5 Proven Ways to Stop Sending Selfish A**hole Emails to Your Sales Prospects
As a salesperson, your emails are one of your most valuable tools for connecting with potential customers and driving deals forward. But let‘s face it – most sales emails are completely self-centered, pushy, and downright annoying. They‘re focused solely on what the rep wants (a demo, a call, a sale) rather than on providing value to the prospect.
In fact, a recent study by Yesware found that less than 1% of cold emails sent in Q4 2022 received a response. Ouch. If you‘re tired of sending (and receiving) the kind of emails that make people roll their eyes or immediately hit delete, you‘re not alone.
The good news? There are proven strategies and techniques you can use to flip the script and start sending prospect-focused emails that actually get results. As the Director of Sales at HubSpot and a guy who‘s been in sales for 30+ years, I‘ve learned a thing or two about what works and what doesn‘t when it comes to sales emails.
Here are my top 5 tips for crafting emails that are helpful, relevant, and all about the prospect – not you.
1. Leverage Lead Intelligence
Before you even think about reaching out to a prospect, you need to do your homework. I‘m talking about leveraging all the data and insights you have access to in your CRM and marketing automation tools to really understand who this person is, what they care about, and how you can help them.
At HubSpot, we call this "lead intelligence" – gathering intel about a prospect‘s role, company, industry, challenges, interactions with our website and content, and more. According to HubSpot‘s 2023 State of Marketing Report, marketers who leverage lead intelligence are 2.3X more likely to see an increase in revenue year-over-year.
Before sending an email, I always check to see what content the prospect has viewed or downloaded, what pages they‘ve visited on our site, what events they‘ve attended, and any other key insights I can glean. Then I use that information to craft a highly targeted, relevant message.
For example, let‘s say you sell marketing automation software and you see that a prospect recently downloaded an ebook on lead nurturing best practices. You could send an email like this:
Hey [Prospect name],
I noticed that you downloaded our Lead Nurturing 101 ebook last week - great choice! I loved the section on dynamic content and how it can boost engagement by 50%.
Since you‘re interested in lead nurturing, I thought you might find this blog post helpful: [link to relevant blog post]. It outlines 3 advanced strategies we used to triple our lead-to-customer conversion rate last quarter.
If you‘re looking to improve your own nurturing programs, I‘d be happy to walk you through what‘s working for our 150,000+ customers. Do you have 15-20 minutes to connect next week?
Let me know what works best for you!
Cheers,
[Your name]See how that email demonstrates that you‘ve done your research, provides additional value based on their interests, and makes a soft ask at the end? That‘s the power of lead intelligence in action.
2. Be a Content Curator, Not a Spammer
Once you understand your prospect‘s needs and challenges, your next job is to provide them with helpful, relevant content and resources. The key here is curation – don‘t just dump every e-book, blog post, and case study you have on them and hope something sticks.
Instead, hand-pick 2-3 of the most valuable, targeted resources that speak directly to their specific situation. This could include a mix of your own company‘s content and valuable third-party resources.
The goal is to establish yourself as a trusted advisor and subject matter expert, not overwhelm them with information. A survey by Dialpad found that 34% of recipients decide whether to open an email based on the subject line alone, so keep your emails concise and to-the-point.
Here‘s an example of an email I might send to a prospect who I know is struggling with low conversion rates:
Hi [Prospect name],
In our last conversation, you mentioned that increasing your website conversion rates was a top priority this quarter. I did some digging and found a few resources that I think could help:
- [Link to blog post] - 10 Quick Fixes to Double Your Landing Page Conversions
- [Link to ebook] - The Ultimate Guide to Conversion Rate Optimization
- [Link to third-party article] - How Airbnb Boosted Conversions by 25% With One Small Tweak
I‘d love to hear your thoughts on these and discuss any other strategies you‘re considering. If you‘re open to it, I have a few ideas based on what I‘ve seen work for other [industry] companies.
Do you have time for a quick call on [Day]? Let me know what works for you.
Thanks,
[Your name] In this email, I reference a specific challenge the prospect mentioned previously, share 2-3 hyper-relevant resources on that topic, and open the door to a deeper conversation. That‘s how you provide value in every touchpoint.
3. Get Personal (But Not Creepy)
Personalization has been a buzzword in the sales world for years now, but in 2023 it‘s no longer enough to just stick someone‘s first name in the subject line. To really grab a prospect‘s attention and show that you‘ve invested time in understanding their world, you need to go beyond surface-level personalization.
Using your lead intelligence, look for key details you can reference in your outreach – their role, location, common connections, company news, personal interests, etc. A study by Seismic found that 87% of buyers say relevant, personalized content influences their opinion of the vendor.
For example, check out this email I might send to a VP of Sales:
Hey [First name],
Congrats on the promotion to VP of Sales at [Company]! I saw the news on LinkedIn last week. As a long-time sales leader myself, I know how exciting (and overwhelming) a new role like that can be.
I actually worked with your predecessor [Name] a few years back when we helped [Company] consolidate their tech stack and shorten their sales cycle by 30%. I‘d love to explore how [Your company] could potentially help you hit your own goals as you step into this new position.
On a personal note, I noticed that you‘re a fellow Golden Retriever owner! Here‘s a pic of my pup Bosco - let me know if you ever want to set up a doggie play date. :)
Do you have 15-20 minutes to connect next Tuesday or Wednesday? I‘m happy to work around your schedule.
Cheers,
[Your name]That level of personalization shows you‘ve done your research beyond a quick glance at their LinkedIn profile. By mentioning a common connection, recent company news, and a personal detail, you create a sense of rapport that‘s hard to ignore.
Just be careful not to veer into creepy territory – referencing a college spring break photo from 12 years ago or the sandwich they had for lunch is NOT the move. Keep it professional and relevant.
4. Make Scheduling Seamless
If your goal is to land a meeting, you need to reduce as much friction as possible in the scheduling process. The back-and-forth of "When are you free? How about Tuesday at 4? No, that doesn‘t work for me. How about next Thursday between 11 and 12?" is tedious and annoying for everyone involved.
The solution? Embrace scheduling automation. Instead of playing calendar tag, include a link to book time directly on your calendar using a tool like HubSpot Meetings or Calendly. The prospect can easily see your availability and grab a time that works for them – no email ping pong required.
Here‘s how I might word it in an email:
Hi [Prospect name],
Since you‘re interested in learning more about how [Your company] can help with [specific challenge], let‘s find a time to chat.
To make scheduling easy, here‘s a link to my calendar: [insert scheduling link]. Feel free to grab any open slot that works for you. And if you don‘t see a time that fits your schedule, just let me know - I‘m happy to get creative and find something that works for both of us.
Looking forward to connecting,
[Your name] Putting the prospect in control of scheduling shows that you respect their time and want to make the process as painless as possible for them. It‘s a small thing, but it can make a big difference in their experience.
5. Time Your Follow-ups to Perfection
You know that feeling when you‘re browsing a company‘s website, download an ebook, and then BAM – your phone rings 30 seconds later? It‘s jarring, to say the least. But when done right, timely follow-ups based on prospect engagement can be extremely effective.
Tools like HubSpot Sales Hub and Outreach provide real-time notifications when a prospect opens your email, clicks a link, or views a piece of content. You can use those insights to reach out at just the right moment with relevant information.
For example, if a prospect views 3 case studies in a row on your site, they‘re likely evaluating different solutions and trying to understand potential ROI. That‘s the perfect time to send a follow-up like this:
Hey [Prospect name],
I noticed you were checking out our case studies on how [Company A], [Company B], and [Company C] achieved [specific results] with [Your product/service]. That‘s awesome - it looks like we‘ve helped some companies in similar situations to yours.
Do you have any specific questions about those examples or how [Your company] might be able to help [Prospect‘s company] achieve its goals? I‘m happy to walk you through our process and see if it could be a fit.
If you‘re interested, I have an opening on my calendar tomorrow at [time]. We could knock this out in 15-20 minutes. Thoughts?
[Your name] The key is to strike while the iron is hot and focus on adding value, not just pushing for a sale. You don‘t need to pounce on them the second they click a link, but reaching out within a few hours with helpful, relevant information can move the conversation forward.
Advanced Email Optimization Tips for 2023
While the 5 strategies we‘ve covered so far are essential for any successful sales email, there are a few other advanced techniques you can use to level up your email game this year:
A/B Test Your Way to Success
Not sure if your subject lines are hitting the mark or if your CTA is clear enough? A/B testing can give you the data-driven answers you need.
Most email platforms like HubSpot and Outreach allow you to easily test different elements of your emails to see what resonates best with your audience. You can try variations on:
- Subject lines
- Preview text
- Body copy
- Calls-to-action
- Images and layout
- Send times/days
By testing one element at a time and measuring results, you can continually optimize your emails for higher open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. Just make sure your A/B tests are statistically significant before making any major changes to your strategy.
Get Granular With Segmentation
The more targeted and relevant your emails are to each individual prospect, the better they‘ll perform. That‘s where advanced segmentation comes in.
Instead of blasting the same generic message to your entire database, slice and dice your list based on key criteria like:
- Industry/vertical
- Company size
- Job title/seniority level
- Stage of the buying cycle
- Past interactions with your brand
- Interests/content topic preferences
Then craft specific messaging and content for each segment to create a highly personalized experience. According to Campaign Monitor, marketers who use segmented campaigns note as much as a 760% increase in revenue.
For example, you might create separate email tracks for prospects who have attended a webinar vs. those who downloaded an ebook, or for decision-makers vs. end users. The more granular you can get, the better.
Use Dynamic Content to Scale Personalization
Personalizing emails is essential, but it can be time-consuming to do it manually for each and every prospect. That‘s where dynamic content comes in.
Dynamic content allows you to swap out certain elements of an email based on the recipient‘s attributes, like their name, company, location, or past behavior. Tools like HubSpot and Pardot make this easy by pulling in data from your CRM to automatically populate emails with personalized content.
For example, you might set up your email template to pull in the prospect‘s company name in the subject line, mention their industry in the opening paragraph, and include a case study specific to their job title in the body – all automatically. Personalization at scale!
By leveraging dynamic content, you can create the feeling of a 1-to-1 interaction while still being able to send emails at a high volume. It‘s a win-win.
Go Forth and Send Better Emails
At the end of the day, sending sales emails that actually drive results in 2023 is all about putting yourself in the prospect‘s shoes. How can you make their life easier, solve their challenges, and provide value in every interaction?
It‘s not about you or your quota – it‘s about them and their needs. By leveraging lead intelligence, sharing curated content, personalizing your approach, making scheduling seamless, and timing your follow-ups just right, you‘ll be well on your way to sending emails your prospects actually want to read and respond to.
Remember, every touchpoint is an opportunity to build trust and show your prospect that you‘re here to help, not just to close a deal. Focus on providing value, being human, and making their experience as frictionless as possible.
Now go out there and start sending some non-a**hole emails! Your prospects (and your quota) will thank you.
