My inbox usually seems like a one-way street for continuous spam/random emails. Since I don’t have the time to go through each email – and honestly, not all emails are worth opening anyway – the first thing I check is the subject line.
Thousands of entrepreneurs and professionals are just like me. They simply won’t open an email that has a ‘spAmMy’ looking subject line; or even a particularly lackluster one.
Your subject lines pretty much determine your open rates and ultimately, the success of your sales emails. The more creative and compelling your subject line is, the more attention it will get from prospects.
Pair it with a focused cold email template, and you have the perfect recipe for increasing your reply rates.
With this in mind, I’ve compiled 20 email subject lines for the best open rates – I’ve personally tested all of these in my cold email campaigns.
1 – Referrals
I have experienced that references always help, especially since the more your prospect trusts you, the better it will be for future engagements. Add the name of a mutual acquaintance in your subject line to increase your open rates instantly.
Example: [name of the mutual acquaintance] thought we should talk
2 – Ask A Question
If someone were to ask me a question, it certainly would pique my curiosity. Keep a question in your subject as it provokes answers.
Example: Is [pain point] a problem you can’t solve?
3 – Benefit or Service
If my product revolved around a new marketing strategy, I would say something like, “Did you know that businesses are using a new marketing perspective”. This makes prospects want to know more about your service or product
Example: [Name of your innovative service/product] is increasing ROI by 15%!
4 – Quantity
Its always nice to put a number to things. If I hear that a service is giving me X number of benefits, I would like to know what they are. If there is a number in the subject line of the email, then there is a chance that the prospect would be interested in hearing more from you.
Example: 20x sales ROI from [your product]
5 – Ideas
From experience, I can say that you can never have enough ideas about something. So, if you are getting free ideas through email why not avail them!
Example: [prospect name], I have an idea I can explain in 5 minutes
6 – Common Ground
Finding common ground before doing business is very important. If I know someone has the same interests, I would definitely be more interested in talking to them.
Start searching for common interests on their social and business profiles, or ask a B2B data provider like Cloudlead to compile the information for you.
Example: Want to know the sales lesson I learned from [interest e.g. their favorite baseball team]?
7 – Acknowledgment
When prospects visit my website, I know that if I get back to them with a friendly email titled “thankyou for showing interest” etc. it means they know we are proactive and open for immediate business.
Example: Hey [prospect name], did you find a good solution for [problem]?
8 – Re-engage
To keep your current prospects engaged, especially if they are of high value, you should make sure you keep them in the loop.
Example: [prospect name], 5 ideas for prospecting over the weekend
9 – Ask For Help
People are always ready to give advice or help, and when it comes to business, there are many ways to offer help from prospects.
Example: Suggestions on my new product for [your solution]?
10 – Follow-up
Always send a second email with something like “the next step” or “where do we go from here on” to maximize chances of the prospect opening your email.
Example: Any update on my last question?
11 – How To Start
Don’t ask, tell your prospects what you want them to do.
Example: Call this Thursday?
12 – Be Direct
Be direct and get your point across – however, you have to be careful about giving away too much in the subject line. The key is to say just enough to gain their attention.
Example: With [your product name], you can get 5x more savings
13 – Address Them Directly
Human psychology 101: people love seeing their name. By including your prospect’s name in the subject line, you will make them feel important, which means they would be more likely to open your email.
Example: [prospect name], let’s meet?
14 – Feedback
After you pitch a demo, or have a meeting, it is always wise to drop in an email with the subject line “feedback”. This helps you understand what the prospect is thinking, how things can be taken further, or even provide ideas for improvement.
Example: [prospect name], any feedback on our demo?
15 – Curiosity
If I am told I should not do something, I will most likely want to know why. This reverse psychology also works well for cold emails.
Example: [prospect name], do not use these SEO strategies on your site!
16 – Give Tips
Subjects like “This might help you” or “Here is a tip for you” can engage prospects, especially if the email is something they might be interested in.
Example: [prospect name], 5 tips for your ABM strategy
17 – Emojis
Use emoticons to make your subject lines catchy, and more appealing.
Example: Here is a special tip for cold emails for you [winking emoticon]
18 – Be Concise
Most people open their emails on phones, so keep your subject lines short. Remember, portrait modes on phones do not show long detailed lines/characters.
Example: [prospect name], new strategy for ABM
19 – Upper Case
Subject lines that are written in upper case letters grab more attention, for e.g. “Things To Know About Your Business” as opposed to “Things to know about your business”. Capital letters are evidently bolder and eye catching, however, I would not suggest you use them for cold emails. You can try this tip with your marketing emails to see how your audience reacts.
Example: 5 Cold Emailing Tips For You
20 – Keep It Interesting
Keep coming up with new ways to sell your product, and keep testing different subject lines. The most important thing to remember is that your subject line should be interesting and eye-catching.
Example: [prospect name], our AI platform is changing how SDRs prospect
Add cold outreach to your marketing and sales arsenal to gain leads and drop your fear of people saying ‘no’ (also read our guide on how to close leads from cold emails). You might just be surprised by the results.
Cloudlead has to date processed over 8 million+ leads for our clients all over the world. Whats more, we love watching our clients grow with the power of leads backed by human intelligence. Request your super targeted list here today!
