Email Opening Lines that Pop!

Using our advanced programmatic targeting technology, Genius Monkey can reach out to the right consumers at the right time, generating a great number of potential customers. However, your marketing campaign is only as good as the manner in which your sales team follows up! This is especially true regarding the effectiveness of your emails, and how well you are able to capture the readers’ attention from the very first line. Many emails go straight into the trash file because of boring, non-engaging opening lines. Most of the potential consumers that your sales staff is responding to don’t have time to read everything that comes across their screen.

Here are a few tips that may help you increase the effectiveness of your emails by using opening lines that are designed to leave your customers wanting to read more. This list of proven email introductions was inspired by HubSpot, the leader in email and CRM tools. They are effective for business to business, as well as business to client messages. Give these opening lines a try and see what they can do for the effectiveness of your email responses.

“Did you know that … (insert interesting fact or statistic)?”

You may have you done your homework enough to know about a particular problem that you can solve for your prospect’s company. Presenting a pertinent fact that may help them with that problem is definitely a good way to get their attention; especially if that fact or statistic is new or unknown to them.

“I really enjoyed reading your article, blog post, tweet, etc.”

By nature, people enjoy getting compliments. By opening your email with a line similar to this, it shows that you have a genuine interest in your prospect’s company, and that you have done your homework. This kind of opening initiates a conversation about something you know your prospective client is interested in. It also increases your credibility, making your prospect more likely to take you seriously.

“I see that your company is in the process of…”

This can really take your potential client off guard-in a good way, of course. By using Google alerts, you can monitor the movements of the company and take note of any major occurrences. When you see this happening, it’s a great time to strike by sending an email that correlates the prospective company with the product or service that you offer.

“I heard you speak at the mixer, and really enjoyed…”

If you ever get the chance to hear your prospect speak at some type of function, it is a great opportunity to let them know that you listened to what they had to say. Once again, this validates your interest and massages their ego, simultaneously.

“Congratulations on the recent…”

Who doesn’t like to be congratulated? Whether your prospect was promoted or made a career move, this is a great opportunity to reach out to him or her and offer your services. An enthusiastic ‘congratulations’ always starts off a business relationship on the right foot.

“Brenda Norwood recommended that we visit.”

Recommendations are priceless. If you are looking for a medical doctor, a restaurant or even a place to travel, you most likely listen to your friends or associates who have experienced the places that you are considering. Equivalently, the closer your prospect is to a mutual acquaintance who recommended that you visit, the more compelled that prospect will be to read the remainder of your email.

“What is your opinion on … (something to do with the industry)?”

Keep in mind that you are not trying to close a deal with your email introduction statement, you’re simply trying to start a conversation. Beginning your email with a question on which your prospect is sure to have an opinion, can be very compelling.

“How meaningful would it be to you if your company could accomplish … (goal)?”

If you can paint a picture of success and build expectations that you know you can help the prospective company meet, the email recipient may begin to think about status quo alternatives. It’s even more impactful if you present the same benefit from one of your customer case studies. These benefits may include items such as “reducing cost by 70%,” or “increasing revenue by 45%.”

“I have a plan that may help you with … (roadblock).”

If you happen to be privy to a particular issue that your prospect is trying to overcome, he or she we’ll be all ears (or eyes) if you claim to have a helpful solution. Be sure however, that your idea is pertinent to the situation.

“Last week I noticed that you did (something).” “Why is that?”

Maybe you saw that your prospect visited your LinkedIn profile, or maybe read one of your tweets or interacted in some way with your social media or that of your company. This would be a good time to reach out to them with this inquiry. You don’t want it to sound creepy, like you’re spying on them, just come across as genuinely interested and flattered.

“I’m a longtime fan of your …”

It never hurts to offer a genuine compliment. As a matter of fact, it’s usually a great way to get the prospect’s attention. Perhaps you like a blog of his, or maybe you’re impressed with her marketing abilities. You will draw them in and gain their trust if you make it about them rather than about you.

“I see that you know (mutual connection). I worked with him/her on …”

This line works well if you have a common connection, but that person didn’t specifically refer you to the prospect. You can still benefit from the commonality without misrepresenting any statements made.

“I was hoping you would give me some advice on …”

It may seem a bit odd to ask for something in a sales email before you’ve offered anything of value. Under different circumstances this could be viewed as taboo. However, when it comes to seeking advice, the tables turn slightly. Generally, when people are asked for their advice, it appeals to their ego and it’s hard to resist responding.

“I saw this article and thought you might be interested …”

By adding a degree of value from the very get-go, prospects recognize that you are not going to be a waste of their time. If you can find an article, blog post or content of any kind that pertains to your prospect’s needs, it would behoove you to send it their direction, requesting their opinion on anything that is relevant or applicable to the services that you offer.

“I have been following X, and I’m very curious about Z.”

Prospects tend to respond to curiosity even better than they do to credibility. Sales people naturally want to come across as experts, but very few are willing to take on the role of a curious student. If asked properly, prospects are usually willing to satisfy that curiosity, which engages you both in the conversation. They enjoy talking about themselves and what they are up to. It may be a special project that they are working on or perhaps a change coming up in their division. Whatever the case may be, the door to further conversation has been opened.

“I assist organizations like yours in overcoming (prospect’s pain point) by …”

Time is money for the kinds of prospects you are most likely trying to reach. Sometimes there’s virtue in getting right to the point. However, that does not mean stating your name and company-that means hitting him right off the bat with your value proposition, making your email relevant from the very beginning.

“Is (the product or service that you offer) a priority for you right now?”

Questions like this are usually instrumental in helping a sales person get a sense of the prospect’s priorities and pain points. They are often effective in sparking the interest of the prospect, and getting their wheels to start turning.

There is never a sure guarantee that your email will be read by a prospective client. However, you can greatly increase your odds by getting creative and using proven tactics to initiate a response.