Prospecting Email Templates to Start Using

Email Templates

1. Congratulate them.

Do your research. There is more information available about prospects today than at any other time in the history of selling. Visit your prospect's website, search Google, set up alerts, view LinkedIn to dig into their professional dossier, stop by Facebook to learn about their kids’ or grandkids’ favorite sports, look into trigger events, and append all this information to your contact records.

Be creative with this approach. Figure out ways you can congratulate your prospects. Flattery works.

2. Boost their mission.

Congratulations on your new role as VP Marketing. Based on your LinkedIn profile, it looks like you've done an amazing job developing your career at [company]. If there are ways I can help you get your message out to my network of [title of people they’re trying to reach], please connect me with the right people. I'm a fan and I want to help.

Try this approach with CEOs. CEOs and business owners are usually the creators of their vision and the ones most involved with communicating it.

3. Provide immediate value.

Find a way to provide some value up front, even if it’s just your expertise. Just be careful not to be too critical in your first email. Starting with a compliment softens the blow of any criticism.

Your website's design is absolutely brilliant. The visuals really enhance your message and the content compels action. I've forwarded it to a few of my contacts who I think could benefit from your services.

When I was looking at your site, though, I noticed a mistake that you've made re: search engine optimization. It's a relatively simple fix. Would you like me to write it up so that you can share it with your web team? If this is a priority, I can also get on a call.

Providing immediate value for free is something that software companies have mastered through premium business models, creating some of the fastest growing businesses ever. Free feature-limited or usage-limited software offers value before any money changes hands.

If you’re a service provider, partner with a software company that has a freemium model. For example, if you’re an accountant, partner with Expensively to introduce free expense report tools. If you sell sales training services, recommend a product like free email tracking tool. As long as you are the person introducing free value, prospects will appreciate it.

4. Offer help.

Remember, your goal in the initial email is to simply get a response. With this in mind, your offer of immediate help might not be related to your service. In fact, it might even be related to another service.

Welcome to town. My family and I enjoyed a nice dinner at your new Sudbury location last month. I really enjoyed the scallops and risotto. I'll be back.

I drove by your restaurant last night fairly late (I play indoor soccer at night.. I noticed that you were open, which is nice -- I'll be bringing the guys by for a beer after next week's practice. But, I thought you were closed at first glance. I saw a few people sitting at the bar, but the light in front of the restaurant was really dim.

5. Compliment them.

You could give cash away to your prospects. That might get their attention. Or you can offer what this study says people appreciate just as much as cash- a compliment.

Your article the other day with the three email templates really inspired me. I forwarded to a few of my clients. One of them has really been struggling to connect with key prospects and we've implemented your advice. A prospect they've been trying to reach for a year now responded within an hour.

6. Build rapport using common interests.

Warning: Don't be creepy. Salespeople of yesteryear could get away with walking into a buyer's office, noticing the photo of the prospect’s grandchildren, and remarking, “You have a beautiful family.” Today, the framed picture of decades past has become the digital photos on Facebook.

Salespeople should certainly incorporate Facebook into their research. But that doesn’t mean you should open with "How was your grandkids' soccer practice on Sunday?" That'll compel a prospect to issue a restraining order, not email you back. Instead, start with the safe stuff like common personal interests.

7. Talk to lower-level employees.

While there's lots of information online, nothing beats insight gleaned from someone who knows your buyer. This is especially critical if you sell to finance, IT, or other back-office professionals, since it’s difficult to inspect or observe how they do their jobs from an external vantage point.

The trick to this one is that you have to go into conversations with employees with the intention of gathering intelligence. Every company has customer-facing employees. Start with your prospect's salespeople. They will probably answer their phone and as peers they know and may empathize with your struggle. They might also have a vested interest in their company investing in your solution.

Another great source of information is past employees. I've interviewed hundreds of people with one foot out the door. Usually, they're careful not to bash their current company when interviewing for a new one, for fear of giving the impression that they are an excuse-maker. But after they leave, they are a lot more willing to speak freely about the issues at their last company.

8. Talk to your prospect's customers.

Two of your customers had excellent things to say about you: [Company #1] and [Company #2]. Your software has had a huge impact on the growth of their businesses.

Most likely, you'll find positive stuff. But, if you talk to a disgruntled or unsuccessful customer, use that information too.

9. Talk to your prospect's vendors.

Vendors are another resource to learn about a company. Trusted service providers are in a great position to refer you. Not only do they know how your prospect buys things - they can make introductions.

Your commercial real estate broker, [name], suggested I reach out to you. Someone in your organization had told them conference room booking is a real challenge. Everything is always booked - even when people aren't in the room.

Make sure you get permission to use names when referencing vendors. The last thing you want to do is get your referral partner fired. Ask, "Would you mind if I email [Prospect] and say that you suggested we talked?" Then, you're free to write, "[Vendor] asked me to email you to see if I could help." Or just call and start off with "I was talking to [Vendor], and … "

10. Talk to friends (and strangers).

While not always good advice (especially for children), talking to strangers is a smart idea too. Whether they're friends, acquaintances, or folks on the fringe, talking to people outside your universe can lead to great connections to prospects.

A quick story. My family and I moved to a new house in May. We've become good friends with neighbors down the street. The husband owns his own business that is way out of my wheelhouse: hydrokinetic energy production. Nonetheless, I asked him who his target VCs was. After a quick LinkedIn search, I noticed that a partner I know knows the managing partner of one of my neighbor’s target VC firms.

A few emails later, the connection was made. While I have no experience with hydrokinetic energy production, that didn’t prevent me from making a valuable connection. Everyone you meet is like me: They know people who know people.

My friend, [name], told me that you’d be willing to meet up with me to discuss my business and see if we might work together.

11. Respond to content your prospects publishes.

Pay attention to what your prospects are publishing online. They are sharing massive clues about their current initiatives that provide great openings for a dialogue.

Your CEO posted an article about expanding globally which speaks highly of the work you're doing. Judging from a quick LinkedIn search, I can see you're the guy who is probably making that happen. Congrats on the success. I know it's hard to duplicate the success of the home office.

Usually, managing directors are involved with setting budgets and are under pressure from CFOs to minimize startup cost. I'm an expert at helping companies minimize these types of expenses.

12. Send your company's content.

Your blog article about [topic] was excellent. Your eBook   on the topic was even better. The part about [section] was amazing because [reason].

But, I had to click around your website quite a bit to find the eBook. Have you ever thought about putting a call to action on the blog post that encourages visitors to download your whitepaper on the same subject?