Whatever you call yourself: sales rep, entrepreneur, or master of all trades, crafting sales emails truly is a skill—one that you can continuously improve. If you’re looking for the top five ways you can improve your sales email writing ability, you’ve come to the right place.
Arguably, the most important part of your sales email is the subject line. In fact, 33 percent of people open emails based on the subject line alone. This may be the determining factor in reaching your target audience or having your message go straight into the garbage bin. Since you can’t generate conversions if your potential customers don’t open the email, you’ll need to wow them right off the bat.
Be clever, be honest, but never be predictable. Try to avoid the overdone and tacky titles that some companies use.
It’s always smart to a/b test your email subject lines. Gather a small percentage of your email list (about 100 people) and send half of them email subject line A and the other half email subject line B. See which option has the highest view rate, and you’ll find your winner!
If neither of the titles yields the results you’re looking for, it’s back to the drawing board. Finding your voice and reaching your prospective audience takes time and trial and error.
Emails are meant to be a casual form of communication. While your emails shouldn’t be riddled with mistakes and short forms, you should keep them colloquial yet professional. Remember who your audience is and then speak to them as if you were having a conversation face to face. You’d never use the sentence “and thus” or “furthermore” in your everyday speech, so why are you using them in your sales emails? When in doubt, keep it casual and friendly.
We know there’s so much information that you want potential buyers to know, but rein it in a bit. Your emails shouldn’t be pages upon pages of dry information. Leave the in-depth explanation for the website. The initial sales email should draw recipients into your business, not scare them away for good. Keep it light and interesting without being intimidating.
Why are you doing this? What do you want this email to achieve? Of course, you’re not just sending spam. Establishing your purpose before you get into crafting your email not only makes the writing process easier for you but leads to a more structured experience for your readers.
Before you begin, set out your goals. What’s your desired open rate? What’s your desired click-through-rate? If your goal is to get people to visit your online store, highlight items in your store and include a clear and concise call to action. Once you’ve established these criteria, it’s easier for you to evaluate your success, see what you did right/wrong, and tailor your emails accordingly next time.
You’re only one person. If you’re not getting the results you’re looking for, it may be time to call in an outside pair of eyes. Not only can you receive an outsider view of the ways you can improve your crafting processes, but you can always benefit from the knowledge of other people.