6 Sales Email Tips for Writing Highly-Effective Cold Emails

Writing highly effective sales emails requires experience and practice, so we pulled these 6 sales email tips from a sales funnel specialist.

The warm, positive response to my previous Yesware column on writing effective sales emails proved gratifying to yours truly since I began the piece with a remembrance of how my late father, a master salesman, helped me craft a letter that got a college professor to change her grade from a B+ to an A.

As the son of a salesman, and an entrepreneurial journalist, I understand the challenge in writing effective sales emails and connecting with your audience. And since he did so well last time, I’ve invited back direct response copywriter and sales funnel specialist Jeremy Reeves to take turns dispensing writer’s wisdom.

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6 Sales Email Tips

To build on tips for writing effective sales emails, let’s look at 6 more email tips for salespeople.

Here are 6 sales email tips that’ll help you write stand-out cold emails:

1. Writing Effective Sales Emails Means Rewriting
2. Make It Pass the “So What” Test
3. Study the Greats
4. Weed Out Jargon, Cliches, and Generalities
5. Get a Second Opinion
6. Short. Sweet. Simple.

1. Writing Effective Sales Emails Means Rewriting

I didn’t invent this one, but I did rewrite it. (Get it?)

Seriously, it takes persistence to come up with an authentic, exciting, and meaningful message.

You’ll have better luck if you write multiple drafts of the same sales email, refining it each time for clarity, tone, and verb strength. From there on out it’s all about tracking your response rates and iterating as needed.

And remember to do this with your email subject lines as well. Rewrite them to be unique and engaging, then track your open rates and see what iteration gets the most clicks.

Tip: Here are 20 cold email subject lines that generate over 85% open rates.

2. Make It Pass the “So What” Test

Reeves says readers will want to ask this question. Why not beat them to it?

“With each sentence you write, ask yourself, ‘So what?’ If a prospect is reading your message and is saying this to themselves, you’ve lost the sale,” he notes.

“Every message you communicate must either deliver a specific benefit to the prospect, or connect with them on an emotional level.”

Remember, you’re emailing a stranger. Make sure the message in your cold email is important to them.

3. Study the Greats

The English poet John Keats poured over volumes of Shakespeare just before his work blossomed.

The Beatles listened to Motown, Elvis, Buddy Holly, country music, and the top pop artists of the day as they created their unique sound. Which sales bloggers and influential writers do it for you? By immersing yourself in their work, you’ll pick up chops to spare.

In the meantime, we’ve highlighted some of our most helpful resources on the right to get you started.

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4. Weed Out Jargon, Cliches, and Generalities

Nothing walls you off from your audience like jargon, a danger for those in fields such as computer sales (ask the average Joe what “RAM” stands for, or what “quad core” means).

Cliches turn people off because you’re regurgitating what popular culture has shoved down their throats countless times. And now more than ever, generalities like “the best product on the market” doesn’t cut it. Be simple, original, and specific.

5. Get a Second Opinion

You know who said, “No man is an island?” John Donne, who was … a writer.

I’ve never tried to go it alone, and had great editors at the Philadelphia Inquirer and Chicago Tribune. As a writing coach, I stress this fact: Getting the feedback of someone you trust can give you a new perspective and make a positive impact on your message.

6. Short. Sweet. Simple.

If you find yourself strapped for time, imagine how your prospect must feel when you come knocking with an email. But there’s a way to lube your way to a link click:

Reeves says: “You want to write in short, succinct sentences. Like this. Break up the length by having one very short sentence after any longer ones. This helps people slide through your email with ease and eliminates friction.”

So much sales training concentrates on technique, body language, asking open-ended questions, and more. Working on your writing might not seem as flashy or trendy. And to be sure, it’s an investment of time and money. But like any sound investment, it can impact your bottom line in rich, rewarding ways.

Bonus Tip

Bonus tip: emails should range between 50-125 words.

Our data shows that the average Yesware email clocks in at 132 words. While this may seem concise, it’s actually a bit too wordy. Research shows that the ideal email length is 50-125 words. To be exact, 75 worded templates are optimal.

Email format tip: Always begin with a strong opening line, end with a CTA (call to action), and never forget a well-formatted email signature.

Inbox tip: Create a library of email templates right in your O365 or Gmail inbox. Soon, you’ll have a library of ready-to-go messaging for the entire sales cycle, organized in a way that makes sense for you (i.e. cold emails, follow-up emails, keeping-in-touch emails).

Extra: 28 more sales tips here.

Sales Email Tip Guides

For more sales email tips, check out the guides below.

Email Guides:

• Email Outreach Guide
• Email Subject Line Guide
• How to Introduce Yourself in an Email
• How to End an Email
• Email Signature Examples

Email Tool Guides:

• Using an Email Analyzer to Boost Performance
• How To Tell If Your Email Has Been Read
• How to Set Up Email Reminders
• How to Create Gmail Templates
• Invisible Outlook Read Receipt