• Add in a metaphor or analogy
  • • If __________ makes you feel as lost as last year’s Eater egg…
    • _________ so tough it would make the Rock jealous
    • Easier than assembling an Ikea bookcase
    • ____ without ___ is like summer without a Bomb Pop
    • ____ will seem faster than Usain Bolt in a Wiener Dog Race

 

You get the idea.

Remember, humor must be authentic to you. It also takes time to develop. Pay attention to what makes you chuckle, draw similarities to your products and services from something relatable, use specifics and have fun.

A word of caution, humor isn’t for everyone. Read the room. If you are selling mortuary services this tactic is probably not for you, even if your customers are dying to see you. (Ba Dum Tss!)

In all seriousness, humor lowers resistance & increases attention. Use it wisely.

CLIFFHANGERS

Another great tool to grab out of the email enchantment tool box is a cliffhanger. Cliffhangers keep your readers reading. A perfect tactic for any sales email. It creates curiosity. The same way Ross blurted out Rachel’s name during the vows at his wedding to Emily and we had to wait a whole week that seems like years to see what Emily said after being asked: “Should I go on?”

Sooo, that’s THREE 1990’s based GIFs in case your counting.

Cliffhangers work great as subject lines and about midway thought your email.

Here are some examples for each:

• Subject Lines
  • 5 Things You’d Never Know About
  • This. Is. It.
  • Have you heard?
  • Don’t do these 3 things
  • The phone is lava
  • The secret to ______is…
  • The #1 question I get asked…
  • Can I be honest with you?
  • You NEED to see this!

 

I mean who wouldn’t want to open these to read more?! I am dying to know more.

Get creative and don’t give away exactly what you’re going to talk about. However, your subject line MUST relate to what you are talking about- it can’t be arbitrary for the sake of getting attention.

Need help with more subject line ideas? I’ve got you covered right here!

• Mid Email (insert between two sections/paragraphs)
  • You are probably wondering:
  • Little did I/she/we know how important this would be.
  • So, what to do next…
  • But that is just part of the story.
  • Look:
  • Want to know the best part?

 

Yes, tell me more! I think this technique mid-email has is called “Bucket Brigade” if you care to read up on it. It is an effective tool that says one thing: keep reading.

Don’t overuse cliffhangers- you’ll come across as annoying and spammy. But a perfectly placed one will cut through like a hot knife on butter.

CONNECTION

I’ve sent plenty of emails to prospective clients and customers that resulted in zero response. Crickets. But I’ve learned a trick that does work, and I want to share it with you.

The trick is: connection

Give your prospects a relatable reason why they should want to connect with you. Otherwise, who cares? The trash can, maybe.

This requires (a little) research. I like to start with LinkedIn, then cover all the bases: check their Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, skim their blog, google their name, etc.

Find a connection, a commonality. Show them that you’ve done your homework.

When finding a reason to connect, look for things like:

• A mutual friend or colleague- “You know Dave? Holy cannoli!”
• Hometown, Alma Mater – “Go Wildcats!”
• Recent awards or achievements – “Congrats on …”

 

Call out the connection early on. It is much more difficult to ignore a cold email if it’s from someone who you share something in common with.

Plus, connection adds creditably.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume you know that starting a cold email with “Dear Sir” isn’t going to do much. To further the connection, make the email personal. Use their actual name, for instance.

“A person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” – Dale Carnegie

Use their name in the subject line, throw in a “Don’t you agree, Jen?” Think ultra-personalization.

Personalization increases open rates by 26%

Showing that you care and taking the time to find a real connection will not only help you get an email response, but it very well may turn into a real-life connection and friendship, so don’t skip this part.

FLATTERY

Piggybacking on connection, flattery is another great way to help your sales email stand out.

But first, drop the BS.

Most people can see artificial flattery accompanied obvious ulterior motives a mile away. It has to be real and it can’t be overdone.

A sales email should demonstrate that you took an interest in the prospect before pitching your product. You can do this by flattering the prospect honestly and genuinely.

Go back to your research. Was there an article they wrote that you loved, is their Instagram page visually stunning? Mention it and be specific. Further, did you watch their webinar and then follow up buy purchasing or downloading something of theirs to learn more. Share what action you took after.

Equally, you can flatter someone by asking for their opinion about something they are interested in. In other words, not your product or service. Then, tie it all together.

TRANSPARENCY

As soon as a potential customer catches on that your email is in fact a sales email, they will head directly to the delete button. To avoid that fate, you can call it out and be transparent about your messaging. Don’t tip toe around it like you’re in a field of Legos.

Hi Jamie,
This might surprise you, but this is another #coldemail. I know, right?! But listen….

Or

Hey Jack,
I know sales emails can be a bit awkward so here is a picture of our company dog to break the ice. Now that we are friends let me ask you a question…

Above all, let your prospect know what you want. A vague “I would love 15 minutes of your time to chat” isn’t going to get many people to block off time on their busy schedules. Be upfront, get to the point and be specific about your intentions.

Clear beats clever (but sometimes you can do both).

Being transparent will be a breath of fresh air in your prospect’s inbox.

Okay, What’s next?

Now that you have what you need to engage with your prospect/reader- here is a quick checklist to use before you send your sales email off to the world.

Brevity

Keep it short. Weed out any unnecessary jargon. Trim the fat. Being direct saves everyone time.

Call to Action

You’ve put a ton of work into crafting a sales email that will hopefully persuade your someone to engage with you further. Now you want to be sure they know exactly what to do in response to your email. Include a question at the end of your message that will give the prospect a reason to respond.

Value

Are you offering value? What is in it for the prospect? Make the value proposition clear. How can you help them? Moreover, what can you do in this particular email to add value? Share a useful article, make an introduction, give something away.

Gratitude

Most importantly, express gratitude. Gratitude is more powerful than we realize. A simple “Thanks so much for your time” can go a long way.

Follow up

Seriously. Follow up. Don’t assume they are ignoring you on purpose. Your email may just be buried- you need to dig it out. I recommend giving it 2 or 3 days before you shoot over a follow up email. Give them a little nudge but have patience. Understand that you are building a relationship, yes, you are sending a sales email, but it is so much more than that.

Whew…That was a lot, so let’s do a quick recap on this:

Use one or two of these techniques to craft an engaging email:

1. Storytelling
2. Humor
3. Cliffhangers
4. Connection
5. Flattery
6. Transparency

 

Then, check to make sure you have done the following:

1. Kept it short.
2. Included a call-to-action
3. Added value
4. Expressed gratitude
5. Proofread
6. Followed Up

 

Bonus: Pay attention what emails you open and the ones you delete- what can you learn from them? There is really nothing ninja about it. Test out your emails and change them up until you get results.

A great sales email can be powerful. They can make you memorable. Take the time to master it.

What techniques do you use in your sales emails? What’s the best sales email you have ever received? Share your ideas with me over on LinkedIn.