9 Terrible Sales Email Subject Lines You‘ve Probably Used This Week

If you‘re like most salespeople, you probably spend a good chunk of your day sending outreach emails to potential customers. But how much time do you spend crafting the perfect subject line?

Probably not enough. And that‘s a huge missed opportunity.

Consider this: 35% of email recipients decide whether to open an email based on the subject line alone, according to a report from Convince & Convert. And 69% of people report email as spam based solely on the subject line, a study from Invesp found.

In other words, your email subject line can make or break your ability to connect with a new lead, build a relationship, and ultimately close a deal. No pressure though!

The good news is, by avoiding these 9 terrible sales email subject lines that are all too common and implementing the alternatives provided, you can dramatically boost your open rates and responses.

The Generic Pitch

1. "Introducing [Product Name] – Boost Your Sales Productivity!"

Why it‘s terrible: This subject line could apply to just about any sales tool on the market. It‘s so broad and cliche that it fails to grab attention or communicate any real value. The recipient has no idea what specific capabilities your product offers or how it‘s any different from the dozens of other sales productivity tools out there.

As Jill Konrath, sales strategist and author of More Sales, Less Time explains, "If your email looks and sounds like everyone else‘s, it‘s going to get deleted faster than you can say ‘spam.‘ You need to stand out from the crowd, not blend into it."

Try instead: "[Prospect Name], looking to shorten your sales cycle by 28%?"

Why it works: This subject line is highly targeted to a specific individual and focuses on a metric that is top-of-mind for most sales leaders. If shortening the sales cycle by 28% is a realistic benefit of your product, highlighting that will make the value proposition immediately clear. The question format also intrigues the recipient to open the email to find out more.

2. "I have a solution for you"

Why it‘s terrible: This subject line takes quite a presumptuous leap in assuming that the recipient even has a problem that needs solving, let alone that your mysterious "solution" is a good fit. Without any other context, this comes across as out-of-touch and self-serving, not consultative.

A report from Yesware found that sales email subject lines containing "quick question", "quick request" or "I have a solution for you" underperformed in terms of open rates across industries.

Try instead: "How [Company Name] cut employee turnover in half"

Why it works: Rather than centering the subject line around your "solution" in the abstract, focus on telling a specific customer success story. Highlight the quantifiable result your offering helped a similar company achieve. Especially if you reference a company the recipient knows and respects, this builds instant credibility that your solution is legitimate.

The Selfish Seller

3. "15 mins next Thurs? I want to tell you about our product"

Why it‘s terrible: This subject line makes it painfully obvious that the requester is only thinking about their own agenda, not providing value to the recipient. The "I want to tell you" framing comes off as selfish, while the request for 15 minutes of someone‘s time without any compelling reason feels like a burdensome imposition.

HubSpot‘s 2022 Sales Strategy Survey asked buyers about their biggest pet peeves when it comes to sales outreach. 28% said pushy salespeople who seem to only care about making a sale was their top gripe, while 24% said being asked for a meeting without any information on why it would be valuable.

Try instead: "See how [Company Name] books 30% more meetings with [Product Name]"

Why it works: Reframe the generic product pitch and meeting request to focus specifically on a benefit that is likely to resonate with your prospect. In this case, "books 30% more meetings" speaks directly to a sales leader‘s goals. The "see how" lead-in creates curiosity to learn more.

4. "Hoping to get your feedback on this"

Why it‘s terrible: On the surface, asking for feedback might seem like a harmless enough request. But when used in a sales context from someone you don‘t know, it usually feels like a thinly veiled attempt to get you to engage with their pitch under false pretenses.

No one likes being deceived or having their time wasted. And research shows it takes a lot to recover from a bad first impression. A study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that it takes on average 6-8 positive interactions to change a negative first impression.

Try instead: "3 ideas for reducing support ticket volume – which would work best for [Company Name]?"

Why it works: If you are going to ask for feedback or input, make it laser-focused on an area that delivers obvious value to your prospect. Mentioning "reducing support ticket volume" demonstrates you‘ve done your research on the company‘s priorities. Listing out multiple ideas and asking for their opinion on the best approach for their business shows you are invested in their success, not just pushing an agenda.

The Vague & Confusing

5. "Quick question"

Why it‘s terrible: What is this question about? Is it actually relevant to the recipient‘s world? Will answering it indeed be quick, or a productivity-draining rabbit hole? With no other information to go on, busy people are likely to skip right over emails with subject lines this vague.

An analysis of over 100 million emails by Boomerang found that subject lines with 3-4 words had the highest response rates, while subject lines with 5 or more words underperformed. When you only have a few words to make an impression, each one needs to pack a punch.

Try instead: "Question about [Goal] – 30 secs to answer?"

Why it works: Specify what your question relates to and choose a goal or initiative that is timely and important to your prospect. Estimating it will take 30 seconds to answer sets expectations this will be brief and to the point. Time-boxing your ask like this boosts response rates.

6. "AMAZING OPPORTUNITY!!!"

Why it‘s terrible: Not only is this subject line painfully light on details about what the "opportunity" actually entails, the over-the-top hype and ALL CAPS formatting sets off alarm bells. Is this a legitimate offer or a Nigerian prince scheme? Hard to say.

A study by Radicati Group found that 85% of respondents prefer an email subject line that "sounds human" rather than a "loud sales pitch." And a report from Sendpulse revealed that 65% of recipients prefer subject lines with a moderate amount of punctuation, while only 9% respond well to multiple exclamation points.

Try instead: "[Company Name]‘s sales team saved 10 hrs/wk by automating [X Process]"

Why it works: Highlight an eye-catching result your product or service helped a similar company achieve. Using the company name builds credibility through social proof. Quantifying the benefit, in this case saving the sales team 10 hours per week by automating a specific process, makes the value clear and specific.

The Stalker

7. "Why haven‘t you replied to my emails?"

Why it‘s terrible: No one likes feeling guilted or pressured, especially by someone they don‘t even know. This entitled approach is more likely to land your emails in the spam folder than earn you a response. It fails to give the recipient any positive reason to engage.

Only 8.5% of outreach emails receive a response, according to data from HubSpot. Following up is often necessary. But there‘s a fine line between persistence and pushiness. Remember, you‘re not owed a reply. It‘s on you to provide a compelling reason to respond.

Try instead: "Re-sending resources on [topic] – let me know if you have any questions!"

Why it works: Try a softer approach. Acknowledge you‘re circling back, but do so by offering something genuinely useful related to the recipient‘s world. This could be a whitepaper, case study, benchmark report, etc. Provide a gentle call-to-action to respond if they have questions or want to discuss. Leading with value builds trust.

8. "Are you ignoring my emails on purpose?"

Why it‘s terrible: Talk about aggressive! This accusatory tone assumes the worst of someone you‘re hoping to build a relationship with. Even if the recipient has been intentionally ignoring your emails, this is not the way to re-engage them. It only confirms that you‘re a nuisance not worth responding to.

Avoid negative words like "ignoring" in sales email subject lines. Data from Yesware‘s analysis of over 115 million emails shows that subject lines with predominantly positive or neutral words have a 10-15% higher average open rate than those with negative words.

Try instead: "Apologies for the multiple messages – thought [resource] might be helpful for [project]"

Why it works: Take responsibility for being a pest. Acknowledge that the multiple messages are on you and that you don‘t mean to be bothersome. Then immediately pivot to offering a resource or piece of content that could provide value for a specific initiative you know the prospect is working on. The link back to their priorities gives them a reason to at least consider re-engaging.

The Clickbait

9. "URGENT: Your website has a critical error"

Why it‘s terrible: This is the email equivalent of a sensationalized headline you‘d see in a trashy tabloid in the grocery checkout line. Is there actually a dire emergency with the company‘s website…or is this subject line deliberately misleading to bait a click? Even if your offer relates to improving website performance, crying wolf with fake urgency erodes trust right off the bat.

An analysis by Convince & Convert found that 69% of email recipients report email as spam based solely on the subject line. And a study from InboxArmy revealed that emails with "URGENT" or "IMPORTANT" in the subject line were actually less likely to be opened.

Try instead: "Hi [Name], noticed your page load speed is 3.2 sec – target is <2 sec. Can [Product Name] help?"

Why it works: Instead of resorting to deceptive clickbait-y tactics, try to build credibility by demonstrating you‘ve done your research. In this case, you‘re referencing a specific website issue – page load speed – and citing the actual metric compared to the industry-standard benchmark. Then you pivot to a soft offer to explore if your product could help improve the issue you‘ve identified. This diagnostic approach focused on the prospect‘s needs is much more likely to generate engagement than a vague sensational subject line.

Key Takeaways

• 35% of email recipients decide whether to open an email based on the subject line alone (Convince & Convert)
• 69% of people report email as spam based solely on the subject line (Invesp)
• Subject lines with 3-4 words have the highest response rates (Boomerang)
• 85% of respondents prefer an email subject line that "sounds human" vs. a "sales pitch" (Radicati Group)
• 65% of recipients prefer a moderate amount of punctuation in subject lines (Sendpulse)
• Only 8.5% of sales outreach emails receive a response (HubSpot)
• Avoid generic, selfish, vague, pushy or misleading subject lines
• Keep subject lines clear and concise, ideally under 5 words
• Focus on the recipient‘s priorities and goals, not your own agenda
• Quantify specific benefits your product/service can provide
• Cite similar companies, social proof when possible to build credibility
• Find natural opportunities to provide genuinely helpful resources and insights to build trust

By steering clear of these 9 sales email subject line mistakes and focusing instead on crafting targeted, recipient-centric subject lines, you‘ll give your outreach the best chance of getting opened, read, and responded to. At the end of the day, the key is to make it about them, not about you. Now go optimize those subject lines! Your quota will thank you.

Sources:

• "New Research Reveals When to Send an Email for the Best Open Rates" (Convince & Convert)
• "111 Must-Know Email Marketing Stats" (Invesp)
• "5 Data-Backed Tips for Clickworthy Email Subject Lines" (Boomerang)
• "Subject Line Best Practices" (Radicati Group)
• "Essential Email Marketing Benchmarks" (Sendpulse)
• "21 Key Sales Stats for 2022" (HubSpot)