Writing a powerful prospecting email: the step-by-step guide with best practices

‍Are your prospecting emails not generating enough positive feedback?

Learn how to write powerful emails that boost your response rate!

In a world where prospects are highly sought after, succeeding in capturing their attention and convincing them to take an interest in your offer is a real challenge. And this largely involves your prospecting emails, which are often the first point of contact with your commercial targets.

A powerful prospecting email should arouse the recipient's curiosity, provide value and encourage them to take action. But how do you write that perfect email? What are the best practices to know and the pitfalls to avoid?

In this article, we will provide you with a complete and actionable guide to writing prospecting emails that convert. You will discover:

- The key principles of an effective prospecting email

- The 5 steps to build your email step by step

- Numerous concrete and commented examples

- Our expert advice to boost your results

Whether you are a salesperson, entrepreneur or marketer, this article will give you a complete method and numerous inspirations to improve your email campaigns.

Ready to get more qualified leads and boost your sales?

Let's go!

The key principles of an effective prospecting email

Before starting to write your prospecting email, it is essential to understand the fundamental principles that will make it really effective. Here are the essential elements to take into account:

Personalization for each prospect

The days of generic emails sent in bulk are over. To capture attention, your email should give the impression that it is addressed personally to the recipient.

This involves:

- The use of one's first name and last name

- References to his company, his sector of activity

- Taking into account its specific needs and problems

Research your prospects in advance, segment your contact base and adapt the content accordingly. Dynamic personalization tools like Hublead will allow you to automate this work.

An object and an attractive hook

First impressions are critical. Your email subject and first lines should immediately make you want to read more.

For this:

- Keep it short, punchy, and original

- Stimulate curiosity by asking a question or promising a benefit

- Avoid boating phrases and special characters that may be perceived as spam

Your objective is for the email to be opened. Focus your creative efforts on these elements.

Clear, concise, and valuable content

The core of your email must be flawless. Your prospects should understand in a few seconds who you are, what you want them to know, and why it's interesting for them.

For this:

- Get right to the point, without long complex sentences

- Highlight the benefits for the prospect, more than the characteristics of your offer

- Provide added value with advice and exclusive content

- Maintain a friendly, positive, and professional tone

Your email should be pleasant and easy to read. Air out the text, use bullet points, and bold key elements.

An incentive call to action

Your email must have a clear objective and get the prospect to take action: visit a page, schedule an appointment, answer a question... This action should be:

- Unique and explicit

- Visually highlighted (button, link...)

- Easy and quick to make

Your CTA represents the purpose of your email. It should be convincing and guide your prospect to the next stage in your sales funnel.

Technical optimization at the service of deliverability

Finally, for your email to be read, it still needs to arrive in the inbox of your prospects! To optimize your deliverability:

- Use a professional emailing tool (like Hublead) and set up your signatures

- Avoid words and phrases that are considered spam

- Check that your emails are displayed correctly on mobile

- Clean your database regularly to avoid invalid addresses

Also, track your metrics (opening rate, click rate, unsubscribe rate...) to identify possible problems.

By applying these key principles, you are establishing a solid foundation for successful email prospecting.

Now it's time to write your email step by step!

Step 1: Define your target and personalize

The first step in effective prospecting is to precisely define who you are going to contact. It's not about sending your email all the time, but about targeting the right person, at the right time, with the right message. For this:

Research and qualify your prospects

- Establish the profile of your ideal customer: sector, company size, location, function in the company...

- Use tools like Hublead to find matching leads

- Verify that these prospects have a need or a problem related to your offer

- Qualify them according to specific criteria: potential interest, decision-making power, timing...

Focus on the most relevant and promising prospects. Quality will always take precedence over quantity.

Segment according to profiles and needs

Not all your prospects have the same expectations and problems. Segment your contact base into different groups, for example:

- Function: manager, marketing manager, sales manager...

- Sector of activity: industry, service, distribution...

- Company size: SME, ETI, large account...

- Level of interest: cold lead, qualified lead, hot lead...

NB: segmentation can also be done via a tool (simpler and faster)

You will thus be able to finely adapt your messages according to the specificities of each segment.

Personalize your messages

Personalization is not limited to the use of a first name. To create a special relationship, your email must give the impression of a unique message.

For this:

- Research the company and the prospect: current projects, news, posts on social networks...

- Find a personal angle: a common acquaintance, the same center of interest, an event in which you both participated...

- Mention specific elements in your email: “I saw on your site that you were launching a new product”, “your LinkedIn post on trends in the sector was very relevant”...

Your prospects should feel that you are genuinely interested in them. It is an essential prerequisite for establishing trust.

Here is an example of a personalized prospecting email:

‍

Subject: Solutions to boost [Company name] sales in 2024

Hello [First name],

I came across your LinkedIn article about [Company Name]'s challenges in growing their business this year. In particular, you mention the need to renew your commercial practices to generate more qualified leads.

Precisely, our agency supports companies such as [Similar Company] on similar issues. Thanks to our digital prospecting solution, they were able to generate 30% more leads in just 6 months.

I think you might be interested in this type of approach. I suggest you discuss it during a quick 15-minute call. Let me know what you think!

Sincerely,

[Your name]

By precisely defining your target audience and adapting your speech accordingly, you maximize your chances of reaching the right person and arousing their interest. The next step is to find the perfect hook to encourage them to open your email.

Step 2: Find the perfect hook

You have defined your target, now it's time for the first impression! The subject of your email and its catchphrase should immediately appeal to your prospect and make them want to know more. Here are some techniques for doing so.

Techniques for effective email objects

The subject is the most decisive element of your email. It must at the same time be:

- Short: 50 characters maximum to be visible in full

- Clear: the prospect must immediately understand the subject

- Impacting: it must stand out and arouse curiosity

For this, you can use various techniques:

- Personalization: “Hello [First name], an idea for [Company]”

- The question: “What if you could double your leads in 1 month?”

- The customer testimonial: “[Company] increased sales by 30% thanks to this method”

- News or the event: “Go to the [Name] show to boost your prospecting!”

- Emotion: “Don't miss this opportunity 😮" (This is an example because it has been used too much recently, but you have understood the principle).

The objective is to stand out from the crowd and catch the eye of your prospect in their often overloaded inbox.

Examples of hooks that work

Once your email is opened, the first few lines should confirm interest and make you want to continue reading. A good hook should be:

- Personal: show that you know the company and its challenges

- Impactful: get right to the point, with short and powerful sentences

- Positive: highlight benefits and opportunities, not problems

For example:

- “Hello [First name], I saw that [Company] was aiming to launch [project] this year. It's a challenge that many businesses like [example] face.”

- "80% of SMEs say they have difficulty finding new customers. However, solutions exist to automate prospecting and gain efficiency.”

- “Did you know that? Businesses that use outbound marketing generate an average of 30% more leads. [Business] could achieve similar results!”

The catchphrase should speed up reading and naturally bring your prospect to the heart of the message.

A/B testing and optimization

Even with these best practices, it's hard to predict what's going to work for sure. The solution: test!

- Create 2 or 3 versions of your object and your hook

- Send each version to a sample of your contact base

- Analyze open and click rates to identify the most efficient version

- Use this winning version for the rest of your campaign

You can test elements such as the length of the object, the tone (professional, casual, mysterious...), the words used, the emojis...

By refining your objects and your hooks in this way, you will find the perfect formula to capture the attention of your prospects. The next step is convincing them with content that matches that good first impression!

Step 3: Writing Impactful Content

Your prospect has opened your email, it's up to you to play to convince him! The content of your message should be informative, persuasive, and motivating at the same time. Here are the keys to achieving it.

Structure your email

An effective prospecting email generally consists of 3 parts:

- An introduction that recalls the context and purpose of the message

- A development that presents your offer and its benefits

- A conclusion that encourages action

Each part should be short (1 to 2 sentences) and to the point. Use paragraphs and line breaks to make your text airy and easy to read.

Tell a story (Storytelling)

To capture attention, there's nothing like a good story!

Storytelling consists of presenting your offer in the form of a story, for example:

- The initial situation: the challenges your prospects encounter

- The disruptive element: what has changed and is forcing them to act

- The quest: the search for a solution to their problems

- The resolution: your product or service that seems to be the ideal solution

This narrative structure makes your email more lively and engaging. Your prospect should identify with this story.

Highlight the benefits

Your prospect doesn't care about the technical characteristics of your offer. What interests him is what she will bring him in concrete terms. Your email should therefore focus on the benefits:

- Saving time, money, efficiency...

- Solving a specific problem

- Competitive advantage

- Improvement of performance, productivity...

For each argument, specify the concrete impact: “up to 30% more leads”, “a time saving of 2 hours per day”, “10,000 euros in savings per year”...

Adopt the right tone

The tone of your email must be adapted to your target and your sector of activity. In B2B, a professional and cordial tone is generally preferred. But in some cases, a tone that is more relaxed and close to your prospects may be relevant.

In all cases, your email must be:

- Clear and understandable by everyone

- Positive and enthusiastic, without being overly promotional

- Focused on your prospect (use the “you”) and caring

Have your email proofread by someone outside to get an objective opinion on the tone used.

Here is an example of a prospecting email with impacting content:

‍

Purpose: [First name], discover how to boost your prospecting in 30 min!

Hello [First name],

80% of sales representatives say they spend too much time on administrative tasks at the expense of prospecting. This is certainly a challenge that you also encounter at [Company].

With our Sales Automation solution, you can easily:

- Automate the sending of your prospecting emails

- Program personalized reminders

- Centralize the follow-up of your prospects

Result: up to 3 hours of savings per week to focus on high added value actions! This is what [Customer] noted, which doubled the number of qualified appointments in 3 months.

I invite you to discover the solution during a quick 30-minute demo. Tell me what date would suit you and I will adapt to your agenda!

Sincerely,

[Your name]

With content that is clear, concise and focused on the expectations of your prospect, your email has every chance of hitting the mark. The final step is to encourage them to take action with an effective call to action.

Step 4: Create calls-to-actions that convert

Your email captivated your prospect to the end, congratulations! But your goal isn't just to get read, it's to get action from him. That is the challenge of the call to action (CTA), this key element that must transform the test. Here are the principles to follow to create compelling CTAs.

The characteristics of the ideal CTA

An effective call to action must be:

- Visible: place it prominently in your email, with a button or a colored link that contrasts with the rest of the content

- Clear: the prospect must immediately understand what is expected of him (register, respond, download...)

- Unique: do not disperse your prospect with multiple requests. Focus on one action at a time

- Easy: don't require too much effort. The action must be able to be carried out in a few clicks from the email

- Without commitment: your prospect must be able to act without fear (download a white paper, watch a video...). Avoid requests that are too involving (quotes, purchases...)

Also, be careful about the wording of your CTA. Choose action verbs (download, register, discover...) and emphasize the free and easy nature of action.

Examples of effective CTAs

The CTA should make you want to click through its attractive and reassuring wording. For example:

- “Download our free guide to discover the 10 growth hacking techniques”

- “Yes, I'm signing up for the free demo!”

- “Let's talk for 15 minutes to see how to boost your sales”

- “Discover testimonials from customers who have adopted our solution”

You can also use CTA to create a sense of urgency and accelerate action:

- “Take advantage of our special offer, only valid this month!”

- “Only 2 seats left for our webinar, register quickly”

The idea is to trigger in your prospect the desire to act quickly so as not to miss an opportunity.

Optimize your conversion rates

To maximize the impact of your CTAs, you can use various persuasion levers:

- Social proof: show that others have already successfully adopted your solution. Display customer logos, testimonials, numbers...

- Reciprocity: give first before receiving. Offer a gift (guide, free audit...) to encourage your prospect to give back (contact details, an appointment...)

- Authority: rely on recognized experts, labels, awards... who give credibility to your offer

- Rarity: play on the exclusivity and the time limitation of your offer to create a sense of urgency

By applying these techniques, you will significantly increase your conversion rates.

Here is an example of an optimized CTA:

“You too can join the 150 companies that have boosted their prospecting thanks to our proven method.

Sign up for our free 30-minute demo to discover how to automate your prospecting actions and gain commercial efficiency.

Attention, the number of seats is limited. Book your time slot now!”

With a convincing call-to-action, your prospecting email will have fulfilled its mission: to make your prospect want to take the next step in your sales funnel. But to achieve this, your email still has to reach its destination...

Step 5: Optimize your emails technically

You have written the perfect prospecting email, but it would be a shame if it ended up in spam or not displayed correctly with your prospects. To avoid these pitfalls, you must optimize your emails technically and ensure that they meet all deliverability criteria.

Tips to avoid spam

To maximize your chances of landing in the inbox of your prospects, you need to:

- Use a professional email address with your domain name, not a free email address like Gmail or Hotmail

- Configure your SPF and DKIM records to authenticate your shipments

- Avoid words that trigger spam filters: free, promotion, last day...

- Personalize your shipments to avoid being considered a mass shipment

- Include an unsubscribe link to comply with data protection legislation

- Maintain a good reputation by avoiding massive complaints and unsubscriptions

You can use tools like Mail Tester to assess the quality of your emails before sending.

Take care of responsive design

42% of emails are now opened on mobile. Your email must therefore be legible and clickable on all media. For this:

- Use a responsive template that adapts to the size of the screen

- Prefer a single-column layout

- Limit the width of images to 600 pixels

- Use a sufficiently large font size (14 pixels minimum)

- Space your links enough to be able to easily click on them

Test on different devices and email clients to ensure an optimal display.

Continuously analyze and optimize

The optimization of your prospecting emails does not stop when they are sent. You need to monitor the performance of your campaigns in real time to identify areas for improvement:

- Open rate: test different items and senders to improve this rate

- Click-through rate: check that your CTAs are quite visible and motivating

- Conversion rate: measure the number of prospects who perform the desired action (registration, download, etc.) to assess the relevance of your offer

- Unsubscription and complaint rates: monitor these indicators to avoid damaging your reputation

Use this data to change your next campaigns and improve their performance over time.

Our Hublead expert advice to optimize your results

By applying the principles of this step-by-step guide, you are putting every chance on your side to write powerful prospecting emails. But there is still a long way to go to turn these prospects into customers!

At Hublead, we support companies like yours on a daily basis to industrialize their commercial prospecting. Our experts recommend that you:

- Multiply the points of contact with your prospects (emails, Linkedin, telephone...) to strengthen the relationship

- Automate your prospecting actions (sending emails, reminders...) to gain efficiency and regularity

- Integrate your mailing actions into a global strategy including landing pages, social media campaigns, phoning operations...

Digital prospecting is a real driver of growth, provided it is approached in a methodical and equipped manner. Do not hesitate to call on specialists to assist you in this process!

Conclusion: The prospecting email to reach your prospects

Email is the preferred channel for B2B salespeople to reach their prospects. But faced with increasingly demanding decision-makers, it is becoming difficult to stand out from the crowd. By applying the best practices presented in this article, you will know how to write prospecting emails that hit the mark every time you send them.

To summarize, a prospecting email should be:

- Personalized, to address the right prospect with the right message

- Impactful, with a subject and a hook that make you want to open and read the email

- Convincing, with clear, concise content and focused on the benefits for the prospect

- Incentive, with a call to action that encourages you to take the next step

- Optimized, to maximize its deliverability and display on all media

With such an email, you multiply your chances of getting a qualified appointment and turning your prospects into customers. So it's up to you to play! Apply these tips today to boost your prospecting and your turnover.

And if you need a helping hand, do not hesitate to call on our expertise! Contact us to find out how we can help you industrialize your commercial prospecting.