!

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

[Your Company]

Why is this effective?

Don’t forget that you’re speaking to a complete stranger, meaning their patience for you is extremely limited. People receive a lot of prospecting emails every day. This template works by showing that although they are unfamiliar with you, you are familiar with at least some of their goals. By showing you not only know what they might be struggling with, but also that you can help, you’ve put yourself on a solid footing to secure a call or response.

2. Point me towards right person template

Often the person whose contact you have may not be the right person to contact. They may not be a decision maker, or may not be part of the right department. You’ll want to get in touch with someone at the highest level to have the best chance to make a sale. People are often very open to pointing you to the right person, especially if you don’t make your email sound very sales-y. A short and simple email here works best:

Subject: Can you point me in the right direction?

Hi [name],

I’m trying to get in touch with whoever is in charge of [relevant department/role] at [company].

Would you mind pointing me towards the right person, and the best way I might get in touch with them please?

Thanks!

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

[Your Company]

Why is this effective?

By not overcomplicating things and keeping it to a very simple request, it manages to avoid scaring anyone off. People will generally not want to refer their colleagues if they feel they’re going to have someone annoy them with cold sales emails, so a simple request is much more innocent.

3. Mutual connection template

Another great way to get your foot in the door is to mention how you were referred by a mutual connection. If you’ve been referred to them after asking another colleague (even if it was just using the template above) then this is a great chance to drop their name!

Subject: [Referrer name] sent me your way!

Hey [Name], 

Hope you’re doing well. I’ve just spoken with [name of referrer] who suggested I reach out to you.

They mentioned you’d be the expert to speak to about [relevant job role/department] at [name of company]. I’m looking for companies who are having issues with [describe issues you think are most relevant].

I work closely with many other people like yourself to [resolve specific issues they could be having]. [Describe how you solve these issues!] 

Let’s jump in a call to discuss further if this is something you’re interested in!

Thanks, 

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

[Your Company]

Why is this template effective?

Name dropping is a great way to establish rapport. By establishing a mutual connection, you immediately create trust. While people are often unwilling to listen to someone they don’t know, if they feel they are helping out a colleague by listening to you, then they can be much more willing. Just be careful that you’re honest—don’t lie about anything you’ve discussed, as this might backfire!

4. Reviving an old lead

Even after you’ve spent some time speaking with them, sometimes your leads go cold. It’s not always the right time for someone to pursue your service or product! This doesn’t mean you should give up however—situations and needs can change, not to mention your product can launch new features they needed!

Subject: It's been a while, [Prospect First Name]

Hi [First Name],

Hope everything is well with you!

When we last spoke you expressed interest in [Feature], but for whatever reason we were not a good fit for you at that moment. I wanted to let you know we’ve made significant advancements with our product, which many of our clients are already finding super useful/I wanted to reach out and ask: have the needs or priorities for your business changed since we last spoke? [Delete accordingly, depending if you have new features they were interested in, or simply want to see if their interests have shifted] 

I would love to be able to catch up again as soon as possible!. Please let me know when you’re available and I’ll set something up.

Thanks,

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

[Your Company]

Why is this template effective?

As this is someone you’ve already previously contacted, you’ve already created some rapport with them. Keeping them updated with any changes in your product, as well as updating yourself about any changes in their needs, both shows that you care and will give you a second chance at securing a sale.

5. Promote your content

A great way to nurture your leads and spike some interest in your product is through relevant content. Blog posts, playbooks, whitepapers, infographics, customer stories, case studies, videos… There's a myriad of interesting content you can create and share. This is best done after your first touch, as a way of reigniting the conversation.

Hi [First Name],

I’m following up because I wanted to share something with you. We’ve created a couple of things which I’ve shared with others in the [prospect’s industry] industry, and they’ve found them to be super useful!

[Resource 1]

[Resource 2]

Would it be helpful if we scheduled a quick 15-20 minutes to talk about how some of these topics may align with your strategy? You can book a slow in my calendar below:

[Meetings link]

Thanks!

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

[Your Company]

Why is this template effective?

By providing content which is relevant and useful, you’re giving your leads something they can use, and in return, they’ll be more likely to listen to you. You’ll also appear as more of an expert in your field!

6. Reach out about their content

As well as sharing your own content, it can be great to engage with prospects about their own content. A quick read of their blog or LinkedIn can yield some good conversation starters.

Hi [First Name],

I saw your post [title of post with link] on [medium of post] earlier, and it really resonated with me!

I was particularly impressed by how well you explained [topic of post].

As you probably already know, [industry/role specific issue] can be a real problem. I’ve worked with some others in your field to address this, and would love to hear your take on it. Would you be available for a quick 20 minute chat this week? Just book a time below:

[Meeting Link]

Thanks,

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

[Your Company]

Why is this template effective?

By engaging with content which the lead or their company is creating, you’re showing that you’ve invested time and that you’re genuinely interested in their field. This common ground is the perfect place to start when setting up a call to explain what benefit you can bring them.

7. Trying to get a response after opened and ignored email

As I’ve already mentioned, persistence is key! When you’ve reached out and received no response, there’s no harm in sending a follow up a day or two later—in fact, it’s part of any successful prospecting cadence.

Hi John, 

I reached out to you earlier and haven’t heard back—it’s ok, I know you’re busy!

I thought I would circle back with you and see if you’d be interested—if you have the chance to reply either way, I would appreciate it very much.

Thanks in advance,

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

[Your Company]

Why is this template effective?

By keeping it very short and sweet, it’s like that the lead will be curious what it was you were originally emailing them about, meaning it’s a good idea to send this as a reply to the same email thread you first sent. If they invest the time to go back and read your first email, they’ll be more likely to reply! No one wants to lose time invested, even if it's 20 seconds reading an email.

8. Reaching out to domain with multiple accounts on your platform

This one may be more specific for the SaaS people out there, but the same principle can be applied to other industries by finding multiple accounts from a single domain who use your service. This usually means that your service is useful on a domain-wide basis, and this organization should be ripe for prospecting. Make sure you do some research on LinkedIn to find the best possible contact from the organization.

Hi [First Name],

I’m [Your Name] from [Your Company]. I noticed that there are multiple accounts from your company using our service, that’s great! 

I wanted to share a bit more about [Your Service] and how we have helped many other organizations like your own in the past. Would you be interested in having a quick chat so I can hear your goals and make sure you’re getting the most out of [Your Service]?  

Just book a time below!

[Booking Link]

Look forward to hearing from you, 

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

[Your Company]

Why is this template effective?

Firstly, there’s the social proof from their colleagues. As they’re already familiar with your service, they’ll be more likely to hear you out. It’s just a case of understanding their use case, how they currently use your platform, and what else you can do to advance their goals. 

9. Following up after a call

It’s extremely important to follow up with your leads after you’ve done a call with them. This will solidify your position while you’re still fresh in their minds. It’s also a great way to introduce some content to keep adding value beyond your call, so don’t forget to bring it up!

Hi [First Name],

I enjoyed speaking with you earlier and learning about your needs and role. I understand you are challenged by [issues].

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve attached some resources to help you better understand how we can help you overcome these challenges and make the impact you want.

I look forward to speaking with you again!

Thanks,

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

[Your Company]

Why is this template effective?

By reaching out immediately after the call and giving your prospect some content to reflect on, you’re keeping them engaged and your product in their minds. Persistence is key, and by adding content you’re giving them more than just empty words.

10. Permission to close file

As you probably already know, in Sales, a no is better than no answer. It saves you from carrying on contacting someone who doesn’t want what you’re selling, at least for the time being (see template number 4). 

Hi [First Name], 

I'm writing to you because you expressed interest in [Product or Service]. We are currently in the process of closing files and deleting data for the year. Typically, when we haven't heard back from someone it means they are either really busy or aren't interested. If you aren't interested, do I have permission to close your file? 

If you are still interested, what would work best for you as a next step? 

Thanks in advance for letting me know!

[Your Name]

[Your Title]

[Your Company]

Why is this template effective?

The ultimatum is often enough to push people into action and reply to you—whether it be a no, or a reignition of their interest in your product or service!

In summary

The templates we've shared here are but a few of the more effective sales templates in existence. We encourage you to take what is useful from these examples and apply it in your own unique manner. The more you practice this skill, the more refined and professional your emails will become.

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