My name is Deb Calvert, Inbound Sales Influencer, Ask Me Anything!
Hi, my name is Deb Calvert. I'm the author of DISCOVER Questions® Get You Connected(named one of "The Top 20 Most Highly-Rated Sales Books of All Time" by HubSpot) and of the new book, Stop Selling & Start Leading (to be released early 2018). I conduct research with buyers and provide field coaching and training to sales professionals. I teach the Sales Development Principles course at UC-Berkeley, and I'm here to answer your questions about sales behaviors that buyers prefer and respond to. We'll leave the tech and platform questions to the experts at HubSpot, but you can ask me anything about sales, buyers' preferences, and inbound strategies. If I don't know the answer, I'll find it for you! Between the AMA sessions, post questions for me here & I'll get back to you one way or another.
This AMA will take place over the next three weeks, encompassing my live session at INBOUND. I will be answering your questions live on the following dates:
- Thursday 21st September @ 11:00-noon eastern time
My name is Deb Calvert, Inbound Sales Influencer, Ask Me Anything!
Roisin - GREAT question!
I follow Heather Morgan and others who research sales emails. My answer is based, in part, on their research and also on my own observations as a field coach.
Let me start with what doesn't work. Maybe these tactics were useful in the past, but they're tired and worn out now. Buyers specifically say they do not like it when we:
- Put "Re:" in a subject line when it's the first contact and we're not replying to or referring to something from a previous email exchange. This comes across as sneaky and inauthentic.
- Use someone else's name in the subject line (ex: "John Smith said we should connect"). Buyers think this name dropping is a trick because sellers haven't actually been referred as they claim. And even when there is an actual referral, buyers often think it's an end run. One buyer recently told me "I know she called my boss just so she could make it look like my boss was telling me to take her call."
- Play to guilt or shame. Lately, lots of emails seem to be angling for a "shame on me!" response. They have subject lines like "I haven't heard back from you" or "This is my third attempt to reach you." Most buyers don't fall for the manufactured pressure and don't think very highly of sellers who seem to think they're entitlted to an instant response.
What does work in the subject line is something personal and inviting. Think of the subject line as you would a book or movie title. It should grab your attention and make you interested in finding out more. It doesn't need to be cutesy or clever. It does need to be clear and compelling.
Here are three examples of subject lines on emails I received today. For each, I'm including a revision that makes it stronger. At the CONNECT stage, these are people we don't have strong relationships with yet so the tone must be professional without being clinical. That's why I've edited out phrases like "Hey, Deb" and "regression analysis."
1. "Hey, Deb, don't you want to close more deals today?"
I'm not a fan of fake questions. There's obviously only one answer to this question, but my affirmative answer doesn't make me any more interested in this email. On the contrary, it makes me think that the sender must not understand sales very well if they could even ask a question like this. And then there's the false familiarity that tries to force casualness. It smacks of being inauthentic, and that shuts buyers down.
One thing this subject line does right is use my name. Putting the name of your prospect in the subject line does get their attention and interest.
A more straight-forward subject line would be: "Here's a way you can close more deals, Deb"
That's a subject line that compels me to read more. And that's the whole point of a subject line!
2. "Using regression analysis in compensation"
Ugh. Maybe this would be more interesting if I were a Compensation Analyst or a Finance Manager. But I'm not. That's why subject lines should take into account who you're sending them to. This one is, for me, a subject line that gets the e-mail fast-tracked to spam.
Because I am a consultant to sales organizations, I do have an interest in sales compensation. Just not regression analysis or anything too math-y. So, for me (and maybe for a majority of people) getting straight to benefits would be a better approach.
A more compelling, benefits-focused subject line would be "Create a comp plan that keeps your best employees happy"
3. "Re: How to PREDICTABLY generate high-ticket sales"
Here's the fake-out with a "Re:" that isn't real. Did the sender really think I'd fall for it and believe I initated the conversation?
What's good about this subject line is that it emphasizes a key word that is on the minds of many sales managers today. Predictable is good. High-ticket sales is good, too.
Taking the "Re:" out of this subject line would make it stronger and more authentic. I probably would have opened it if it didn't start with a deception.
Recap: Be authentic. Get straight to the point of the email. Include the benefit for reading the email. Use the recipient's name. Don't try to fool anyone. In the CONNECT stage, establishing trust and opening the relationship is your aim.
