Marketing executives are typically very busy people. Email, while an integral part of what we do, can be a hassle and isn’t always prioritized like sales reps may believe. According to Salesforce, it can take 3 or more emails to elicit a response, and even then you may not get the answer you’re looking for.
But the same Salesforce post states that you’re most likely to elicit a response from the first reach-out attempt, so it’s important to make it good. The email below caught my attention immediately and may be one of the best examples of a first-attempt prospecting email I’ve ever received. This email possesses a number of characteristics that make it an irresistible prospecting email. If you want to send successful emails to marketing executives that get responses, try mapping yours like the one below.
The four keys to getting a marketing executive to open your email:
- Have a personal, captivating title
This sales rep did her homework. She knew where I went to school and when I graduated (which isn’t too hard to do, especially using LinkedIn), but it shows a level of research and personalization that an alarming amount of prospecting emails don’t display. The rep also knew that this subject line would grab my attention, because I was likely looking forward to my college reunion. This subject line includes just enough personal information to entice me to open the email, without getting too specific.
- Make a human connection
By kicking off the email with a personal connection over our shared Alma Mater, I am quickly paying attention because Harvard is something I care about. Making this connection right off the bat blows other prospecting emails out of the water, mainly because they typically don’t try to go past a business connection.
- Introduce yourself
When this sales rep clearly tells me who she is and what she does, I am less likely to brush her off as “just another sales email.” This of course builds off of the credibility she earned by making the human connection in #2, and since she gets right to this information I am more inclined to continue reading.
- Give a clear call-to-action
This rep, likely because she was prospecting on LinkedIn, knows that I regularly use LinkedIn and leverages that information to make her case. By knowing that my company works with other marketing software tools, she clearly understands how her own solution can help my company. Notice she doesn’t mention other companies/customers/competitors in this email; name-dropping is not a way to impress prospects. Also, asking for a specific amount of time is always helpful for when the inevitable demo scheduling occurs.
This sales rep keeps up a friendly demeanor throughout the email, doesn’t get too wordy, and manages to keep it short and sweet. When it comes to prospecting, don’t overthink your emails. It may be tempting to get creative—but a lot of the time these can come off as overbearing or superficial. Keep it simple with a compelling subject line, a human connection, and a clear call-to-action, and you’re likely to see a higher response rate from those marketing executives in your pipeline.
