7 Rules for Writing Sales Emails that Work

Did you know that only about one percent of sales emails elicit a response? That means that 99 out of 100 sales emails go straight from the inbox to the trash bin without much more than a passing glance. That said, emails can be an effective sales tool when they are done right. Here are some simple, but important, rules to follow to increase your response rate to sales emails.

1. Be Genuine

Your sales emails must be sincere. These days, people are looking to do business with companies they can trust; the days of manipulative used car salesmen are gone. So if you want to stand out, you must be trustworthy. Demonstrate in your email that you do not make promises on which you cannot deliver, and do so in a real and personal way. One way to accomplish this is to write the way you talk. Even though your message is coming through in print form, you want your customers to feel like they are talking to a real person.

2. Tell a Story

We like stories. As children we want our parents to tell us stories, and as we get older we turn to books and movies to fulfill the desire. Your sales emails should make use of that basic human want. An email that tells a compelling and evocative story ’ rather than the typical sales pitch ’ will draw the reader in.

3. Arouse Curiosity

We humans are a curious bunch by nature, and you can use that to your advantage in sales emails. If you want people to read your email, you have to peak their curiosity from the start. Crafting a creative subject line is the place to start, something that will compel the recipient to open the email and not just click on ’’trash.’’

4. Don’t Use Jargon

Jargon is fine when you are having a discussion with a coworker, or brainstorming in a sales meeting, but you want to stay away from it in emails to potential customers. Jargon sometimes comes across as complicated and confusing, which can cause people to turn away. Using easy to understand language is your best bet.

5. Ask, ’’So What?’’

This rule is important because it helps you to anticipate what the reader will say when they read your email. If you ask, ’’So what?’’ after each sentence you write, and then ’ this is important ’ answer it, your reader is more likely to respond. You have to be specific and provide the reader with the benefits of your product or service.

6. Enlist a Second Set of Eyes

No sales email should go out to prospective customers if only one set of eyes has seen it. It’s essential that you have someone take a look at your email, not just for grammatical errors, but to make sure the message you want your customer to receive comes across the way you want it to.

7. Be Short and Sweet

Yes, there is a lot that you want to convey in emails to your customers, but you have to keep in mind that yours is not the only email in their inbox. Write in short, succinct sentences that are easy to navigate yet still make your point. It may seem difficult at first, but when you whittle down the length of your email, the reader is more likely to read it all the way through.

Writing sales emails may not be the most exciting part of your workday, but by following these few simple rules, you can make it much more exciting for your readers. If you get a response then you should check easy steps for a successful sales follow up. Generating excitement with your emails will better your chances for opening lines of communications and, in turn, generating more sales. Give it a try and see what positive results you have.