Writing Sales Emails That Stand Out In Inboxes

Long, complex emails don’t make me think you're smart. They tell me you don't understand basic buyer behavior. Your prospects aren’t reading your sales emails. They’re skimming. They’re standing in line at Starbucks, cleaning out their inbox. They’re looking for a reason to delete, not to reply. If your email doesn’t pass the 1, 10, 100 test - it’s getting ignored I teach this framework to every sales team I work with. It’s simple and it works. Here’s how to apply it: 1 = One clear call to action Do not ask for a meeting, feedback, interest, and availability in the same message. You get one ask. Make it count. 10 = The first 10 words must earn attention This is your subject line + preview text. It’s the only thing your prospect sees before deciding to open or delete. If those 10 words don’t create curiosity or show relevance, it’s over. 100 = Keep your total word count under 100 The average exec scans an email for 3–4 seconds. If they can't get context immediately, your email is an auto-delete. Make it short. Make it relevant. Make it easy to reply. The 1, 10, 100 Rule isn’t about oversimplifying your message. It’s about respecting how buyer's interact with cold email so you can deliver more value and earn more engagement. 📌 Remember RELEVANCE is essential. Don't think a well-formatted email replaces the need to say something that matters to the reader. ✨ Enjoyed this post? Make sure to hit FOLLOW for daily posts about B2B sales, leadership, entrepreneurship and mindset.

Here’s how to stand out in the sea of sameness. The sea of sameness sounds like this: “We increase efficiency.” “We help you save time.” “We streamline your process.” It’s vague. Forgettable. And it blends in with every other cold email prospects see daily. To stand out, you need to offer something your prospect wants—but can’t get with their current solution. Here’s what that sounds like in a cold email: Example for a broker: “Are you open to hearing about off-market opportunities in LA that most brokers don’t know about?” Example for a recruiter: “How are you attracting top reps that don’t respond to traditional job ads? Open to considering a high-performing AE in fintech who isn’t actively looking but would move for the right opportunity?” These questions don’t scream, “Pick me!” They say, “I have something you want but can’t get anywhere else.” It’s about creating curiosity, FOMO, and intrigue, while showing you understand their world. So, before you hit send, ask yourself: What’s the problem they have that others haven’t solved? What’s the one thing they want but can’t get right now? Because in a world of sameness, offering something meaningfully different is what gets you noticed. What’s your “off-market opportunity”?

I have received 5,000+ sales emails in the last few years. I’ve only responded to two, ever... 😳 4998 of them weren’t good IMHO. Here’s one of them attached that I responded to with a play-by-play analysis on *why* I responded 👇 1️⃣ “Max > 6sense ” - as his subject line. He knew this was a competitor we ran up against. Granted we do extremely well here, he had my attention now. FWIW, he probably could have inserted any competitor's name and it would have done the trick. 2️⃣ Ok. So he piqued my interest. What’s the next line I can see on my phone after the eye-grabbing subject line? FYI free tip. Most executives read emails on the go and the iPhone app has a different preview length so you must be concise. His email then reads ”X is probably not as friendly of a solution but they offer a number of integrations.” Again, he speaks two facts here. The first is something we often hear from customers and the second is one that relates his assumed pain for us and his value proposition: integrations. 3️⃣ He then after points out our competitor’s # of integrations, asks what is the “business impact” against win rates which is a critical business metric we are focused on. Damn. This guy is good. He doesn’t just ask for a demo. He makes me think about the negative business impact of not talking to him. He’s got me hooked 👏 4️⃣ To add icing on the cake, he references similar companies to Warmly like PeopleDataLabs and Hubspot. Logos he knew I would recognize AND respect. Used them as validation and social proof. A critical step in a sales email. 5️⃣ Ends with a simple, sweet, CTA, with a PS to make it feel even more personalized. Did I respond to this cold email? You bet. I also added him on LinkedIn and put him on my ‘must recruit later’ list which trust me, I will hire him. At the end of the day. Sellers have to recognize this cold heart truth. Executive buyers are in Zooms all day long. Back-to-back meetings. I barely have a chance to respond to important emails, internal Slacks, or even family texts (sorry mom). Plus my assistant moves cold emails to my cold email folder for quarterly review. What makes you think you’ve earned a response to your automated sequence if you’re going to hit me cold? Now go check whether you have any warm leads to spend extra time on instead of hoping that I’m bored and scanning through my cold email folder Impact > Activity Warmly, Max

Last quarter I received a perfect cold email. It followed the same simple prospecting framework I teach. Here's a line-by-line breakdown of why it works so well: SUBJECT LINE: Make it all about them and reference your research Why it works: Shows that it's not spam or automated, and creates curiosity to open the e-mail and here what they have to say PARAGRAPH #1: Warm, personal, with a sincere compliment Why it works: Shows the prospect you took the time to learn about them, and humanizes you. PARAGRAPH #2: Share relevant observations based on research and a potential problem which their research uncovered Why it works: Shows that you are reaching out to identify a potential way to help them which they may not be thinking about PARAGRAPH #3: Shares specific, clear value proposition which includes the problem you solve and the outcomes you deliver Why it works: people need to clearly understand what you do so they can decide for themselves if it makes sense to meet with you. Sharing generic outcomes without being direct or specific confuses and annoys prospects because they still don't know what you do after reading the e-mail. PARAGRAPH #4: Soft Call to Interest (CTI): Ask if they have ever given thought to what you wrote, and if they're open to discussing further. Why it works: Never assume that a prospect needs what you are selling. Instead, confirm whether they've thought about the problem you solve and are open to discussing further. A call to interest (CTI) is much softer than a call to action (CTA), such as asking them to meet before you've confirmed they even have a need or interest. Don't assume anything, just ask and validate first. Kudos to the seller for sending a well-written, thoughtful e-mail.

🚀 B2B Sales Emails: Getting Your Foot in the Door! 🚀 Ever find yourself staring at your screen, wondering why your emails seem to vanish into the digital ether? Let’s change that! Here’s your quick, no-BS guide to crafting B2B sales emails that actually get you a reply. 1. Personalize, Don’t Templatize 🎨 Yes, we’ve all got templates. But guess what? So does everyone else. Take a minute to tweak that email. Mention a recent achievement of their company, comment on a LinkedIn post they’ve shared, or bring up a mutual connection. Make it so personalized they can’t help but think, “Wow, this person really did their homework!” 2. Value Proposition: Make It Snappy! 💥 Get to the point. What can you do for them? And no, “increasing ROI” isn’t good enough. Be specific. How have you helped a similar company achieve X% growth in Y months? Numbers talk. Fluff walks. 3. Subject Line: Your Make or Break ✉️ This is your foot in the door. Make it intriguing, make it short and personal, and for heaven’s sake, make it spam-proof. Questions work wonders. 4. CTA: Clear, Compelling, and Clickable 🔗 What’s your email’s endgame? A call, a demo, a free trial? Whatever it is, make it clear and easy. “Click here to schedule a call at your convenience” with a link is straightforward and respects their time. 5. Follow-Up: Persistence Pays 🏃 Didn’t get a reply? Don’t sweat it. People are busy. A gentle nudge a week later can work miracles. Just don’t be that person who sends a daily “Just following up” email. 🌟 Bonus Tip: Inject a bit of humor or a personal touch. We’re all humans here (until AI takes over, at least). A little personality goes a long way. Now, go forth and conquer those inboxes! Remember, the goal isn’t just to sell but to start meaningful conversations that could lead to fruitful partnerships. I would love to hear your success stories or epic failures (we’ve all been there). Share below! 👇 Make prospecting suck less. ✅ Subscribe to my newsletter 🔔 Ring the bell on my profile to follow me. ➡ Connect with me or DM me.