6 Tips to Help You Write B2B Sales Emails to Get More Leads

So ask yourself this; what would make such a person take time out of an already busy day to go through your sales email? Is your sales email’s subject line even intriguing enough to make them open the email in the first place?

It’s therefore unsurprising that most B2B sales emails go unread. The target audience of these emails is mostly busy, and most email marketers simply don’t know how to craft sales emails that’ll capture the recipient’s attention.

It’s not all gloom and doom, though. About 22% of email marketers report a CTR of over 20%, which is almost double the industry average. So the question is, how can you be among them?

Here are six proven tips to help you write better B2B sales emails that will get you more leads.

1. Write a catchy subject line

A subject line is the first part of an email that captures a prospect's attention. If you nail your email subject, that's half the job done.

Write a subject line that entices business owners to open the email. To do that, we discourage appearing as a promotional, sales-y email. So no "Today Only!".

Something like "David, your ads can be 20% cheaper" can intrigue David, prompting him to see more of the email. This example follows the tips below:

Keep your subject line short and personal

Your subject line should be short enough to be seen in the recipient's inbox. Keeping your subject line short ensures that recipients instantly understand what your email is about.

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Shown above is the performance of different email subject lengths. A four-word email subject has the highest open rate, whereas a seven-word subject has the highest click-to-open rate. But anywhere beyond seven words shows quite the dip in click-to-open rates.

The example, "David, your ads can be 20% cheaper," is only seven words long—the ideal email subject length.

Additionally, the example contains the recipient’s name — David. Including the name makes the email subject line approachable and personal.

Include a number or statistic

When executives receive reports, data is communicated through numbers. For example, "35% more sales" or "5% higher engagement." You get it.

Do the same with your B2B sales email subject lines. Occasionally include a number to help business owners understand the impact of your product or service.

2. Focus on content

Your prospects' day-to-day is packed by the hour. The last thing they need is a sales pitch in their busy schedule. The solution? Don't approach them with a sales pitch. Approach them with value. Focus on providing valuable content to your recipient.

The earlier subject example, "David, your ads can be 20% cheaper," shows that the email can provide value. Business prospects know the importance of marketing. So telling David that his ads can be 20% cheaper suggests he can learn something from the email.

Provide knowledge to your recipients

Your email content should provide knowledge to the recipient, hooking them into reading the entire email. However, your content should also elevate your services as a solution to a problem. Give potential customers actionable content they can apply in their day-to-day life.

You can provide links to additional resources, such as blog posts, studies and statistics, that will support your claims. You may even grow your blog following by doing so.

Let's say you're a marketing agency. You can provide studies showing how businesses waste money on ineffective social media ads. From there, you can elevate your services as an efficient solution.

If you’re a business consultant, you can provide actionable insight to clients looking to start a business.

Tell a story

People love a good story. Your B2B sales emails can tap into this by following a narrative flow.

For example, a customer testimonial appeals to people's admiration for stories. Therefore, you can include a customer testimonial in your B2B sales email, telling a story of how the customer’s pain point was resolved.

Use the BAB formula

Various copywriting formulas can help you create high-converting and engaging sales emails. The Before-After-Bridge technique is an example of an effective email copywriting formula.

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The BAB formula lets you format your email, starting with how the client is before a particular solution is introduced and the results they can achieve after introducing the solution. The solution is the bridge.

3. Keep emails short

B2B prospects are busy people. They have a lot going on in their day-to-day. So, the shorter your emails are, the less time they will spend reading them. That means they’re more likely to read the entire email.

You can shorten emails by getting to the point. Customers want to know how you can provide value. So, keep your email focused on that.

Also, avoid words and phrases that don't add to your pitch. Take out "Let me introduce myself" from your vocabulary. Instead, use "We..." followed by what you do.

Avoid repeating statements. The sentences within a paragraph should not be a rephrasing of each other.

The points mentioned above will help cut unnecessary text from your email. This eliminates the fillers and extenders of your email, giving you pure meat.

This email below is a good example of a short and brief but detailed email.

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You can save longer emails for when you've already established a relationship with the contact. Clients familiar with you are more open and eager to receive your emails.

4. Personalize your emails

Prospects love emails addressed to them. But there's more to personalization than just including recipients' names in your cold outreach.

Before personalizing your cold emails, you need to research your recipient. Assess their business needs and create a tailored email that appeals to their needs.

Suppose you're a video production agency, and your client needs website traffic. In that case, address their need for website traffic. Present your video production services as a means to gain website traffic.

Writing personalized cold emails will take much longer than general copy-pasted emails. However, you’ll see improved conversion rates and more nurtured connections with personalized emails.

5. Include a good CTA

A call-to-action (CTA) is the action you want your recipients to take. Having a CTA on your sales emails makes it easier for prospects to know what they are supposed to do next.

A common CTA is telling your recipient to call or book an appointment. You can try inviting them for lunch or coffee to "discuss further." These are good CTAs for your cold email template.

One thing we don't suggest saying is, "Let me know when you're available for a call." The recipient will push you at a much later date. At this time, the email may not be fresh in their heads anymore.

Instead, set the appointment time. The Head of Acquisition at Prospect.io received the email below. Notice the CTA contains a specific date and time — next Thursday at 16:00 “your” time.

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This lets your recipient know that you're eager to have that discussion. You can also try, “I can explain this in 10 minutes. Are you available for a quick 10-minute call Today at 1?”.

Your recipient may be intrigued by your email. They just need the means to take action. You can, hence, improve your response rate with a strong CTA.

6. Send follow-up emails

Cold sales emails will likely meet the same fate as every other cold email -- left in an inbox pile. Sending timely follow-ups will bump your proposal, making it more likely to be seen.

In addition, sending follow-ups lets the recipient know you're committed to a partnership. But how often can you send follow-ups without looking desperate or coming off as annoying?

Send around five follow-up emails.

Marketing Donut reports that 80% of sales happen on the fifth follow-up email — the sixth email. When prospects don’t respond at this point, it's safe to conclude they’re not interested.

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Send follow-up emails at two to three-day intervals. Don't include weekends and holidays.

Your first email is your B2B sales email. The first follow-up can be a rephrased version of the initial email. This can contain language such as "You might have missed my previous message."

The example below uses “Have you had a chance to think about my idea?”.

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The second follow-up may be a project proposal. If you're pitching to an ecommerce site, you can lay out a plan for a traffic campaign. You may invite your recipient to a call on this email, as shown below.

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The third and fourth follow-ups can focus on your customer success stories.

The last follow-up you'll send is your goodbye. But tell the prospect they can still reach out to you.

Ultimately, it’s up to you how you’ll craft your follow-ups. Different formats may work for different recipients and senders.

In closing

Email marketing has the highest conversion rates of any marketing medium. As a B2B company, it can be helpful to pitch your service to potential customers through effective B2B sales emails.

Effective sales emails have a catchy subject line to capture attention. Once they hook interest, they follow through with valuable content in the email body. Remember that sales emails aren't the place for your brand story. Your emails should be short and personal. Insert a strong CTA too.

No response? Send follow-up emails. This bumps your proposal and shows you're committed. Keep these tips in mind for your cold email approach. Your B2B company can engage with more potential customers that way. Happy emailing!