When it comes to open rates, email subject lines can be make or break. Whether formal or fun in tone, it’s always worth experimenting to find out which phrases increase your open rates. Here are 15 of our favourite sales email subject lines – try them out to see what they can do for you...
To see the best results in email opens, your subject lines should be helpful and informative but without giving too much away. Whether formal or fun in tone, it’s always worth experimenting to find out which compelling phrases increase your open rates.
Here are 15 of our favourite sales email subject lines – try them out and see what they can do for you!
Cold ‘warm’ subject lines
You should never be reaching out to a completely cold lead. Maybe you’ve already connected on LinkedIn, or they’ve been on your site reading some of your content.
1. “Hi [name], [question]?”
Questions usually get answers – and if the question asked relates to something relevant, there's a good chance of an open.
2. “Hoping to help”
You might have heard the phrase ‘always be closing,’ but this is outdated – we prefer to always be helping. Your prospects will appreciate your offer of assistance.
3. "Hoping you can help"
Why not flip it around and reach out to your prospects to see if they can help you? Try and find out if they are the right person to speak to about what you’re looking for help with.
4. "3 tips for [pain point]"
People love a numbered list, and we like to give things away in threes. If you can provide your prospect with advice or quick wins to tackle their problems, they’re more likely to give you the time of day.
5. "Did you get what you were looking for?"
Use this one to follow up with an inbound lead or a website visitor. They're clearly looking for help with a challenge – ask how you can be of service.
Follow-up email subject lines
6. "Our next steps"
After your initial connection, use this positive subject line to re-engage and set up that next call, meeting or demo.
7. "3 options to get started"
Write three bullet points about how your prospect can get going on their first project, or simply the next steps to resolving the problem they’re facing.
8. "A 3-step plan for your busy week"
Again, homing in on the power of three – and you can read more on why our brains find it so easy to grasp things in threes here – this subject line holds the promise of feeling organised, and who doesn’t want that?!
9. "[Prospect], I thought you might like these blogs"
A personalised subject line with the promise of a specially picked selection of content is pretty enticing, especially if you take the time to match the blogs to your prospects’ pain points and interests.
10. "Here's that info I promised you"
Your prospect might have forgotten you’d promised to send some info over (or perhaps you forgot to mention you had a new product sheet burning a hole in your pocket). Whatever, with this subject line, you’ve created enough intrigue to get your email opened.
Best email subject lines after no response
11. "Do not open this email"
It might sound a bit ‘Mission Impossible’, but you can’t beat a bit of reverse psychology. Like an email recall, you can guarantee that your prospect will fall into this curiosity gap faster than Wile E. Coyote.
12. "Should I stay or should I go?"
Thanks to The Clash, this subject line will embed an earworm that’s sure to get prospects of a certain age humming. Hopefully the power of punk will supercharge their response!
13. "Permission to close your file?"
“So I have a file? That makes me feel important…” thinks your prospect. Trigger the natural politeness with this polite request, which is respectful and efficient.
14. "If you change your mind about partnering with [company]"
Sow a seed of doubt and let your prospects know that the door’s still open if they have any second thoughts – it’s light-touch and tactful, without being pushy.
15. "X ideas for you "
As we’ve already said, always be helping is a strong position to maintain – and that remains true whether you’re at the start of a conversation or simply keeping in touch after a ‘no’. Try this subject line to offer inspiration and reopen communications.
