Published 15 June 2021

Your Prospect Will Never Say No to These Perfect B2B Email Templates

Email marketing is a highly effective strategy for B2B marketing. B2B sales representatives use prospecting emails to initiate contact with potential customers and convert them into leads. Effective prospecting emails have three key elements: a clear reason for contact, a compelling reason for the prospect to act, and a call-to-action. This article provides five perfect prospecting email templates that engage prospects and offer value. By utilizing these templates, B2B sales reps can improve their prospecting efforts and lead generation.

Introduction

When it comes to B2B marketing, email marketing stands tall as the undisputed king. This is for a good reason.

Emails have a high delivery rate of up to 97.5% and an open rate of 18.1%. When it comes to revenue, 31% of B2B marketers say email marketing has the highest impact on revenue generation. It delivers a high return on investment of $51 for every dollar spent, according to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) report.

This explains why 87% of B2B marketers use this form of marketing to generate new leads. However, B2B companies can only reap these benefits if they convert prospects into leads, and ultimately to paying customers.

All this has to start with prospecting – which is a function that B2B sales reps are always performing. In today’s business, prospecting seems to be an extremely challenging task. B2B sales reps are continually struggling with unreturned calls and emails that go unanswered. But this does not have to be the case. The frustrations that are associated with prospecting can be reduced significantly when sales reps find ways to write prospecting emails that their targets are happy to open.

In very basic terms, a prospecting email is an outreach email that B2B sales reps send to potential customers introducing themselves as well as the benefits that their company offers. Also referred to as cold emails, the purpose of prospecting emails is to secure a meeting with the potential customer either in person, via phone or video to further discuss their needs.

So, how can B2B sales reps create prospecting emails that are highly effective?

In this article, provide you with 5 perfect prospecting email templates that B2B prospects will never say no to. But first, let’s look at three key elements that characterize sales prospecting emails:

Important Elements of Effective Prospecting Emails

B2B sales reps use prospecting emails to initiate contact with potential customers that they have not interacted with before. High converting prospecting emails are those that potential customers find engaging and relevant. Such emails exhibit three key characteristics:

1. A Clear Reason for Initiating Contact

A good prospecting email must show the reader why you’re reaching out to them. For the sales rep, the reason for contacting a potential customer must be compelling. To determine this, sales reps should check whether the target prospect fits their ideal buyer profile and whether they are similar to successful customers that the company has had in the past. Sales reps should also determine whether their company can provide the prospect value before deciding to reach out to them.

2. A Compelling Reason for the Prospect to Act

A prospecting email must give prospects a compelling reason to make a purchase. This is communicated through urgency. If a prospecting email does not communicate urgency in the form of a trigger event, a pain point that the prospect may be experiencing or an internal initiative that’s being undertaken, they’ll have no reason to buy. This means that when prospecting, sales reps must establish the need to reach out to potential customers right now before sending cold emails out.

3. A Call-to-Action.

Each touch point in the sales process matters, and it needs to move the process forward. However, the speed at which this process moves depends on where a prospect is on the buyer stage. Once sales reps identify prospects that they need to reach out to immediately, the prospecting emails they send out to them should have a call-to-action.

5 Perfect Prospecting Email Templates that Always Work

1. The Company Intro Email Template

This prospecting email template is ideal for B2B sales reps who want to introduce themselves and their companies to prospects.

Hi [Insert Prospect’s First Name],

I wish to introduce myself to you as a resource here at [Name of Your Company].

I help businesses in the [list the different industries you work in], and noticed that you have visited our website in the past.

This got me interested in [Prospect’s Company] and I’ve spent some time on your website to learn more about your approach to [Prospect’s focus e.g. sales or customer service].

I noticed a few areas of opportunity, that’s why I am reaching out to you directly.

[Your Company] is working with companies like [X , Y, Z Company Names] that are similar to yours to help them [specify goals], and provide them with [put name of tools or solutions you offer] to succeed.

Do you have 10 to 15 minutes to talk about [Prospect’s Company] this coming week?

If you do, book time directly on my calendar here [Meetings Link]

Looking forward to talking to you,

[Insert your Name]

Several things make this email perfect for prospecting. These include:

Positioning your company as a resource in a subtle but very strategic way
Highlighting social proof by mentioning companies that are already using your solution
Giving a strong reason for reaching out
Building rapport to establish trust
Highly engaging – allows prospects to place an appointment

2. The Establishing Value Email Template

B2B sales persons can use prospecting emails to demonstrate the value that their companies can offer prospects. Using the demonstrating value template, they can offer prospects brief explanations on the benefits that they stand to receive when they choose to work with the company.

Hi [Insert Prospect’s First Name],

I noticed that you downloaded [add content asset – white paper/ebook/guide/industry report] about [title of content asset] recently.

I’ve worked with companies such as yours in [add industry or field] and I thought I’d reach out.

[Prospect’s Company] looks like a great fit for [Your Company] and I’d like to understand your goals for this year.

[Your Company] helps companies like yours to grow through:

1. [Add solution and result]

2. [Add solution and result]

3. [Add solution and result]

If you wish to know how [Your Company] can help you reach [ Prospect’s goals], feel free to book time with me on my calendar here: [Meeting Link]

Thanks,

[Insert your Name]

You can also establish value with prospects by offering advice. If you choose to do that, this template will come in handy:

Hi [Insert Prospect’s First Name],

While working with [insert job titles], we’ve learnt that the main challenge that they struggle with is [insert key issue].

This past year we helped many companies to [insert key solutions], resulting in [insert outcome change like percentage increase in revenue, savings, or productivity].

The strategy that has worked well and delivered a lot of success for our clients is [insert key strategy].

Based on the knowledge that I have about your company, here are ideas on how you can apply this strategy in your business:

[Insert Tip 1]

[Insert Tip 2]

[Insert Tip 3]

Does this sound like a challenge you’ve experienced in the past? I have ideas that could help. Book time with me on my calendar here: [Meeting Link]

All the best,

[Insert your name]

The following aspects make this B2B email template great for prospecting. They include:

Allows sales reps to engage prospects
Allows prospects to suggest time to connect with sales reps
Highlighting the value that prospects stand to receive
Offers a solid reason for initiating contact
Is short and precise

3. The Free Offer Email Template

This template is premised on the reciprocity principle. Based on this principle, when you offer your prospects something that’s useful and helpful for free , they’re likely to reciprocate by taking the action that your B2B sales reps desire. This template can be used either to initiate contact or to follow-up on previous communication.

Hi [Insert Prospect’s First Name],

Am writing to offer you a free tool, [insert name of the tool], that I think you’ll love.

I developed this tool just for you, your name is literally on it. Usng [insert name of the tool], you’ll be able to understand how your practice varies from what other doctors in [insert name of city] are offering.

Click here [insert link to the tool] to complete the brand differentiation survey. When we talk, I’ll benchmark your responses against those from leading physician brands in the country.

Here is a link to my calendar [insert link] to enable you to schedule a convenient time to discuss more.

Happy weekend,

[Insert your name]

Here’s why your prospects will find this prospecting email template attractive:

It’s short and precise
It’s highly engaging
It builds rapport with the reader
It triggers interest – the reader has something valuable to look forward to
It has several calls-to-action

4. The Friendly Follow-Up Email Template

This prospecting email template comes in handy when B2B sales reps need to follow-up on a prospect and let them know that they’ve been trying to reach them. They are great for showing prospects that the emails they receive are not just being generated by an automated system, consideration is being given to the person who is on the receiving end. With a response rate of 80% in just 24 hours, friendly follow-up emails are highly effective in triggering responses from prospects.

Hi [Insert Prospect’s First Name],

Am sorry I missed you on the phone today.

I wanted to follow-up with you because [insert one reason for your call/ event or referral that introduced you].

I left you a voicemail and mentioned that I’ll call you back on [insert date] at [insert time].

If you’re able to call before then, you can always reach me on [insert your phone number].

Looking forward to talking to you,

Cheers,

[Insert your name]

This email template stands out because:

It’s polite, short and direct to the point
It has a direct call-to-action
It refreshes the prospect’s mind on previous interaction or connection
It has a strong reason to initiate contact

5. The Customer Referral Email Template

Another B2B email template that prospects will never say to is the customer referral email. B2B sales reps can use this template to follow up with prospects that their customers share as referrals. The template provides a great avenue for sales reps to introduce their companies and the solutions they offer to prospects.

Hi [Insert Prospect’s First Name],

[Insert the name of mutual contact] recommended that we get in touch.

I work with [insert him or her] at [insert name of your company] that does [insert your company’s core business].

While thinking about your role at [insert your Prospect’s company name], I have several solutions that can work well for you and your team.

Our [insert your product’s name] has been received extremely well by companies such as yours and I think it will be helpful to your team as well.

If this sounds like something that’s well aligned with your current priorities, feel free to book time with me on my calendar here [Meeting Link]

Best,

[Insert your name]

This template works well in cold emailing because:

It highlights social proof that builds trust in prospects
It’s short and friendly
It’s engaging – it allows prospects to suggest time to connect with sales reps

Final Thoughts

Capturing the attention of prospects can be challenging for any B2B sales person. However, this process becomes easier when you have different prospecting email templates that you can use with different prospects at different times. If you are using email marketing to attract potential customers, your prospects will find it hard to say no to the five B2B email templates presented above.