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Here are your 25 Proven Sales Email Templates!

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The Emails

We’ve provided context around each email so you know how to best use each one. We suggest you use the templates as a starting point and tailor each email to your prospects’ context. Don't send these emails as they are—personalization is key.

Use the navigation bar below to jump to the type of email template you need.

First Touch Emails

The “Land a Meeting with Anyone” Email That Works 9 Out of 10 Times

Scenario: You’re trying to find the decision maker in the company
Contributor: Bryan Kreuzberger, Founder of Breakthrough Email

This first touch email leverages existing corporate hierarchies to schedule your first meeting. Nine times out of ten, this template is all I need to book a meeting. 

First Touch Best Practice: Email Back Strategically

Scenario: Your prospect emails you back with a ton of questions
Contributor: Rachel Miller, Sandler Training

When we receive inquiry emails, we often find they are loaded with questions. For instance: “How much does it cost?”, “What kinds of services do you offer?”, “Yes, I did request that white paper—now how do I take the next step?”, “What can you tell me regarding how you might be able to help my company?”, “Could you send me a list of the different products that you have and their pricing?”

These questions are a good thing. The prospect, interested in learning more, reached out and started a conversation. But, as you’ve probably discovered, trying to answer all the questions through email just results in an ineffective volley of hollow emails that bounce back and forth indefinitely, and make it nearly impossible to close an initial sale. In many cases, these back-and- forth emails are not even an effective way of selling after the person has become a customer!

When the email comes in, you have a few options on how to deal with it. You can wait to address it. You can send an email reply. Or you can call the person directly.

As a go-getter, your first instinct might be to pick up the phone and dial the number immediately. Resist that urge.

When prospects make this type of inquiry, we suggest you respond by email first without answering ALL of the questions. It’s okay to volley the conversation back and forth a few times over email, so long as you don’t send too much or inaccurate information.

Remember, your goal should be taking the conversation offline, not on closing a sale through email. The point bears repeating: If you try to close via email, you’ll likely get stuck in a confusing and frustrating back-and-forth cycle with a prospect’s who’s probably getting frustrated, too. Another problem, of course, is that if you give a great deal of information via email, you fall into the traditional (ineffective) selling approach of premature presentation. Prescribing a solution to your prospect’s problem before you properly diagnose it is sales malpractice.

Frequently, your call will go right into the prospect’s voice mail and get lost in the clutter. If that happens, your odds of having a meaningful conversation with the prospect decrease drastically. If the prospect wanted a phone conversation right away, she would have called you instead of emailing!

What if you had simply responded through email with something like this?

“Hi Mary, thank you very much for thinking of us. Would you mind if we took this conversation to the phone?”

A message like that will substantially increase your odds of closing the sale with Mary. She knows you’ve seen her phone number at the bottom of her email. But even if the contact phone number isn’t there, you’ll find that prospects frequently respond positively when you ask for permission to speak on the phone. Prospects will say, “Yes, that’s fine. You can reach me this afternoon at 123-456-7890.”

One reason this works is that even though you could have called Mary, you didn’t. Therefore, you don’t appear to be needy or unsuccessful. Rather, you’re portraying an attitude of experience and success. You demonstrated respect for the boundary the prospect created by using email, and you didn’t come off as desperate. People love to do business with successful people, and this approach helps create that impression.

Of course, what you write in your initial email response depends to some extent on what the prospect said or asked you. Let’s imagine Mary sent you an initial email loaded with questions, and she expects some answers in your response. You can try using what we call a “reverse” – a response that answers a question with a question – in your email.

For example: 

Note the strokes and softening statements before the question. That’s what effectively reversing a question in an e-mail looks like. Instead of listing features and benefits, you answered her question with a question of your own. Why? Because getting her on the phone will help you more effectively understand her situation and discover her pain, which is the true reason for her email. Additionally, verbal communication gives you a much better opportunity to build rapport, an essential prerequisite to effective communication… and to closing the sale.

In some cases, you may decide to answer some of her questions when you are sure that there is no risk in answering those queries. In this situation, you’re not giving away information that will help Mary to “shop you” against competitors. Instead, your answers will help you establish enough rapport to get a phone conversation.

For example, let’s say you are in the computer network support business and you feel it’s safe to answer a question like this: “We have local area networks and use some cloud-based applications. Can you support a network like that?”

Your email might both respond and reverse:

“Hi, Mary. Thank you so much for thinking of us. Yes, in fact, we do support local area networks as well as the cloud. Could you be kind enough to tell me a little bit more about your project?”

With her initial questions answered, Mary will likely respond with some more information and probably a few more questions of her own. At this point you’ve established some rapport, so you would answer with:

“Thanks again for reaching out. I want to answer all your questions, and I also want to be sure I’m giving you accurate answers. So, I have a few questions I’d like to ask you. Would you mind if we took this conversation to the phone?”

In all likelihood, when you send this, you won’t look as a tiger prowling in the grass for prey, but as a conscientious person struggling a bit, and trying to do a good job. Often, the prospect will agree to the phone call.

The "Congrats On the New Role" Email That Got a Prospect to Ask for a Meeting

Scenario: When you learn that the prospect is new in their role
Contributor: Caroline Ostrander, Business Development Rep at HubSpot

Caroline saw that a prospect had just started in their role and decided to reach out to immediately build rapport. The result? The prospect ended up asking her for a meeting.

First Touch Best Practice: Unveil The Wizard

Scenario: You're trying to identify your prospect's interest
Contributor: Rachel Miller, Sandler Training

Prospects will often use email to put the salesperson in a subservient position, and at a distance, making it difficult to move them through the sales pipeline. How do we change this dynamic? The answer comes from a classic Hollywood film.

Do you remember the fellow in the movie The Wizard of Oz who hid behind the curtain? That’s right: The Wizard! The curtain protected him and made him seem pretty scary as he pulled levers, making lights flash and thunder roar. People were scared and intimidated. When he finally got out from behind the curtain, though, he became easier to deal with, and more human.

If we’re not careful, email exchanges can create a kind of “Wizard Syndrome”. As long as prospects hide behind a curtain of emails, they seem distant, mysterious, and all-powerful. Once the curtain comes down, though, the conversation becomes a lot more substantive.

Follow Up Emails

The "Still Interested?" Email That Closed a $100,000 Deal with a Client That Went Dark

Scenario: When a prospect goes dark and you get a notification showing they might be interested again
Contributor: Mack McGee, Executive VP & Principal at Groove

Mack McGee was sure he would land a contract with a prestigious client, but they suddenly fell off the map. After multiple follow ups and no response, he gave up. Nine months later, he received a HubSpot Sales email tracking notification indicating that this lead from nine months ago had reopened his last email. Mack sent him the follow-up email below which ended up closing a $100,000 deal he thought he had lost.

The "I Just Called You" Email That Gets an 80% Response Rate within 24 Hours

Scenario: After leaving a voicemail
Contributor: Colleen Francis, Owner of Engage Selling Solutions

You tried calling, but your prospect didn’t pick up. To improve your chances of hearing back, send the follow-up email below immediately after leaving a voicemail and specify a specific date and time for the next call.

This works because clients aren’t always at their desks to take calls. The email is short and directive, making it easy to read and respond to. Prospects can answer with a short response from their phone. The email has an 80% response rate within 24 hours.

Follow Up Best Practice: Craft Email Messages That Build Better Rapport

Scenario: You want to build trust with your prospect
Contributor: Rachel Miller, Sandler Training

There are a couple of things you can do to support good rapport as you try to convert the email exchange to a phone conversation.

When an email comes in, and you’re ready to respond, mirror and match the way your prospect wrote the email. In other words, if the prospect sent an email in green font, match the color. If the message is written with large letters, reply in large letters; if it’s in small letters, reply in small letters—match the font size.

If the email is personalized, be sure to personalize your reply in the same way. If the email is more cryptic — for example, if they don’t even say “Hi Greg” or “Dear Greg” — then eliminate your greeting as well. Additionally, match the way the prospect closed the email. Perhaps she wrote, “Thanks,” “Sincerely,” or “All the best.” Use your email to do the same.

Mirroring and matching is a great technique for establishing bonding and rapport. People buy from people they like… and people like people like themselves. If you can establish some rapport before you even get on the phone with the prospect, you’ll be that much closer to figuring out whether there’s a problem you can solve… and that much closer to closing the sale.

Here’s another concept that works well to create rapport: Respond quickly! Remember this Sandler principle: “Time kills deals.” Because email is a time- sensitive medium, responding quickly will always be seen as a good thing by the prospect. It helps inspire the person to converse with you on the phone as they perceive you as a no-nonsense person who is “on the ball.”

The "Learn More" Email That Opens Up The Dialogue for Another Conversation

Scenario: When your first conversation didn’t uncover a lot of information
Contributor: Dave Kurlan, CEO of Kurlan & Associates, Author of Baseline Selling

If your first conversation didn't uncover a lot of information, you can open up the dialogue to speak more about their challenges using this email.

The “Next Step” Email That Creates Urgency

Scenario: When you don’t know the next step
Contributor: Bryan Kreuzberger, Founder of Breakthrough Email

You might’ve gotten a response to your email, or got on a call, but didn’t set up the next steps to keep the conversation going. These two emails can help you get back on track.

Follow Up Best Practice: The Problem Statement Format

Scenario: You’re trying to find a way to structure your sales email.
Contributor: Bryan Kreuzberger, Founder of Breakthrough Email

Many sales emails aren’t clear and don’t get the desired response from a prospect. This problem statement structure is a format you can use so your prospect understands what you are requesting.

Here are the 5 elements of the problem statement structure: (1) Now, (2) But, (3) What, (4) Why, and (5) How.

Problem Statement Structure

  • Current situation: What are the facts? What happened?
  • But, something changed: What changed?
  • The problem: What’s the problem?
  • Motivation: Why does the reader care? What’s in it for them?
  • How do we fix it: What action do you want them to take?

Here is a sample we used for our email newsletter following this format:

The "Curious Why You Didn't Buy" Email That Increased Conversion Rates by 1,100%

Scenario: When you give a demo but the prospect doesn’t purchase
Contributor: Amanda Holmes, CEO Chet Holmes International

This template was created when Amanda didn’t see the sales she expected after one of her webinars and was trying to figure out why. So she decided to ask.

This email converted more sales than all of her other webinar follow ups combined and increased her conversion rate by 1,100%.

The "Non-Annoying Follow Up" Email That Builds Rapport

Scenario: Following up after a conversation and continuing the dialogue
Contributor: Amanda Holmes, CEO Chet Holmes International

Amanda, her team of consultants, and her clients use this template every time they write a follow up letter. Amanda suggests you send a follow up within an hour of your meeting.

The “Check Out This Useful Article” Email That Continues the Conversation

Scenario: You’ve already spoken with the prospect and want to provide value to keep the conversation going
Contributor: Jill Konrath, Sales Strategist and Author of bestselling books Agile Selling, SNAP Selling & Selling to Big Companies

The first time Jill used this strategy, she was not trying to get a response. She simply read an interesting article that was relevant to her prospect and she felt compelled to forward the article to him. He responded within the hour with a message asking for a meeting.

The "In the Neighborhood" Email That Gets In-Person Meetings

Scenario: When you’re in the same city as your prospect
Contributor: Scott Britton, Co-Founder of Troops

This email is great if you can’t get a prospect to commit to a meeting or a deal is stalled.

The “Follow-Up Set Up” Email That Gets a 50% Response Rate

Scenario: When they ask you to follow up at a later date.
Contributor: Bryan Kreuzberger, Founder of Breakthrough Email

The prospect isn't always ready to buy when you want them to but may ask you to follow up again later down the line. To speed up your sales cycle and increase the likelihood of reconnecting, schedule the meeting right away.

The “What Would Need to Change” Email That Gets a 30% Response Rate

Scenario: When they aren’t interested at this time
Contributor: Bryan Kreuzberger, Founder of Breakthrough Email

If someone says not at this time, it means that right now is not appropriate. So you need to figure out is what needs to change for it to be appropriate.

They might say, "We are not interested at this time. If anything changes, I will let you know."

The “Keeping Your Information Counter” Email That Gets a 30% Response Rate

Scenario: When they offer to keep your information on file
Contributor: Bryan Kreuzberger, Founder of Breakthrough Email

In this case, the prospect might say, "Thanks for writing. I will keep your information on file. I will reach out if something changes." Most of the time, they're indirectly telling you they aren’t interested, but sometimes they just aren't ready to talk yet.

Note from Bryan: I have never heard back from someone who said they will keep my information on file. I used to think that some day if I was patient they would come calling. Silly me.

Break Up Emails

The "Breakup Email" That Gets a 33% Response Rate

Scenario: When your prospect has ignored your numerous follow up attempts
Contributor: Katharine Derum, Sales Manager at HubSpot

When your prospect may have completely fallen off the map and ignored your multiple follow-up attempts, a breakup email can often do the trick.

The “I Feel Like a Stalker” Email That Got a 70% Response Rate and Booked 30+ Silicon Valley Executives

Scenario: Your prospect hasn’t responded after multiple follow up emails
Contributor: Lloyed Lobo, Co-Founder of Traction Conf and Head of Growth at Speakeasy.co

Lloyed had emailed and followed up with 250+ Silicon Valley executives to book them to speak at his conference. He had five days to contact everyone and fill up the speaker line-up. After the initial invitation and multiple follow ups, he had one more trick up his sleeve and was able to book Silicon Valley executives such as:

  • CEO of Zenefits, Parker Conrad
  • CMO of Slack, Bill Macaitis
  • Co-founder of EventBrite, Julia Hertz
  • COO of Evernote, Linda Kozlowski

The “Permission to Close Your File” Email That Gets a 76% Response Rate

Scenario: When prospects completely stop responding to your emails
Contributor: Bryan Kreuzberger, Founder of Breakthrough Email

Only use this email if you follow up with someone two or three times and don't hear back. If used incorrectly, it may come off as threatening. The goal here is to re-connect with people who have completely halted communication with you. You shouldn't use this email if you're trying to start a relationship.

The "Looking for Input" Email To Learn From Lost Opportunities

Scenario: You asked for permission to close their file and they said yes
Contributor: Bryan Kreuzberger, Founder of Breakthrough Email

What do you do once someone says no to you? It’s a learning opportunity. The email below is an example of how you can respond.

A Full Email Sequence That Closed $100,000 in 30 Days

From First Touch, to Follow Up, to Break Up.

No.1: The "Free to Chat?" Email That Opens Up the Conversation

Follow Up Best Practice: Connect More Effectively With People Who Downloaded Information From Your Website

Scenario: You're getting back to someone who downloaded a whitepaper or an e-book
Contributor: Rachel Miller, Sandler Training

The rules change just a bit when you are following up with prospects who have just downloaded information (for example, white papers like this one) from your website. These exchanges are in a different category from people who sent a direct email requesting information and specific answers. Of course, some of the principles and techniques previously discussed still apply. Here are the best guidelines to follow.

Respond as quickly as possible. This point is worth emphasizing. The chances are high that the prospect has made inquiries to competitors. Studies show that in many cases responding more than thirty minutes after the prospect’s inquiry can be too late! You are in a horse race to decide who gets ahold of the prospect first. Whoever does is likeliest to win the deal.

In this case, you DO want to call first whenever possible, instead of emailing first. This is because response time is key. If you call and don’t reach the prospect, you can leave a message like this: “Hi Jack, this is Greg from Sandler Training. Thank you so much for reaching out and downloading our eBook, ‘Why Salespeople Fail and What to Do about It.’ I have a question for you. It’s kind of important, but not urgent, so please give me a call when you get a chance at 123-456-7890. Thanks.” 

If you get the prospect on the phone, or when he calls back, establish appropriate rapport and then ask a question like this: “Can you help me with why you were interested in the white paper, and what you were hoping to learn?” This technique will help you to engage the prospect in a meaningful conversation and find out whether there are challenges in his world that you can help to address.

No.2: The "Here's a Free Tool" Email That Provides Value to the Prospect

No.3: The "Trying to Connect" Email That Understands the Prospect is Busy

No.4: The "Permission to Close Your File" Email That Gracefully Closes the Loop

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