Every time someone skims their email inbox, the one question they ask themselves is, “should I open this?” It gets even worse when it comes to sales emails because people have conditioned themselves to send those to the trash folder automatically. Why would someone want to waste time on strangers trying to sell them something?

So it is a bit of an understatement to say that sending effective sales emails is very hard. Over the years, this form of communication has gained a bad reputation. So many prospects have been overwhelmed with tons of ‘sales emails’ that the word has now become synonymous with spam. And when your paycheck depends on reaching out to potential customers in this way, then this bias is very bad news for you.

But it isn’t all bad news! When done well, the sales email is one of the most effective ways of getting new clients and increasing your sales. In fact, a study has proven that sales emails are a crucial part of the marketing funnel for any business. So the question isn’t just how to get prospective customers to open your email, you also have to figure out what it will take to get them to respond.

The bottom line is that prospective customers do not want to read long emails filled with unproven promises and empty buzzwords. They want to see how you – your product or service – can help them solve a particular challenge. When it comes down to it, sales emails that offer the prospect some sort of value will always be effective. This is especially important when you send an email requesting a meeting. The prospect will want to know, “What can you do for me?”

But that does not mean other factors do not matter! With prospects already spending more than two hours a day just trying to keep up with their messages, you have to make sure that your email stands out in the crowded inbox.

Do you want to increase the number of meetings you land through sending sales emails? Here is a simple but effective framework  showing the best email for optimal results:

The goal of a subject line is to get your prospects to open the email and read it. It is important to always keep in mind that you are competing with hundreds (or thousands – depending on who you are contacting) of other sales emails in the prospect’s inbox.

To do this successfully, your subject line must be very clear, direct, and straight to the point. If they have to think too hard about why you are contacting them, then the prospect will not open your email. You can learn more about crafting the perfect email subject line here.

Everyone loves feeling special and appreciated. To achieve this best, start the email by addressing your prospect by name. Whatever you do, never address a prospect as ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’! That is the fastest way to prove that you are using a generic copy-paste template. This also makes it easier for prospects to dismiss you right away.

But it is also important to keep in mind that there is a right and wrong way to do flattery. You do not want to overdo the flattery because you will come across as insincere. The goal is to make the prospect feel special, not  sound like a cheesy salesperson.

The first question prospects ask themselves when they see a sales email is, “how will this benefit me?” If you have done your research well, you will be able to identify the prospect’s main pain points. You can then use this as a reference to craft your value proposition. Do not just focus on the features of your product or service! Prospects will only engage you if they are sure you can deliver real value.

This is an important step because it determines whether or not the prospect will trust in your sales email or not. Ask yourself, “What makes you the go-to person to talk to?” A great way to do this is by giving some positive reviews, testimonials, or case studies from some of your current customers in a similar industry. Such a move goes a long way in proving the value you have already pointed out, thereby establishing trust.

Always keep in mind that you cannot get what you have not asked for. So, you must ensure that every email ends with a clear call-to-action. This will tell the prospect exactly what to do next if they are interested in your product or service. Ensure that the call-to-action is easy enough for them to say yes to.

The good news is there are many tips and tricks you can use to achieve this. For example, did you know just how important a sales email’s subject line can be for your open and response rates? Or that personalized messages always work better than generic templates? Here are some other tips that will help you write the perfect sales email to request a meeting:

The main reason prospects ignore your sales email is that they are too long. Packing as much information as possible might seem like a good idea, right? After all, who knows if you will get the chance to communicate with that particular prospect again?Needless to say, this is the wrong approach. It only makes it easier for prospects to ignore you or, worse still, send your email straight to trash.

The main goal of a good sales email should be to start a meaningful conversation with any prospect. If you do this right, there is no need to worry that your first email will be the last. In fact, this is the best move if you want to build long-standing relationships with valuable prospects.

So, keep your sales email short. If the prospect has to keep scrolling through your message, you have already lost the battle. A good email should be short, simple, and straight to the point. It should not be more than three to four paragraphs long. Basically, the prospect should be able to read and respond to your email in one minute or less.

This is even more important as more people move on to the smartphone. Today, 40 percent of all emails are initially  viewed on mobile devices. So, if your subject line or message is too long, it will get cut off.

Also, keep in mind that the emails must also be clean and neat. You can accomplish this through text formatting, but keep an eye out for grammatical errors too! Simple mistakes and a basic lack of quality control will cost you much more than your pride – it could kill any deals before they even get off the ground.

Anytime you send out a sales email, chances are that you are expecting something back from them. It could be anything from scheduling a phone call, a chance to collaborate, or, in this case, request a meeting. So that is what you have to keep in the back of your mind right from the start: why are you sending that email? What outcome do you expect?

This need should then define what your call-to-action will be. Since your goal here is to schedule a meeting, make sure to propose a specific date and time in your email. You should also add such information as the expected duration of the meeting. You could say something along the lines of:

“I would love to set up a 30-minute meeting to show you how (mention how your product/service could help the prospect). How about(mention specific date and time)?

A great rule of thumb is to suggest dates that are at least two weeks from the date of your email. You could also give them a list of topics or questions that will be on the agenda before the meeting. The goal here is to reduce the work the prospect has to do and prepare them as much as possible. This increases your chances of scoring an appointment.

If you are expecting feedback from your prospects, do not be afraid to give them deadlines! Of course, you can do soin a way that does not make you sound pushy or overbearing. The goal should be to put some sense of urgency into the email without having it come across as an ultimatum.

In fact, science is on your side here. Research has shown that marketers who can find this delicate balance achieve higher response rates. By encouraging prospects to act on your email now (instead of putting it off), you can drive up your response rate by as much as 22 percent.

You’ll find many new innovations on the market that are geared towards making email communication easier and more efficient. For example, you no longer have to search high and low for a particular email address or keep sending off emails to generic company addresses.

You can use affordable sales tech like RooJet to find any email address and add promising prospects to your sales email campaign. In fact, you could also automate the entire follow-up process and keep track of your campaign to gauge your success.

You should also consider getting an email tracker. These tools help marketers and salespeople determine just how effective their sales emails are. Trackers also help you learn the habits of your prospects, which is important information to have if you want to run a successful email campaign.

For example, an email tracker will show whether your sales email has been opened and what other activity it has generated. Did the prospect open it a couple of times? Did they forward it to their coworkers? Have they clicked on any URLs that may be in the email? This information will help direct your follow-up emails. It will also help you determine the best time to send your sales emails and follow-ups, or when to give the prospect a call.

On the other hand, you could also use data available online to get the best practices. For instance, research from MailChimp shows that the best time to send a sales email is between 8 am. and noon, with interest dropping sharply after around 5 pm. Of course, others have compiled different results from their own research, so it is always a good idea to track sales emails yourself.

What separates sales emails, especially unsolicited ones,  from spam is personalization. We are huge proponents of using sales email templates, but that does not mean simply sending generic emails and waiting for the replies to roll in. Remember, no one wants to feel like they are talking to a robot!

So, you have to put in the work and learn a little something about your prospect. Find their websites, personal blogs, and social media profiles and find out what they are about. What are they working on right now? Which challenges are they facing? What causes are they passionate about? This kind of personalization gives you a better chance of connecting with prospective clients.

Take it a step further and search for recent news on their company which could be useful in your sales email. Not only will this show that you have done your research, it also proves that you care about the prospect. Of course, everyone knows the drill: you are sending the prospect a sales email because you want them to buy into something. But there is no need to be so obvious about it!

Another thing to keep in mind is that the prospect will only give you the time of day if you show that you can solve their problems. Instead of focusing on information that can be found easily on your company’s website, customize each email to show how your product or service can help the prospect solve a particular problem.

To seal the deal, include a statistic or two showing how your customers have already seen positive results with your company. This kind of social proof makes for a very convincing argument.

Successful sales emails work because they follow the simple process of “email first; call second.” Any email you send should be for the sole purpose of drumming up interest for your product or service. After that is done, you can send follow-up emails to schedule or coordinate meetings.

But what you should not do is attempt the actual selling using email. Instead, push for a phone call or face-to-face meeting to get to your sales pitch. Your initial interactions via email should make the prospect curious enough to agree to a call or meeting. This will be the perfect chance for you to go into the specifics of your service or product. If you handle that first email well, getting the meeting will be a snap.

You can use the initial email to introduce the prospect to your company, product, or service. The main goal at this stage is to establish your expertise and begin asking for the meeting.

Subject: Is this a fit for you, (prospect’s name)?

Hi (Prospect’s name),

I’m (your name) with (name of your company). We’re a (mention specific industry) that specializes in (mention your expertise) to (mention a typical challenge you help clients tackle).

We have worked with a few other companies in the (specific mention) industry like (Mention two or three current clients) to (mention services provided).

I’m wondering if you might be interested in an initial conversation to see if our (product/service) might be a fit for your company?

If so, are you open to a 15-minute phone call on (mention specific date and time) to discuss how (name of your company) can specifically help your business?

Thank you,

(Your name).

Subject: Lunch (or coffee) on me?

Hi (Prospect’s name),

I hope this email finds you well! I wanted to reach out to you because (mention how you got their contact information, such as you saw the prospect’s company online, talked to a colleague, or was referred to by someone).

I’ve been a fan of your work on (mention the prospect’s company, blog etc.) I especially loved reading about your work/thoughts on (mention the specific article or business achievement).

Because of your interest in (mention specific industry/topic), I thought I’d take this opportunity to introduce you to (name of company). (Name of company) has a great new platform that will help you/your team at (mention prospect’s company). Some of the benefits of this are:

I know that (product or service) will help (prospect’s company) to (mention high-level benefit).

I’d love to buy you a quick 30-minute lunch (or coffee) on (mention a specific date and time at least two weeks away) at (mention a spot close to their office) and take you through some of our (products/services). Would you be interested in that?

Cheers,

(Your name).

Subject: Pleasure meeting you earlier

Hey (Prospect’s name),

I really enjoyed meeting and chatting with you earlier today and learning more about your role at (prospect’s company). I understand the challenges you’re facing with (mention specific challenges you discussed in the meeting) and how they make it harder to (mention specific impacts on the team/company).

As promised, I have attached additional information about our products/services/ resources and how (your company) can help you boost (mention specific business objective) and solve (mention specific business problem).

Just let me know if you have any questions or concerns and I’d be happy to meet/chat with you again. If not, I look forward to meeting with you again on (mention specific date and time) at (mention specific place).

Best,

(Your name).

Subject: We’re flexible

Hi (Prospect’s name),

I know you are super busy managing your team and helping them boost (mention specific job function). I hope the resource I sent on how to (mention specific topic) was helpful, and that you can share it with the rest of the team. In case it got lost in translation, here it is again: (insert resource’s URL here).

Would you be available for a call on (mention specific date and time), (mention other date and time), or (mention date and time)?

Let me know what works best for you, or if you have any conflicts with the dates I have suggested. I would be happy to work around your schedule.

Cheers,

(Your name).

Writing an effective sales email is not rocket science; asking for meetings through one is even less complicated. It just takes a lot of research, time, and practice. But if you start applying the principles we have highlighted above, you will start seeing the quality of your sales emails improve. Needless to say, your email open and response rates will start climbing, too.

Do you have any more tips on how to start using sales emails to secure meetings with prospective clients? Don’t forget to leave them in the comments below!