When it comes to sales prospecting, it’s more important than ever that you write concise, effective communication.
On average, we send and receive 121 emails every day, according to DMR Business Statistics (click here for more surprising prospecting stats). I imagine this number climbs higher as a person gains more authority and responsibility in an organization.
So, the communication you send needs to be clear, to-the-point, and relevant. It's not easy to get noticed in someone's email inbox.
Here are several examples that can inspire your own prospecting techniques.
A couple caveats:
- These are generalized to a greater degree than emails we would typically send to apply to all types of companies and all types of categories. (I’ve given you some examples of different language you can use as a guide.)
- You can certainly get more creative than the email examples below, but be careful. That can backfire if you get too cutesy or familiar.
The bottom line is your prospects don’t have time to read long, fluffy emails filled with the buzzwords of the day. Make sure your emails don’t scream "Sales!" Be personable, direct, and always put yourself in your prospect’s place.
No one wants to read a sales email. They want help with their challenges.
4 Email Templates to Help You Connect With Prospects
Landing the First Meeting: Introduction Email to Potential Clients
This email would be used as an initial introduction to your company. The key is immediately establishing your expertise, as well as asking for the meeting fairly early.
Hi [Prospect],
[Your name] with [your company]. We’re a Y company that specializes in [choose either your primary vertical or a vertical you have experience in] to [insert a typical challenge you help clients face].
I’m wondering if you might be open to an initial conversation to gauge a fit?
We’ve worked with companies like [insert 2-3 clients here relative to the vertical] to [insert a typical client goal].
If you have a minute or two to learn more about us, you can visit us here at [site]. If I don’t hear from you, I will reach out to you via phone later in the week.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
Landing the First Meeting: Follow-Up Email
This would be used as a follow up to the above email (either the next day or the following week), and I would recommend the subject line: "Sorry I Missed You." We often see 30% to 40% open rates with this email. You’ll also want to introduce a case study at this point.
Hi [Prospect],
Quickly following up on my email from yesterday. I tried to call you, but was unable to connect. Hoping to set up a call to introduce my company, [company name]. Do you have 30 minutes anytime early next week that would work?
While I have you, I thought you might find some interest in our work with [client]. We helped them [achieve goal] resulting in [ideally you have a % to use here, but any meaningful result will suffice]. You can read the whole story here: [Provide case study link.]
As a reminder, we’re a Y company, expert (or specializing) in the X category. We’ve worked with [name 2-3 clients], and many others to [achieve goal].
Best,
[Your Name]
Post-Proposal Send: Follow-Up Email
This one should be used sparingly and only if your prospect has gone dark. This email typically gets a response as it gently points out to your prospect that they’ve gone dark, but you’ve stuck with them. It's simple but effective, and it continues to provide the prospect with opportunities to learn about your company, read your thought leadership, and be reminded of your expertise.
Typically the prospect's response is apologetic and appreciative. And even if you don’t get the business at this point, at least you’ll know if you can move on or keep this prospect on your radar.
You’ll typically want to use the subject line, “[Company Name] -- Still Interested?"
Hi [Prospect],
Hope you had a good weekend (been well, etc.*).
Not sure if you’ve been really slammed or you’ve decided to hold off for now, but I wanted to see if you might have any feedback on our proposal?
Certainly no rush on our end -- I don’t want to become a pest if you’d prefer I hold off on contact.
I also thought you might have some interest in a recent post on [a post specific to the prospect’s category, or if you don’t have one, a category-specific third party article]. You can read it here: [link].
Look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks,
[Your Name]
*I would never lead with “Hope you’ve been well/had a good weekend” unless you’ve actually spoken with the person.
Last-Try Send: Follow-Up Email
It's important to follow up with prospects more than once -- but it's equally important to know when to throw in the towel. At a certain point, you're wasting their time and detracting from your time spend on prospects who are actually ready to close.
This email should only be used when you can't spend any more time chasing a prospect and need to either push them to action or close the books on them -- for now.
Hi [Prospect],
I've tried to reach out a few times now without a reply. Usually when this happens, it means my offer is not a priority right now. Is it safe for me to assume that's the case here?
If it is, I won't bother you any more. If you'd rather I follow up in a month or two when you have more bandwidth, I'm happy to do that as well.
Thanks for your time.
Regards,
[Your Name]
These email templates help me connect with uber-busy buyers. I hope they'll do the same for you. Introduce them into your email cadence and see what kind of a difference they make.