Teaching Your Sales Team How to Craft Effective Emails

Technology has changed the way salespeople work multiple times within our lifetimes. It used to be that the only ways to make a sale were in person, or through print advertising. Then came the telephone, followed by radios and television. New worlds began to open up. None of it compared to the power of the internet and the most enduring form of communication associated with it: email. We now consider outbound emailing a key part of modern sales. There are drawbacks to every tactic, of course. One of the biggest problems in sales is that everyone is using all the same tools, all the time. Inboxes are swamped with offers and solicitations. The main issue then becomes the question of how to stand out.

What’s the Single Most Important Part of an Email?

Hint: it’s the part that determines in the recipient’s mind whether they will open it or trash it without a second look. It’s the subject line. If you don’t get this part right, it does not matter what else you do. So make sure that your teams fully understand the purpose of the subject line. What’s that purpose? It is to get the recipient interested enough to open the email. Nothing more, nothing less. The subject line of an outbound sales email should not be boring, dry, or formulaic in any way. It should grab their attention in a fast, personal way, and get them intrigued.

The Key Principle of Successful Outbound Emailing in 2018… and Always

It’s not about you. Yes, you want them to read the email you sent because you want them to buy a product or service from your company so you can be successful and enjoy your life and feed your family. They know that. Everyone knows that’s what sales emails are for. So tell them why they should care. Tell them what’s in it for them. It’s all about them. So write the email and its subject line accordingly. Talk to them, personally. Not “to whom it may concern,” but to the name of the person who you hope will actually be opening the message. Talk about their issues, their concerns, their problems. If you mention a solution, ask if it’s something they have considered.

Keep it Short

Don’t make your prospect do any more work than they already have to. Don’t use industry jargon or needlessly complex writing styles. Keep it conversational. Not inappropriately casual, but natural. Specifically, consider the fact that most emails are now opened and read on smartphones. What does that mean in the context of making it easy on your reader? They should be able to read your entire message and call to action without scrolling, and the subject line should fit in a single line of text. HubSpot has a great post that we recommend, about how to write emails that work well. They provide lots of useful insights and even templates to help you start. If you don’t want to worry so much about perfect outbound emailing on your own, you can rely on Boom Demand’s seasoned team of Sales Development Representatives, who come with years of experience in B2B outreach, including via email and social media. Contact us today to supercharge your sales funnel!