When you send e-mail messages to prospects, you’re competing for their attention from dozens, if not hundreds, of other businesses. To give a perspective on how cluttered e-mail inboxes are (as if you don’t already know, from your own experience), check out these survey results:
The average executive spends about a quarter of their time reading emails every day (Harvard Business Review’s 2018 study about time management).
CEOs (and, we can assume, all executives) get a lot of e-mails: One survey found that 34% of executives reported receiving between 201 and 5,000 emails a week (Mailbird).
Email interrupts the work day and, because of constant connectivity, it intrudes on family time (“A Study of CEO Habits,” Inc.).
About 10.8 hours a week are wasted on emails, according to another survey (MailBird).
Despite the distractions and wasted time, executives still prefer to receive B2B communications through e-mail (MarketingSherpa).
Reading between the lines, it’s fair to say that while executives spend more time than they’d like to sorting through and reading e-mails, it’s still the most effective way to reach out to them.
In this post, we’ll cover tips for standing out in e-mail inboxes and share some e-mail marketing templates. We reached out to our own sales team at Biscred and asked, "Send us your best prospecting email examples!" Here's what they told us.
4 Elements of Excellent Prospecting Emails
The best email messages have a click-worthy subject line, and they get to the point in the first sentence. Here are some other best practices that we’ve gathered for you.
How long should e-mail messages be?
E-mail messages between 75 and 125 words get the best replies, according to Boomerang. If you can’t trim your messages that short, then follow the acronym BLUF: bottom line up front. Don’t bury the lead.
How formal should e-mail messages be?
The same Boomerang survey found that the best-written messages were written at a third-grade level. No, that doesn’t mean to insult your audience’s intelligence (no offense to third-graders). It simply means to use simple language, avoid jargon and, again, get to the point.
What is the best time of day to send e-mail messages?
Some studies suggest that early morning emails are best. Don’t send e-mails between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. during your recipients’ time zones. Use a scheduler to send e-mails during typical work hours, especially if you’re sending them from one time zone to another.
What’s the best subject line?
Studies also suggest that shorter subject lines are better. Writing the “perfect” subject line can be stressful, trying to come up with the right words to get your recipient to click and read. When it comes to writing the perfect subject line and e-mail messages to a prospect, follow these tips:
Be friendly and conversational
Get to the point
Don’t use a bunch of exclamation points
Personalize the message
Sales Prospect Email Templates
Show your recipients that you’ve done your homework. Think about how you used Biscred to find them. What stood out? Why did you choose them to reach out to? Let the recipient know that you did your homework before reaching out and that you’re not just blasting a list of recipients with the same neutral message.
The following sales prospecting templates can be used and adapted to your business.
B2B e-mail example 1: Address a well-known pain point (131 words)
Hi, {!firstname}-
Out of curiosity, how many hours per week at {recipient’s company’s name} do you spend {doing the thing that you offer}? If your process is labor intensive, what is the upside of having some of that time back? A number of {companies in your industry} that I work with had that same issue. Since {year}, our company has helped {number} of teams spend less time on {task}.
How are we able to do that? By {product or service you offer, followed by a sentence that explains the value prop of your product/service}.
Interested in hearing more about how we can help {recipient’s company}? Read our recent case study {link to your site}, or reply to this e-mail to schedule a quick call for us to learn more about each other.
Example 1 in action, using a job placement firm as an example, reaching out to a property management company that has multiple properties:
Hi, Chloe,
Out of curiosity, how many hours a week at ABC Property Management did you spend recruiting, interviewing, hiring and onboarding new workers? If your process is labor-intensive, what would be the upside of having some of that time back? A number of property management companies that I work with in the greater Chicago area have had the same issues. Since 2015, our company has helped property management companies spend less time on hiring and more time on serving their customers.
How are we able to do that? Our recruitment team has a combined 25 years of experience in CRE, and we use cutting-edge technology to attract and convert people who want to work.
Interested in hearing more about how XYZ Job Services can help ABC Property Management? Read our case study, or reply to this email to schedule a quick call for us to learn more about each other.
B2B e-mail example 2: Use data to strengthen your pitch (126 words)
Hi {!firstname}-
What if I told you that our company has saved {number} of companies cut {task} costs by as much as {number}%?
As someone who {oversees a team doing x,y and z}, has it been a challenge to {pain point that’s common to your prospects’ industry}? Has {inflation, high employment, real estate prices … } added to your stress?
Let me ask you this: Do you have what you need to cut costs and grow your revenue without lowering your standards for quality?
The reason I am reaching out is because we have a proven track record of helping businesses like yours by {value prop that addresses pain points, followed by one sentence that summarizes what you can do for them}.
Would you like to know more?
B2B e-mail example 3: Appeal to their psyche (99 words)
Hello {firstname}! Hope all is well over at {company}. I'm a big fan.
Reaching out because I noticed {newsworthy mention}, and thought this would be an ideal time to connect. Here at {your organization}, we have helped {industry organizations} with {solution or pain point}. You could say it’s our niche.
I'd love to show you {product, service, solution, case study} and see if it makes sense for your team. {Include one sentence with a data point, like dollars saved, ROI, market share captured to illustrate your value}.
Please let me know when it works best and we can schedule.
Tying It All Together: The B2B Sales Email Template
In the three B2B e-mail examples that we shared, you might notice three things they all have in common:
Start: Each message begins by talking about your recipient. Begin by acknowledging that you know who they are, you understand their needs, and you respect their time.
Middle: What follows is the “elevator pitch” that succinctly summarizes what you can do for the company. Emphasize how your organization can benefit theirs. Do it quickly.
End: Always conclude with a call to action. Want to hear more? Can we show you? Got 10 minutes to learn more?
Link to your website. Share a case study, solutions brief or some other content that conveys the value you bring to your customers/clients.
Link to your calendar. If you use Calendly or another service, send a link so they can book time directly with you.
Or, simply invite them to call or reply to your e-mail.
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