Mastering the World of Selling: The Ultimate Training Resource from the Biggest Names in Sales

Chapter 47. Create E-Mail Subject Lines That Draw Prospects In

Kendra Lee

KLA Group

E-mail is now the preferred prospecting tool, far surpassing the phone, to the relief of many sellers who hate cold calling. Yet it hasn't necessarily made prospecting any easier. Response rates are low and many sellers are discouraged by how difficult it is to engage contacts.

Often the culprit is the subject line. It's one of the most important keys to getting people to open your e-mails.

Many sellers love to use fun subject lines like "Enticing Ideas: Kendra Lee, Did You Catch the Wave?" They think that a bit of humor will lighten the recipient's day, prompting them to open it.

Wrong.

Remember who you're writing to and what you're trying to accomplish. Your e-mail is no different than a cold call. You're interrupting the day of an already overworked person.

Picture Steve. He has six meetings and one action item to conquer today. In fly 40, 50, possibly even 100 e-mails throughout the day. While humor is fun, it's a waste of valuable time that Steve doesn't have. Instead of laughing at cute subject lines and enjoying his mail, he's looking for reasons to hit "delete" and avoid another thing landing on his plate. If he doesn't recognize your name immediately, your lighthearted subject line instantly hits the delete barrier.

Regardless of how busy he is, you want your subject line to draw Steve in with a personal and compelling message.

If you're attempting to secure an appointment or invite a prospect to ...