Subject Lines That Work

Why did you open this email?

I’m not asking in the general sense, it’s important to understand exactly why you may have decided this email was one worth spending your time on.

Here’s one theory:

Because you’re in Sales (or a similar role) you’re constantly trying new ways of capturing your prospects attention - largely due to the fact that there is no one silver bullet and most of us are still hoping to find a strategy that works consistently.

And today more than ever, the ability to generate interest via cold emails feels extremely valuable. So, because there is seemingly big upside to writing impressive cold emails, the subject line of this email peaked your curiosity around how you could use what’s in this email.

Spoiler Alert: There are no specific subject lines here, but guidance.

Why?

Because the only reasonable subject lines I can provide to a diversified audience are incredibly general, and those types of subject lines don’t work.

Your subject lines needs to be specific to your audience. When you’re creating subject lines for your prospect(s), your goal is to elicit a “Hmm…” when they see your email hit their inbox.

Here’s some guidance to achieve that outcome:

• Don’t Ask For Anything: Directly asking for time or commitment in your subject line isn’t a great move. Why? Because that breaks the rules of relationships. We don’t get to ask for anything before we’ve added any value.

• Use Questions to Drive Curiosity: Instead of asking “Quick Connect?” or “Free for 15 Min?” — try asking a question they might be trying to answer in their business. For example, let’s say you’re selling Deal Cycle / Revenue Management software, you could try something like “Losing Out on Top Deals?”

• Keep Your Core Subject Line Short: Your primary subject line should be 2-4 words. Our responsibility is to reduce the cognitive load for our prospects when we reach out. Make it simple and easy for them to understand what the email might be about. Don’t be clever, be clear.

• Extend Your Subject Line: Think about yourself as the recipient for an email. When something lands in your inbox, you see the subject line + the first 5-10 words of the email. Maximize your first opportunity to spike your prospects interest by making the most of that real estate. How do you do that? Focus 100% on the person you’re emailing, and do your best to not say anything about yourself.

That’s your quick hit for today’s DSR edition! Take this guidance into work with you today and let me know how it goes.

Happy Tuesday!