Sales Introduction Email Templates That Will Break the Ice Every Time
Use these proven sales email templates to reach new customers and supercharge your lead conversion
There is an interesting metaphor that has its roots in advertising, but certainly applies to sales and lead conversion as well:
Think of yourself like the uninvited guest at a party, where the host can give you the boot for not being on the guest list at any time. As said guest, you need to bring something of value to prove your worth. Did you come with a delicious appetizer or a 12-pack to share? Do you rattle off your A-list jokes, delighting the other partygoers with your wit and storytelling ability? Or do you get the karaoke going and serenade the group with your very best version of Sweet Caroline?
That’s the exact position you’re in when you’re greeting leads for the first time, especially when you’re figuring out how to start a sales email. You’re making a first impression with a sales email of this type—hoping to establish a long-term relationship that leads to future sales. How you choose to do so will determine if your lead graduates to being a happy client or banishes you to their trash folder.
Here are some good action items for determining your approach to introductory sales emails:
- Choose whether you want to intrigue the reader or comfort them with your intro
- Be upfront and transparent about why you’re reaching out
- Share some details on who you are and what you do
- Set the table for further messages or conversations
- Figure out the best times for reaching your audience
- Create your ideal sales email templates and automate them
- Consider your complete sales funnel when starting
- Explore some strong sales email templates and experiment what works best for your audience
Right now, let’s concentrate on that last bullet point. Looking at sales introduction email templates and seeing how they fit with your business model and audience can help a ton. Below, you can find some tips and hints for the best way to start a sales email. By scrolling further and downloading the guide, you’ll also have access to a variety of ready-made, plug-and-play templates that can help you make an incredible impression with every sales introduction email you send.
Pro tip
Consider a free 14-day free trial with Keap. This will help you capture subscribers more efficiently, store their contact information within a powerful CRM, and use the information to build email lists and improve your newsletter marketing.
The Difference Between Sales Intros, Cold Intros, and Follow-Ups
You may have heard these email terms before, especially if you’ve been responsible for developing a sales pipeline.. But did you know the difference between the three? Out there on the Internets, most people just use the terms interchangeably, but the truth is that all three have very specific purposes and uses.
Let’s dive in and explore all three so that you can use them all effectively in your own efforts.
Cold Intros
What is a cold introduction email? Well, it’s exactly as it sounds. It’s like getting back in touch with a friend from school after not being in contact for quite awhile. For a variety of reasons, businesses have relationships with leads that never went anywhere. Maybe price was an issue or another was a closer fit for their needs. Regardless, this type of email begins the process of warming that lead up for you again.
Sales Intros
A sales introduction email is similar to a cold introduction email, but it always follows some form of initial contact. You may have met the person at a conference or could be sharing a new product or line of service with someone who requested it. Regardless of any established connection between you and your intended audience, it’s important you use this opportunity to understand their needs.
Follow-Ups
A follow-up email is one you send after a customer or lead makes contact for one reason or another. They may have been referred to you and want to learn more about your business. They could also be an existing customer that just did business with you—and it’s time to say thanks. There are a variety of reasons to follow-up with leads at any stage of the sales funnel, and automation can be a helpful tool with all of them. As big believers in personalized follow-up, Keap provides a variety of follow-up email templates to help customers.
How to Start a Sales Email
To start, let’s be honest: Most audiences don’t have a lot of patience for content that doesn’t grab them right away. In fact, email only offers a 21% percent open rate—a rate that’s dwarfed by other communication channels, like text. Knowing this, it’s important to craft any and all sales emails with a combination of clarity, interest, and value.
A few important considerations when starting a sales email:
- Craft a subject line that intrigues
- Write in a conversational tone that sounds like a person (formal won’t break through)
- Display understanding of your customer’s situation
- Make sure the opening line of your email copy draws audiences in
- Plot out your body copy, so it remains simple and easily digested
- Avoid generic lines and overgeneralizations
Keep in mind that this isn’t meant to be a comprehensive, end-all explanation of how to craft sales emails. (More on that below and in the PDF But writing with these things in mind can be the difference between an engaged customer and the email trash bin.
Sales Email Templates for First-Time Introductions
Please note that the email templates we’re sharing here and in this downloadable guide available are not meant to be completely finished products for you or your audience. They have been created to represent the most common forms and uses of these email types, allowing you to shape them in a way that represents your reason for sending, your brand identity, and your established customer journey.
Below, you’ll find some of our best sales email templates for various outreach scenarios (all free):
- Contact Lead Form
- Lead Magnet Download
- After a Webinar
- New Referral
- Event Attendee
- Free User Upsell
- Social Media Follower
Pick and choose which are most applicable to your sales funnel, then add the content geared toward your audiences. But most of all, please experiment. That is the only way to constantly improve your sales email quality, response, and conversion.
Contact Form Lead
When to send it: ASAP, once a lead fills out a form on your website
Why it works: When a lead has expressed interest, it’s important to follow up as quickly as possible to make a connection, answer their questions, and give them everything they need to make a quick decision.
Subject: Thanks for getting in touch!
Hi [first name],
My name is [your name here], and I am the [your title] at [your company name]. We appreciate your interest and look forward to getting to know you and your business.
To answer your question, [provide a response to their form question here].
At [your company name], we pride ourselves on the fact that we [insert your company’s value proposition]. To see how we’ve done this for other customers, take a look at [insert a comparable case study here].
I’d love to answer any other questions you have in person. Please feel free to [schedule a meeting link] at a time convenient to you.
[personal and company signature]
[your phone number]
Lead Magnet Download
When to send it: One day or less after download (a couple hours is ideal)
Why it works: Since your lead magnet closely aligns with your company/solution, their download indicates that they may be in the market for your product or service. Following up after they download your lead magnet opens the communication and reinforces how your company can solve their challenge.
Subject: Thanks for downloading [your lead magnet]!
Hi [first name],
My name is [your name here], and I am the [your title] at [your company name]. We appreciate your interest in [your lead magnet], as it’s a great example of our expertise in [add company strengths that refer to lead magnet].
You may also want to check out [appropriate case study or review site] to see a bit of [your company name’s] history with [lead magnet subject].
I’d love to hear a bit more about your company’s challenges and how we can help. You can always reach me at [your email address] or [your phone number].
If you want to hear even more about [your company name], please feel free to [schedule a meeting link] at a time convenient to you.
[personal and company signature]
After a Webinar
When to send it: The day after the webinar
Why it works: Check in after the webinar to follow up on questions the lead might have and outline how your company/product/service can help solve their challenge.
Subject: Thanks for attending the webinar!
Hi [first name],
My name is [your name here], and I am the [your title] at [your company name]. I was glad to see you at [webinar title].
As you heard, we know it can be tough to [solve some of the challenges outlined], but there are some powerful solutions out there. [Mention a solution.]
I know we covered a lot in the Q&A, but I’m always available to answer any and all follow-up questions. You can always reach me at [your email address] or [your phone number].
I’d love to dig further into this topic with you and share how [your company name] has helped others, just like you. Please feel free to [schedule a meeting link] at a time convenient to you.
[personal and company signature]
New Referral
When to send it: When a client gives you a referral, follow up quickly to introduce yourself and ask whether you can be of service.
Why it works: Mentioning the referring client catches the new lead’s attention, while providing background information helps to educate them if the referring client didn’t explain your product or service.
Subject: [Referring client’s first and last name] recommended we connect
Hi [first name],
As you may know, [referring client’s first and last name] recommended I contact you. My company, [your business’ name], has been helping [referring client’s first name] with [problem your business solves].
[Write a short description or a few bullet points highlighting your product or service, including a link to your website].
If you think our services might be useful to you, would you like to schedule a time to talk this week? Please feel free to [schedule a meeting link] at a time convenient to you.
[personal and company signature]
[your email address]
[your phone number]
Event Attendee
When to send it: No more than 1 day after the event
Why it works: Make a personal connection after the event and outline how your company/product/service can help solve their challenge.
Subject: Hope you enjoyed [event name]!
Hi [first name],
My name is [your name here], and I am the [your title] at [your company name]. I saw that you attended [event] and wanted to connect. What did you think of [event]?
As you look to [solve problem], it’s worth checking out [your company/product/service with link to website]. [Highlight your value proposition.]
I’d love to talk with you about your goals and how we might be able to help you achieve them. Please feel free to [schedule a meeting link] at a time convenient to you.
[personal and company signature]
[your email address]
[your phone number]
Free User Upsell
When to send it: No more than 2 days following signup for your free tool or service
Why it works: After the user has had a little time to use your tool or service for free, offer your assistance in maximizing use of the tool or service and start leading them down a path to upsell.
Subject: How are you doing with [your free tool or service]?
Hi [first name],
My name is [your name here], and I am the [your title] at [your company name]. Thanks very much for giving [your free tool or service] a try.
Do you have any questions I can answer or challenges I can help solve? I’d love to share more about how [your company name] has helped other customers with [an aspect or two of the tool or service’s features, benefits, or functionality].
For example, take a look at this [case study or specific review]. It really highlights the [free tool or service’s] potential to [challenges it can solve].
Please feel free to get in touch or [schedule a meeting link] at a time convenient to you.
[personal and company signature]
[your email address]
[your phone number]
Social Media Follower
When to send it: Introduction after you identify a lead on a social network like LinkedIn or Twitter
Why it works: No one likes direct solicitations from strangers on social media. Instead of pushing for a sale, introduce yourself as an expert in your field who’s willing to help. Also, provide some value by sending a piece of helpful content.
Subject: Saw your post about [topic]
Hi [first name],
I recently followed you on [social network] and noticed your post about [describe the topic]. I thought this [article, guide, video, presentation] might give you some ideas for [solving a business problem].
I’d be happy to tell you more about how [your business’ name] has helped customers with [the same problem]. Please let me know if you’d like to discuss.
[personal and company signature]
[your email address]
[your phone number]
First impressions can make a huge difference on your bottom line
Sales email templates like these can make a huge difference when you’re developing the ideal outreach program for your brand. They can give you a starting point with your audience that can be further improved and augmented as you experiment with what elicits the best responses.
But wait, there’s even more to look forward to: The key to unlocking even more time and value is automation. By automating your emails with a complete sales and marketing platform like Keap, you put yourself in the ideal position to scale your business in the way you always imagined.
Download even more sales introduction email templates, featuring automation
To take the next step in improving the quality and performance of your sales emails, please download our free guide, Advanced Sales Introduction Templates.
Then start your 14-day free trial of Keap to see how you can put them into action for your growing business, starting now.