By Sujan Patel
Email can be one of the most powerful tools in a salesperson’s arsenal, but only if it’s wielded appropriately.
If you’ve tried cold sales email campaigns before but had lackluster results, don’t assume that your emails themselves were to blame. It could be that you haven’t yet hit on the correct combination of variables to effectively leverage email as part of your sales process.
Whether you’re in this position, or you’d simply like to improve the performance of the emails you’re currently sending, read on for six tips to help improve your sales email results.
1. Make video a part of your emails
Normally when you think of email, you think of text (and perhaps a bit of HTML). But did you know that using video in email can boost your click-through rates by 200-300%?
Video content has been on the rise in recent years, and now this trend has reached sales email as well. Including videos that explain or highlight your products, give insight into your brand, or show off your company’s unique personality helps spark interest in viewers.
But video has another hidden power: using video content can lead directly to sales. According to one study, 81% of people surveyed said they’d bought a product or service after watching a video promoting it.
2. Be more than a brand name
Your company’s brand name is how people recognize you. But is it really something they can connect with?
It’s extremely difficult to make people feel that promotional emails are anything more than simple autoresponders sent without any human connection. Obviously, this won’t help you increase sales.
That’s why many brands have started sending emails from a real person. For example, the sender appears in the recipient’s inbox as “‘Bob from Emails Inc.”’ instead of just “‘Emails Inc.”’ Sending out emails as if they’re coming from a specific person inside your company helps readers connect emotionally, making them more likely to convert into customers.
3. Tailor email campaigns for separate groups
Targeting your emails to different interest groups helps you achieve more sales.
Imagine your company sells musical instruments. Most likely, your email subscribers are only interested in one or two of the instruments that you sell. So, if you have 1,000 subscribers and only 100 are interested in ukuleles, you’ll have a much better success rate by sending emails about ukuleles to just those 100 people.
Other Articles From AllBusiness.com:
Perhaps unsurprisingly, one study found that segmented campaigns resulted in a 100% boost in click-through rates, while campaigns separated by audience interest saw a 25% drop in unsubscribes.
Start segmenting as early as your opt-in, so that when people subscribe to your email list, you can allow them to choose what kind of content they want to see from you.
4. Send cold emails that sound like real conversations
Nobody likes a pushy salesperson. Don’t be that guy in your emails.
When you’re writing a cold email, start by making sure you’re sending to the right person. Email finder tools such as Voila Norbert that let you search for and verify email addresses can be invaluable here.
Then, imagine how you’d start the conversation if you were speaking to that person in real life. Start with a short introduction (if you need to), but after that say as little as possible about yourself. Don’t forget to follow up with the recipient. More often than not, it takes one or two follow-up emails to make a connection. Remember, this email is about your prospect, not you.
5. Get inside the reader’s head
Doing your homework online helps you figure out what your prospects will really respond to, setting you up for a better response rate.
When cold emailing professionals, one of the best places to start is their LinkedIn profile. Take notice of the way they describe their job and responsibilities, as this will help you craft an email that shows exactly how you and your company can help them do their job better or more efficiently.
Personalizing your cold emails in this way has the potential to double your response rate, while automating the process with a tool like Mailshake increases your efficiency by allowing you to leverage pre-made templates and automated workflows. You’ll save time while also boosting sales.
6. Spend more time on your subject line than your message
Obviously, the first thing people see in their inbox is your subject line. That’s why creating an enticing subject line is arguably more important that the text inside your email. Just as there’s an art and science to writing an initial email, there’s a separate art and science to writing an effective follow-up email.
This is where A/B testing comes in. Whether you’re working with a mailing list or sending out scores of cold emails, testing the response to different subject lines will help you build one that appeals most to readers.
How can you tell when you’ve hit the jackpot? Well, while achieving a higher open rate is important, remember that sales can only happen when people click through from your email to your website. Aim for a balance between your open rate and CTR by including content that fulfills the promises of your subject line. Don’t stoop to clickbait subject lines that will only leave readers disappointed.
Are you ready to boost sales with email?
Creating enticing emails may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Allowing people to connect with your business, including multimedia content in your emails, and segmenting your list into different groups will help you increase sales.
And by doing your research ahead of time, you’ll be able to craft cold emails that sound like real conversations with subject lines that give you the right balance between open rate and CTR. Using these tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating valuable emails that both appeal to your audience and increase your sales.
RELATED: 6 Email Marketing Tips to Help Your Business Grow
About the Author
Post by Sujan Patel
Sujan is a leading expert in digital marketing. He is a hardworking, high-energy individual fueled by his passion to help people and solve problems. He is the co-founder of Web Profits, a growth marketing agency, and a partner in a handful of software companies including Mailshake, Narrow.io, VoilaNorbert, and Linktexting.com. Between his consulting practice and his software companies, Sujan’s goal is to help entrepreneurs and marketers scale their businesses.
Company: Web Profits
Website: sujanpatel.com
Connect with me on Twitter and LinkedIn.