From Inbox to Impact: 10 Sales Email Templates That Resonate

Communication is about more than just reaching out. It's about connecting in a way that resonates with your audience, piquing their interest with a solution that holds promise for their specific needs or challenges. A key component of this communication process is crafting effective sales emails based on powerful, reusable sales email templates.

Many sales professionals will attest that a well-crafted sales email can be a powerful tool in the toolkit. Unlike a cold call, an email allows the recipient to engage at their own convenience, and it provides you with a platform to succinctly outline your value proposition, cultivate curiosity, and elicit responses. However, not all sales emails are created equal.

The effectiveness of sales emails typically comes down to their format, wording, and content. A compelling email needs to strike a delicate balance between being informative and persuasive while avoiding an overly salesy tone. Good sales emails don’t just push a product or service; they create an engaging narrative around how the recipient can resolve their issues or enhance their operations.

In this guide, we dig into the elements of successful sales emails and provide a selection of the best sales email templates to inspire your own outreach. Whether you're new to sales or a seasoned professional seeking fresh ideas, you’ll find actionable insights to streamline and enhance your sales email outreach engagement so your emails not only get opened but spur action.

Sales email best practices

Crafting emails that not only get opened but that also lead to meaningful engagement requires adherence to a set of best practices. In this section, we’ll discuss best practices you can use to create a sales email template (both B2B and B2C) that can effectively drive results.

1. Write engaging subject lines

The subject line is often the make-or-break factor in whether an email is opened. Crafting an engaging subject line means being clear, concise, and compelling. It should give the recipient a reason to click through, whether it's the promise of solving a problem, the opportunity to learn something valuable, or the potential to discover a tool that can make their life easier.

2. Use personalization

Generic emails get generic responses (if they get any response at all). Personalization goes beyond just using the recipient's name, though. It involves tailoring the email content to the reader’s specific needs, preferences, or past interactions with your brand. This can include referencing a recent conversion or acknowledging a challenge the reader may be facing. When building your email list, try to gather some additional personal details about new signups so you can make it feel as though you’re speaking directly to them.

3. Ethically leverage pain points in prospecting emails

Understanding and acknowledging your prospects' pain points can demonstrate empathy and insight, which are key ingredients in building trust. Of course, it's important to leverage this understanding ethically. That means offering genuine solutions rather than exploiting vulnerabilities. Frame your solutions as a means to alleviate issues in a helpful and constructive manner.

4. Integrate product or service details

While it's important to keep sales emails concise, providing a clear, brief introduction to your product or service is a must. Highlight key features or benefits that are most relevant to the reader’s needs. This integration helps them understand the tangible value of your offer.

5. Adapt proven sales email templates to suit various industries

There's no one-size-fits-all template for sales emails. A template that works wonders in the tech industry might not resonate with professionals in healthcare. Take proven templates as a foundation, but adapt them to the language, pain points, and aspirations unique to each audience you're targeting.

6. Utilize case studies and free trials in B2B sales email templates

Including case studies and free trial offers in your B2B sales emails can significantly increase their effectiveness. Case studies provide concrete examples of your success in similar contexts, while free trials offer a risk-free way for potential customers to experience your product's value firsthand. Together, they can effectively address objections and nudge leads toward taking the next step.

7. Follow up on your sales emails

Persistence, when conducted with respect for your lead’s time and interest, pays off in sales. If your initial email doesn't get a response, don't give up too quickly. Following up can sometimes be the push needed for a lead to take action, whether that's due to better timing or simply because your reminder stood out among their countless emails. A well-organized CRM can be a lifesaver when it comes to staying on top of communication history.

8. Optimize open rates with engaging email templates

Your sales email is competing with dozens, if not hundreds, of others in your lead’s inbox. You can’t afford to be boring. An engaging email is authentic, vibrant, and thoughtfully composed. It reflects the unique value you offer and why your message is worth the reader’s time.

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10 effective sales email templates to get you started

Here’s a curated collection of 10 thoughtfully written sales email templates catering to various industries, scenarios, and sales cycle stages. You can use these sales email templates as a starting point to craft compelling messages, paving the way for meaningful conversations and successful conversions. Take a look, adapt them to your needs, and watch them improve your business communications in no time.

1. Cold outreach email

What it is: A cold sales outreach email is an unsolicited contact with a potential client or customer who has had no previous interaction or relationship with your company.

When to use it: A cold outreach email is used when you want to initiate a conversation with a potential prospect that may benefit from your product or service.

Why it works: The key to the success of a cold outreach email is establishing a genuine connection and focusing on addressing the recipient's needs. Such emails cut through the noise of the recipient's inbox by offering value, personalization, and an open invitation for further discussion.

Template

2. Post-event follow up email

What it is: A post-event follow-up email is a message sent to prospects and contacts you've interacted with during a recent event, conference, or meeting.

When to use it: Send a post-event follow-up email when you want to follow up with attendees you met at an event and turn the initial connection into a potential partnership or sale.

Why it works: These emails work because they capitalize on the connection made at the event and provide an opportunity for further engagement with the lead. A follow-up email shows interest in your lead’s needs and offers additional resources to continue the conversation.

Template

3. Limited time offer email

What it is: A limited-time offer email is a promotional email aimed at creating urgency and encouraging potential or existing customers to take action with an exclusive or time-sensitive deal.

When to use it: A limited-time offer email is useful when you want to incentivize recipients to take advantage of a special offer or promotion.

Why it works: These emails work because they capitalize on the fear of missing out (FOMO) by creating a sense of genuine urgency while providing value.

Template

4. Solution-focused soft sell email

What it is: This email template is crafted to promote a product or service indirectly by focusing on the solutions it offers for specific customer pain points rather than pushing for an immediate sale.

When to use it: Use this template after identifying a potential problem or pain point the prospect might be experiencing, which your product or service can solve, typically after some initial interaction or lead qualification.

Why it works: Soft selling is effective because it builds trust and provides value to the prospect. By focusing on solutions, you can establish credibility and pave the way for relationship-building, which can potentially lead to a sale.

Template

Recommended Reading

Beginner’s Guide to Solution Selling (Definition and Examples)

5. Re-engagement email for lost leads

What it is: A re-engagement email aims to reactivate a lead that has gone cold or a former customer who has not purchased in a while.

When to use it: This template is used when a lead or a past customer has disengaged with prior sales attempts or hasn't made repeat purchases, and you want to reignite their interest.

Why it works: A well-crafted re-engagement email reminds the client of your company and the value you offer, potentially reviving their interest. Reaching out can rekindle their memory and lead to re-engagement based on nostalgia or previous satisfaction.

Template

6. Referral requisition email

What it is: A referral request email is sent to satisfied customers to encourage them to refer your product or service to others who might benefit from it.

When to use it: Send this template after a customer has made a successful purchase and expressed satisfaction with your product or service, usually after a positive follow up interaction.

Why it works: Satisfied customers are more likely to refer others due to the trust and positive experience they've had with your brand. Such emails can harness word-of-mouth to potentially drive new business.

Template

7. Upselling email

What it is: An email that promotes a higher-value product or add-on, designed to increase the value of the customer’s original purchase.

When to use it: Send this when a customer has already been using your product/service satisfactorily and you have an upgrade or added feature that will enhance their experience or results significantly.

Why it works: By demonstrating added value or convenience, upselling emails can encourage current customers to invest more in a product/service that they already appreciate, thereby increasing overall revenue.

Template

Recommended Reading

Upselling in a Customer-First Company

8. Targeted offer email

What it is: A sales email that presents a targeted offer to a specific segment of your customer or prospect list, usually based on their previous interactions, purchases, or demonstrated interests.

When to use it: When you have a special promotion, discount, or a unique package that fits the needs of a specific group within your audience, and you want to increase conversions by making a timely, relevant offer.

Why it works: By acknowledging the recipient's unique interests or needs with a targeted offer, the message feels more personalized and relevant, which can lead to a higher conversion rate than general blanket promotions.

Template

9. Email after sales rejection

What it is: An email sent after a prospect has decided against purchasing your product/service.

When to use it: Use this when a prospect has explicitly declined or a deal has fallen through.

Why it works: Even if the prospect rejected your offer, maintaining a positive relationship could lead to future opportunities. This email also provides an opening to request feedback to understand any factors that may have influenced their decision.

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10. Case study email

What it is: This email showcases how your products/services have already delivered value to other customers.

When to use it: You can send this email at any point in the sales cycle, but it's particularly impactful after you've already had initial discussions and the prospect is aware of how your offerings align with their needs.

Why it works: Proven success improves your credibility and illustrates the potential value your offerings bring to prospects.

Template

Adapting existing sales email examples into sales email templates

According to eMarketer, half of B2B marketers in the U.S. alone believe that email marketing is the most impactful channel on their multichannel strategy. This is a double-edged sword for those who want to use email as a sales channel. On one hand, your emails will have to be engaging enough to compete in increasingly crowded inboxes. On the other hand, there’s no shortage of inspiration to be found for creating your own sales emails. A quick look into your own inbox will probably get you a couple at least.

In this section, we’ll take a look at a handful of actual sales emails and show you how to turn them into templates you can use in your own business.

Getaway

What it is: This email provides readers a new way to connect with the company.

When to use it: You can send this email when you have a new feature to announce and want to increase feature adoption.

Why it works: Offering a discount is a tried and true way to encourage feature adoption — particularly when you’re requesting even greater access to someone through additional communication channels.

How to templatize it:

Include a relevant image with a headline that conveys the new feature’s value proposition. In the example above, the headline “Let’s keep in touch” tells readers that this new feature will give them another way to learn about Getaway’s products and services.

Here’s what your template might look like:

Kajabi

What it is: This email is a limited-time offer that encourages readers to sign up to take advantage of a discount.

When to use it: Since this is a standard acquisition email, you would send it to people on your email list who haven’t signed up for your product. Once they’ve signed up, you can onboard them with one of the templates here.

Why it works: This email touches on pain points the target audience experiences and provides them with a solution. While it’s clearly a sales email, it offers important details about the benefits to the reader and makes it seem as though the company does care about the reader.

How to templatize it:

Once again, we’re starting with a relevant image and a headline that touches on a particular pain point — in this case, the cost of tools to run an online business.

Here’s what your template could look like:

Spotify

What it is: This email is an invitation to a live webinar or masterclass.

When to use it: You would use this email to get readers to attend your live webinar. It could also be used for in-person events with some changes.

Why it works: This email offers a free educational opportunity for readers who are already using or who are interested in learning more about Spotify for podcasters.

How to templatize it:

Here’s what your template could look like:

Crafting compelling sales email templates

We've covered a variety of best practices and templates to make your sales emails stand out. More than just elements of crafting an email, these are the building blocks of effective sales communication that, when used wisely, could redefine the way you connect with your audience.

It’s important to remember that the journey of improving your sales emails is iterative. Stay open to learning, adjusting, and re-strategizing based on how your audience responds. As you move forward, feel free to use the curated email templates included here as a launchpad while embellishing them with your own brand personality.