Sending an email to a prospective client can be nerve-wracking. What if they don't respond? What if they think I'm annoying? What if I accidentally offend them? These worries can make it tempting to avoid prospecting emails altogether, but doing so can stall your business's growth. The good news? Learning how to send a warm email to a prospective client doesn't have to be scary. This article will help you conquer your fear and confidently send prospecting emails that capture attention, build trust, and generate meaningful responses that lead to new business opportunities.

Inframail's email infrastructure can help you achieve your goals by ensuring your prospecting emails get delivered and land in the right place in your prospects' inboxes. With Inframail, you can improve your email deliverability, so your cold outreach emails don't end up in the spam folder or get blocked.

Table of Contents

• How to Send an Email to a Prospective Client

• 3 Keys to Successful Prospecting Emails

• 22 Sales Prospecting Email Templates That Get Responses

• Checklist for More Effective Email Prospecting

• Start Buying Domains Now and Set Up Your Email Infrastructure Today

How to Send an Email to a Prospective Client

Email prospecting is identifying, researching, and qualifying contacts for cold emails. It’s a way of ensuring that you’re emailing people who fit your product or service. Email outreach also gives you valuable info that you can use to personalize current and future messages. It’s one way to find people or prospects that would make great customers. Email prospecting is similar to cold-calling, but using customers’ preferred method of contact email, not phone. The main goal of prospecting emails? Get recipients to respond so you can start building a relationship.

3 Keys to Successful Prospecting Emails

Amazing prospecting emails all share a few traits. You need an eye-catching subject line to convince readers to open the email and a personalized message with an actionable call to action. To know if you’re on the right track, you need a solid way to capture and evaluate your emails' performance. 

1. A Strong Email Subject 

The difference between a good subject line and a bad one is between an initial email that’s read and an ignored one. Talk like a real person. If a subject line sounds spammy, it will be treated like spam. Be careful not to use words or phrases that often trigger a spam filter. 

• Best Price 

• Winner 

• Click Here 

• Double Your Money Making 

• Why Pay More? 

Using a conversational tone is another good way to show you’re not a robot. No need to overdo it, but “Hey! Any time to chat about [...]?” makes for a friendlier subject line than “Requesting time to discuss [...]” Be on a first-name basis.Personalize your subject line with the prospect’s name, company name, or both when possible. Our eyes are naturally drawn to our names, making personalized subject lines stand out more than generic ones. 

Optimizing Email Subject Lines for Higher Open Rates

According to Campaign Monitor, personalizing email subject lines can boost open rates by 26 percent. Keep it nice and short. Email readers are likelier to pay attention to a brief subject line and to the point. An email analysis by Leadium concluded that subject lines with no more than four words performed best. While not every subject line can be that brief, having this benchmark as a rough target is helpful. The perfect subject line should be friendly, authentic, addressed to the prospect by name, and as short as possible.

2. An Engaging Email Body

A strong subject line is the key to boosting your open rates. But getting a prospect to read your email and complete your call to action requires high-performing, strategic messaging. Make it personal. At a minimum, the body of an email should include the prospect’s first name, job title, and company. However, a good prospecting email should also touch on specific details of the recipient’s life. For example, to show interest, you might mention the prospect’s employer or something specific to their business. 

Crafting Personalized and Value-Driven Email Openers

Look up news about the company, or check the blog posts on their site to find a good conversation starter. You could also check out a prospect’s LinkedIn profile or social media accounts. Find a way to reference their alma mater, geographic region, a mutual connection, or shared interests. Tell recipients what’s in it for them. When it comes to your pitch, don’t focus on how your product or service works.

Focusing on Benefits and Personalization in Your Email Pitch

Instead, use the classic marketer's WIIFM (what’s in it for me) model. Write a pitch about how that product can work for the prospect and their company. This focus makes a prospecting email feel more personalized. It also helps the potential buyer see precisely how your product would make their lives easier. Make it clear how your product or service could specifically benefit the customer you’re emailing.

Using Concrete Examples and Case Studies to Highlight Product Value

Instead of saying, “Our software helps large companies organize important documents,” 

Give your reader a concrete example: 

“You’ll never have to waste time trying to track down missing contact info or a misplaced memo.” You could also link case studies in your email. Explaining how you can solve a prospect’s pain points makes my product appealing, and linking to case studies documenting similar successes gives it credibility. Hit the word-count sweet spot. Much like the subject line, the email's body shouldn’t be too long, but you also don’t want it to be so short that the reader doesn’t have all of the information.

Finding the Optimal Length for Engaging Prospecting Emails

The key is finding that perfect “Goldilocks” length between two extremes. A commonly quoted stat from a Boomerang study says the ideal email length is 50 to 125 words. But a Prospect.io article indicates that most Boomerang users aren’t sending sales and prospecting emails. According to Prospect.io’s study specifically on cold sales emails, the highest response rate (8 percent) was generated from emails with 1,400 to 1,500 characters. That equates to around 300 words. In short, prospects respond best to emails much shorter than the average blog but longer than the average tweet. The body of a prospecting email is where you want to connect with the prospect. Keep the length of your message manageable, and make it all about the customer.

3. A Way to Measure Success

The tips we’ve provided are a good starting point for prospecting emails, but you may find that some approaches work better than others. Determine the best practices for your messaging by tracking the performance of your emails with software and testing. If you use a sales prospecting tool or CRM system to send your prospecting emails, you can monitor the performance of messages through the tool. And use killer email automation features. Sell lets you track key metrics, like open rates and email counts, to gauge messaging performance. It also features a Communications Center, where you can review emails you send to see which ones have been opened and which haven’t. You can also see exactly when and how often an email was open or clicked on. It’s also a full-service lead management system with lead gen tools in Reach.

Example of an Ineffective Prospecting Email 

Consider the below example of an ineffective prospecting email. In this example, the B2B seller is writing to an IT professional in the medical industry. The seller is positioning the value of their data encryption and warehousing technology called Connexa. 

Introducing Connexa: Revolutionizing Data Security and Accessibility in Healthcare

Hi Kate, By now, you’ve probably heard of Connexa, our data encryption and warehousing technology which is an indispensable part of the IT architecture in some of the largest medical institutions. Our cutting-edge solution has created a tectonic shift in the landscape of data accessibility and privacy. We store, access, and protect data so businesses can move at the speed of modern healthcare while knowing their data will never become a vulnerability. Competing solutions require long lead times, expensive hardware, and constant troubleshooting. With Connexa, customers can be up and running in as little as 90 days.

As a result, patient data can be retrieved at the pace and in the configuration that professionals need to make decisions. Our multi-cloud approach offers elastic pricing to suit any level of need. We bring unparalleled accessibility to structured, unstructured, and geospatial data. Clinicians need a way to streamline their data reporting and retrieval to refocus on the patient. Connexa is the way to do it. Let’s talk this week. 

What Went Wrong? 

• The opening is presumptuous and puts the solution first instead of the customer's words like:

  Cutting edge

  • Tectonic

  • Indispensable

• The sentences and paragraphs feel disconnected from one another 

• The most crucial idea doesn’t appear until the fourth paragraph 

• The seller has not proven that they understand the customer 

• Many of the sentences are long. 

Example of an Effective Prospecting Email 

Now consider this revised messaging:

Hi Kate,

Congratulations on the recent expansion of the West Lake Hospital network! With growth comes new challenges for clinicians who need to streamline their data reporting and retrieval. In doing so, they can refocus on the patient. Connexa can help. We enable clinicians to store and access data faster, allowing them to spend more time improving patient health outcomes. With Connexa, hospitals benefit from quick implementation, elastic pricing, and customized data configuration. 

Why it Works: 

• The most important idea now appears earlier in the email.

• The email cites specifics about the prospect.

• The sentences are shorter.

• The value of the solution is tied directly to the prospect’s world.

• All marketing speak has been removed.

• The three key differentiators are expressed in one sentence.

• The CTA is not aggressive.

Related Reading

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• How to Warm Up Email Domain
• Cold Email Lead Generation

22 Sales Prospecting Email Templates That Get Responses

Save these email templates in your inbox for quick personalization and streamlined outreach.

1. Convey a Clear Benefit

Hi {!First name},

{!Paint point} is hard. With all the moving pieces, it’s hard to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. We get it.

{!Product/service} helps with this burden. In fact, I’ve helped companies like yours struggling with the same problem and they came out on top with impressive results.

Take a look:

{!Stat 1} {!Stat 2} {!Stat 3} Interested to talk about how {!Product/service} can do the same for you?

Let’s talk. Are you available to chat for 15 minutes this week? Feel free to book some time on my calendar: {insert calendar link}.

Looking forward,

{Your name}

2. Reference a Recent Company Announcement

Hi {!First name},

Congratulations on {!company announcement}. I hope you and your team are taking some time to celebrate the accomplishment. I’m sure you’re very busy, but I’d love to get your take on how {!Product/service} could solve {!pain point}.

Do you have 10 minutes sometime over the next couple of weeks to chat? Feel free to book some time on my calendar: {insert calendar link}.

All the best and congrats again!

{Your name}

3. Mention Your Competitor’s Weakness

Hi {!First Name},

We’ve been hearing from several existing {!Competitor}’s customers that they’ve been experiencing {!performance issues} recently. We can imagine your team would be getting frustrated if that’s also happening at {!Company name}!

We’ve developed our solution to support leading businesses such as {!Customer 1}, {!Customer 2}, and {!Customer 3} with stability, security, and reliability in mind so you won’t have these problems with {!Product/service}.

Are you available next week to discuss why companies like {!Customer 4}, {!Customer 5} and {!Customer 6} moved from {!Competitor} to {!Your Company} this year? If not, please let us know the best time to reconnect.

Best,

{Your Name}

4. Use Social Proof: Include a Case Study

Hi {!First name},

Are you looking for ways to {!outcome of solution}?

We’ve helped companies such as {!Company 1} and {!Company 2} achieve {!results} after implementing {!Solution}.

Learn how here:

{!Case study 1} {!Case study 2} I’d love to discuss how {!Solution} can help {!Company name} achieve similar results. Are you available to talk this Thursday? Feel free to book some time on my calendar as well: {insert calendar link}.

Best,

{Your Name}

5. Congratulate Them on a Recent Achievement

Hi {!First name},

Congratulations on your new role as {!Role name}. I saw the announcement on LinkedIn the other day and checked out your profile, you’ve had a really successful year at {!Company name}. Congrats!

As your career advances, do you find a need for {!Product/service} that helps with {!pain point}? If you do, give me a shout and I can explain more about what that would look like for you and your team.

Congrats again and excited to see what you achieve in 2021.

Best,

{Your Name}

6. Make a Personal Connection

Hi {!First name},

I connected with you on LinkedIn yesterday, happy to join your network! I saw that you went to {!College/university}, I got my master’s degree there! Great school and loved the {!town/area} a ton. Did you ever go to {Popular attraction}?

I was looking into your company and see lots of areas {!Product/service} could come into play. We help companies such as {!Customer} achieve {!Stat}. Are you the right person to talk to about this? Let me know if you’d be interested.

Thanks,

{Your Name}

7. Compliment Them

Hi {!First name},

I read your article on LinkedIn the other day and I was super impressed with your work. I shared the article with my team and got some great responses. I particularly like how you pointed out {!specific detail from their piece}.

This isn’t a particularly easy environment to excel in. Amazing work. I was wondering if you’d be interested in hopping on a call with me to explore how {!Product/service} could help {!Company name} achieve {!results}.

How does next week sound? {insert calendar link}.

Best,

{Your Name}

8. Share Expert Insight

Hi {!First name},

The last few calls I’ve had with companies like yours who {!specific stats about the recipient’s company} have led me to research {!topic that could be a pain point for them}.

I thought you would appreciate these articles. They do a great job at addressing {!pain point}:

{!Link to content 1} – {!description of content 1} {!Link to content 3} – {!description of content 2} {!Link to content 3} – {!description of content 3} If these resonate with you, let’s grab 15 minutes to see if {!My company} can help by {!proposed solution for solving pain point}.

Is there a day or time that generally works best for you?

Thanks,

{Your Name}

9. Refer to a Social Media Post

Hi {!First name},

I saw your LinkedIn post about wanting to achieve {!business value} for your business. I couldn’t help but realize how {!Product/solution} could really pave the way here. Here are some reasons why I think so:

{!Stat 1} {!Stat 2} {!Stat 3} Do you see a match here? I have some ideas I’d like to run by you.

Would you be available to jump on a call some time this week? Feel free to book some time on my calendar: {insert calendar link}.

Looking forward,

{Your name}

10. Share Immediate Value

Hi {!First name},

I was checking out your website earlier, I love the work you guys have done recently. Really great improvements and super compelling messaging and imagery. I realized a broken link here: {!Link}. This happens to us a lot as well, and it’s always nice when someone catches it.

Here are some tools we’ve found that help resolve this problem for us:

{!Resource 1} {!Resource 2} {!Resource 3} After looking through your website a bit more, I have some ideas on how we can work together. Would you be able to jump on a 15 minute call sometime this week?

Best,

{Your name}

11. Reference a Mutual Connection

Hi {!First name},

Our mutual connection {!Connection name} shared your post yesterday and it caught my eye. I see you’re interested in {!topic} so I wanted to recommend some of my favorite resources:

{!Resource 1} {!Resource 2} My company also offers {!business value} to companies to help accelerate {!results}. Companies like {!Customer 1}, {!Customer 2}, and {!Customer 3} use {!Product/service} to achieve {!Stat}.

Interested in learning more? I’m free to talk anytime this week, schedule a meeting with me here: {!meeting scheduler link}.

Looking forward,

{Your Name}

12. Ask for an Internal Referral

Hi {!First name},

I’m looking for the person responsible for {!role/description} at your company. Would you mind pointing me in the right direction?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Best,

{Your name}

13. Reference a Hiring Pain Point

Hi {!First name},

I noticed on your career page that you’re hiring {!Positions} who diligently {!activity that your solution can help with}.

Would love a few minutes of your time to discuss how {!Solution} removes this burden.

{!Solution} helps clients like {!Company 1}, {!Company 2}, {!Company 3} to {!solve pain point which saves them hours per day by:

{!Stat 1} {!Stat 2} {!Stat 3} Would you be open to a call next week to see how we could help your team achieve the same goals?

Best,

{Your name}

14. Cut to the Chase

Hi {!First name},

I know you’re busy, so I’ll cut to the chase. I want to explore how {!Product/service} can help {!Company name} solve {!pain point}.

Here are some ways we’ve done so for companies similar to yours:

{!Stat 1} {!Stat 2} {!Stat 3} I won’t keep bugging you, but if this sounds like something you’d be interested in, I’d love to jump on a quick call.

Regards,

{Your name}

15. Reference Recent News

Hey {!First name},

I saw on LinkedIn this morning that you recently {!company news}.

Typically when that happens, {X} becomes a top priority. Have you guys looked into solutions for this? In case you’re in the process of looking, I wanted to reach out and share how we helped {!Company 1}, {!Company 2}, and {!Company 3} achieve {!stat}.

If you’d like to learn more, let’s set up a time to chat sometime this week or next.

Book some time on my calendar here: {insert calendar link}.

Best,

{Your name}

16. Catch Their Attention by Mentioning an Interest

Hi {!First Name},

I see that you’re a {!team} fan, so you must be excited about {!player} {!player’s achievement}.

As {!company} continues to scale, your {!department} team needs {!pain point that you solve for} just as {!how same point applies to team}. We’re the {!player} of {!industry/market niche}…{!funny comparison}.

{!First Name}, I’d love (if possible) to be referred to the best person on your {!department} team to introduce {!Your Company} as a means to hit your {!goal}.

Best,

{Your name}

17. Start Your Email With an Eye-Catching Statistic

Hi {!First Name},

What would you do with an extra {!stat} each {!day/week/month}.

Companies like {!Customer 1}, {!Customer 2}, {!Customer 3} are achieving this every  {!day/week/month} because of {!Solution}.

Take a look:  {!case study}.

I’d love to set up a time to chat so we can discuss how {!Product/service} can help your team achieve the same results. Are you free next week to chat? Feel free to schedule time on my calendar as well: {!meeting scheduler link}.

Looking forward,

{Your name}

18. Build Rapport With Local Recommendations

Hi {!First Name},

I saw on LinkedIn that you just moved to {!State} and started a job at {!Company} — Congratulations! I wanted to start off by recommending some of my favorite restaurants in that area. I actually went to school in {!area} for 4 years, and I’m a big food lover.

Here are my top recommendations:

{!Restaurant 1}

{!Restaurant 2}

{!Restaurant 3}

When onboarding your new role, let me know if you see areas for improvement with {!pain point}. My company offers {!business value} and we save our customers around {!stat} a week.

Shout if you need anything!

Enjoy {!State},

{Name}

19. I Know You’re Busy

Hi {!First Name},

I know you’re super busy, so I’ll get right to the point.

{!Product/service} helps {!Target customer} achieve {!results} by {!business value}.

I’m currently helping companies like yours boost outcomes and drive revenue. I’d love to show you how we can do the same for you. Are you available sometime this week for a quick screen share?

Let’s save the date: {insert meeting link}.

Thanks,

{Name}

20. Tell a story

Hi {!First Name},

Nothing is more frustrating than {!relevant pain point}. We’ve all been there.

Imagine a world where {!solution to the pain point}. You could then achieve {!desired results}.

I’d love to show you just how {!Product/service} can do this for your company. How does a quick demo next week sound?

Looking forward,

{Name}

21. Responding to a social media post

In one of the sections above, we mentioned how it might be wise to reference your prospect’s social media activity. Using the prospecting template below, you can reference a recent LinkedIn post. While it is not the most creative way to start off an email, it is relevant and makes the entire message much more personalized.

Opportunity for [the prospect’s company]

Hey [First name of the prospect],

I saw that you recently posted on LinkedIn. You asked about how to achieve [business value] for a business. It reminded me of how here at [your company name] we [address pain point] by [solution]. Here are three examples of what other companies we worked with have done that you might find helpful.

[tip 1]

[tip 2]

[tip 3]

Could we schedule a brief call to discuss this further? I would be happy to answer any questions you have.

Best,

[Your first name]

As you can see, this sales prospecting message is all about the prospect. It also gives the prospect value, as you provide them with plenty of valuable tips. What is more, you position yourself as an authority. You show the recipient that you have often dealt with such a problem and that I know what I am talking about.

22. Following up

Following up on sales prospecting emails is just as important as sending them. It can help you ensure that the previous sales email I sent did not end up in spam. After all, your prospects are unlikely to be checking their spam folder. Anyway, the key here is to be brief and get straight to the point. Here is what the first follow-up prospecting email might look like.

Did you see it?

Hi [First name of the prospect],

Did you have a chance to read the email I sent you?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Best,

[Your first name]

If you do not get a response, you could send another prospecting email. Try to be more persistent and position yourself as an authority when writing it. Here, we referenced a relevant case study that shows off your expertise.

Let’s cut to the chase

Hi [First name of the prospect]!

Not sure if you had a chance to read my previous emails. I have been trying to reach you as I work with professionals like you in [the prospect’s industry] to streamline [process]. I am confident I can do the same for [the prospect’s company].

Here is how I have helped our clients with [pain point].

[link to a relevant case study]

Let’s talk about how I can do the same thing for you!

Feel free to book some time on my calendar.

[a Calendly link]

Best,

[Your first name]

It is worth noting that the sales email template above includes a Calendly link. It is a common time scheduling software that allows people to book meetings in other people’s calendars. With its help, you can streamline the process of setting up meetings. Since it prevents sales prospects from having to waste time on finding a calendar slot that suits you both, it makes them much more likely to get in touch with you. As a result, it can make your email marketing and sales prospecting efforts much more effective.

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• Cold Email Manifesto
• How to Warm Up an Email Address
• How to End a Cold Email
• How to Cold Email a Recruiter
• Cold Email vs Spam

Checklist for More Effective Email Prospecting

1. The First Email in a Cadence

• Always research the prospect and their business thoroughly before crafting a sales outreach email template. Include as much of your research as possible in your email.

• Personalise your email. The first email in your cadence should be 20% personalised. Always include the prospect’s name and company name.

• Don’t bombard the prospect with too much information. Don’t give too much away! Instead, spark the recipient’s curiosity. Less is more!

• Include links to relevant content - in this instance, the email contains a link to Cognism’s case studies library, which the prospect can browse at leisure.

• Try out this as a subject line: “A question for you, ((first name))”. You'll see higher open rates by using this subject line!

2. Email Following a Content Download

• Buy email lists from reliable sources only

• Keep your emails as short as they can be. 100 words max!

• Try out this subject line: “X referred by (colleague name)”. It can be very powerful to mention in your subject line that you’ve been referred by someone else in the prospect’s company.

• Don’t be shy about bringing out your humorous side! Emails containing an element of humour are usually the most successful, boosting reply rates to 28% or more.

• A/B test your emails. Split your prospect list into two groups. Send one style of email to the first group, and another style of email to the second group. Whichever email performs better is the one you’ll use going forward. Be guided by the B2B data in everything you do.

• Timing: Schedule your emails to send at 6-7 AM so they’re the first thing your prospect sees when they log on in the morning. Be aware of the time difference if your prospect lives in a different country from you!

3. Email Including Video

• Keep the email copy short and snappy - especially if you're emailing CEOs and senior executives; let the video do all the work.

• While recording your video, open the prospect’s LinkedIn profile or company website. Scroll through the page and use the information you see in your video.

• Use the prospect’s name a LOT. This is crucial for building rapport during your video.

• Never exceed 90 seconds. The shorter your video, the more likely the prospect will watch it!

• Ask for feedback at the end of your video. This is a good technique for starting a conversation with the prospect.

• Block out time in your calendar to record all your videos in one go. Say, an hour at lunchtime when you’re not making cold calls.

• When you connect with a LinkedIn prospect, always send them a video. This approach will increase conversion rates!

4. The last email in a cadence

• The final email is where you can indulge in some humour. Get the prospect smiling when they read your email! You never know, it might just be the catalyst for them to hit “Reply”!

• The opening line is the most crucial in an email. After the subject line, it’s the thing most prospects look at before deciding to read on. Take the time to craft your opening line. Make it strong and compelling.

• Always include a final question or CTA at the end of the email. It’s a possible end to this opportunity, not the definite end!

• The 3 top email metrics to track are: open rate, read rate, and click-through rate. Study these 3 email marketing KPIs for every email you send.

Start Buying Domains Now and Set Up Your Email Infrastructure Today

At Inframail, we are revolutionizing cold email infrastructure with unlimited inboxes at a single flat rate. We provide Microsoft-backed deliverability, dedicated IP addresses, and automated technical setup to help agencies, recruiters, and SDRs scale their outreach efforts efficiently. 

Streamlining Your Cold Email Infrastructure Setup

With Inframail, you avoid the traditional providers that charge per inbox and leave you wrestling with technical configurations. Instead, we streamline the entire process. We handle the complex infrastructure setup while you focus on reaching more prospects. 

Powerful Features to Help You Scale Outreach 

Inframail supports your cold email efforts with various powerful features, including automated SPF, DKIM, and DMARC setup, dedicated email servers for each user, and 16-hour priority support daily. Whether you're an agency looking to scale outreach, a recruiter connecting with candidates, or an SDR driving sales, InfraMail provides the robust email infrastructure without the usual technical headaches and per-inbox costs. 

Easily Set Up Your Email Infrastructure Today

Getting started with Inframail is simple. Buy domains now and set up your email infrastructure today with our email infrastructure tool.

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