An average person receives 121 business emails every day. So it is no surprise that most of these emails stay unopened. What factors decide which email a prospective customer will open?
Among the factors that impact email open rates, the subject line is, by far, the most important. You only get one shot at first impressions! And the subject line is the first impression you project to your prospective clients.
Are you getting the most out of your subject lines? Here are some of the best practices for email subject lines.
Characteristics of a good subject line:
- Concise and pleasant
- Feels personal
- Has a straightforward call to action
- Relevant to the recipient
A lot of companies use generic and robotic subject lines. Basic subject lines don’t stand out. As a result, most people are unlikely to open them.
To help you maximize your email marketing, we have collected 21 catchy and attention-grabbing email subject lines for sales. If needed, you can customize them to fit your brand image too!
Best Subject Lines for Sales
#1 The Chill Sales Video
What to say:
“Video for {first name}”
Why it works:
There has been a substantial increase in the amount of video content an average person consumes. The popularity of streaming platforms like Netflix and video-conferencing applications like Zoom shows us the impact videos have on people’s minds.
Keeping all these in mind, video email marketing has become a very effective strategy. And you don't have to worry about sending large files over email anymore. Video email marketing. like Sendspark have made it easy to leverage video for virtual selling.
Video emails have a 300% higher click-through rate than normal text-based emails, so they are the perfect addition to your email funnel. But your prospects won’t see the video if they never open it. Using a subject line like this lets them know that you have interesting content inside. So, they are more likely to open the email!
If you want to get the most out of your Sendspark video integration, check out some more video email subject lines and video sales letter examples!
#2 Bringing in the Rival
What to say:
“Time is money - {prospect’s competitor} knows this!”
Why it works:
This is an aggressive subject line to spice up your email marketing. Nothing fires up the competition like a little rivalry between competitors.
Mentioning the prospect’s competitor is a surefire way to capture attention in email. It implies you might be in talks with them about a deal. This can create urgency in your prospect. As a result, they are more likely to open your email.
#3 The Shout-Out
What to say:
“{Prospect’s name}, quick call next Wednesday?”
Why it works:
Creating a personal connection is one of the objectives of successful email marketing. And what better way than to have a casual conversation with your prospect?
This subject line calls out your prospect by name and then asks for a casual conversation. Moreover, it takes little to no energy to reply to such a simple call to action. Since replying to such simple email costs very little, the recipient is more likely to open it.
#4 Open Question
What to say:
“A tech question”
Why it works:
Everyone likes sharing their opinions. So you can pique your prospects’ interest by asking for their expertise.
To effectively use this subject line, you must appeal to your prospect. If you ask a question they aren’t interested in, they are unlikely to open your email. But if you can pull it off, you are almost guaranteed to increase your email open rate.
#5 Casual Meet-Up
What to say:
“Time to meet?”
Why it works:
This subject line is another use of a simple call to action. By leaving out crucial details about the meeting, you are invoking the recipient’s curiosity.
Moreover, the reply to this email is simple “yes” or “no.” The low-cost reply coupled with the ambiguity of the question almost guarantees that your prospect will open the email.
#6 Hype Mail
What to say:
“More wins for {company name}!”
Why it works:
Everyone loves a bit of hype. This subject line takes a casual approach to hype up the prospect. The excitement and positive sentiment of the subject incentivize the recipient to open the email.
A thing to note is that this subject line may not be appropriate for formal emails. Emails with casual tones work best when coupled with chill marketing campaigns.
#7 Celebrate
What to say:
“New tool / Improved results / Any company achievement”
Why it works:
Everyone loves talking about their accomplishments. If a potential client has achieved something recently, you can use that as an icebreaker for your business emails.
No one will reject any email that celebrates your achievement in the subject line. So be sure to keep track of your prospects’ achievements.
#8 Have Fun with Emojis
What to say:
“{insert relevant emoji} Cool {product} Alert! {insert relevant emoji}”
Why it works:
If you are looking for a flashy way to get your prospect’s attention, then emojis are the way to go.
Emojis convey a fun personality. As a result, your brand feels more human and personal. Showing off your products with emojis and fun buzzwords will make your email marketing more engaging.
#9 Reverse Psychology
What to say:
“Don’t open this email”
Why it works:
Have you ever told a child to not do something and moments later find out that they’ve done just that? It’s human nature to be intrigued by something we are not supposed to do.
This subject line takes advantage of human’s natural curiosity to get potential customers to open emails they might have normally ignored.
You can tell them to not open the email you send. As a result, most people will become curious to find out the content of the email. This is a cheeky way to increase your open rate.
A slight risk of overusing this subject line is that you might come off as suspicious. So try not to use this subject line too much on the same recipients.
#10 Virtual Handshake
What to say:
“{Insert name} from {insert company name}”
Why it works:
A common saying in business is that a strong handshake is the foundation of a great first impression. This subject line is the email equivalent of a strong handshake.
The subject line professionally introduces your name and company. This sets a serious tone for a solid business relationship.
People are naturally attracted to charisma. So, your prospects are highly likely to open such a professional business email.
#11 Request to Connect
What to say:
“Connect?”
Why it works:
There is a reason minimalism has been such a trendy topic in recent times. There is a certain charm to using minimal words to get your point across.
The beauty of this subject line is its clear call to action. Even before opening the email, the recipient knows what it is about. But at the same time, they don’t actually know the content of the email.
This middle ground between knowing and not knowing invokes the curiosity of the prospective client. As a result, they are more likely to open the email.
#12 Statistics
What to say:
“{Relevant data} involved in {email content}”
Why it works:
Numbers are a great way to grab your prospects’ attention. People are more likely to trust decisions backed by data.
So by putting a statistic on the subject line, you are reassuring the recipients about your products. As a result, they are more likely to open your emails.
The format of this subject line is very flexible. You can change it to represent data that is relevant to your business. The important part is to keep the relevant stats on the subject line.
#13 Being Humble
What to say:
“Any response will be appreciated”
Why it works:
It's counterintuitive, but this is one of the most catch email subject lines for sales. People are more likely to agree to your requests if they have little to lose. Being humble makes your prospective customers feel like they can help you without losing anything.
The purpose of this subject line is to get them to open the email. Whether their response will be helpful is not a factor. Just by making your potential customers think they are helping you, you can improve your email open rate.
#14 The No Shame Approach
What to say:
“(Shameless) Last Attempt”
Why it works:
This subject line takes a more aggressive approach. We expect marketing emails to be friendly and humble. But changing the pace and suddenly being a bit aggressive is bound to pique the recipients’ curiosity.
But the thing about strategies like this is that they can backfire in the long run. So you should be cautious about using subject lines like this too much.
#15 The Reminder
What to say:
“Uh-oh, your subscription is expiring.”
Why it works:
Sending a reminder at the right time can provide you the opportunity for an upsell. The perfect time for such an email is when a user’s subscription is about to expire.
If you send a reminder email a couple of weeks before the user’s subscription is ending, the subject line will seem extremely relevant. As a result, they are likely to open the email. It also provides the perfect opportunity for them to upgrade to a better plan.
But there’s more to this subject line than perfect timing. The use of casual words like “Uh-oh” makes it very personal. As a result, you come off as a friend who’s reminding them about their expiring subscription rather than a corporate trying to upsell a service.
#16 The Flex with a Pinch of Humor
What to say:
“Best of {your company}: The Deals That Make Us Proud (Unlike Our Nephew, Steve)”
Why it works:
This subject line is a reference to a popular video that went viral a few years ago. Pulling off funny marketing is no easy feat. Making a relatable and unexpected joke is sure to catch your prospects’ eyes.
Of course, just making a joke won’t accomplish much. Letting your prospects know you are offering them your best deals will entice them into purchasing your products.
If you feel like the joke doesn’t go well with your brand, it’s a good idea to incorporate a trending meme from social media. But be sure to not try too hard! The secret to a good joke is to make it feel natural.
#17 Create Urgency
What to say:
“Your timer on your cart is about to go off!”
Why it works:
This subject line takes advantage of people’s indecisiveness when facing urgency. We keep a lot of items on our cart when we are browsing online websites.
Most websites clear out the items after a fixed time if the user does not checkout.
By reminding prospects about their client and giving them a time limit, they fall into a state of indecision. It is a drag to search for your lost items again and then add them to the cart again.
So, you will surely get prospective customers to open your email using this subject line, and you are likely to make a sale as well.
#18 Asking For Feedback
What to say:
“How Was Your Experience? Write a Review!”
Why it works:
Customers who have just made a purchase are usually still interested in their purchase. So asking them about their purchase is a sure-fire way to get them to open an email.
Moreover, you are asking for a genuine review. So it puts a positive light on your brand as a company that wants feedback on their products.
#19 The Breaking News
What to say:
“Important {recent and important event} Alert!”
Why it works:
People are more likely to open emails regarding topics that interest them. While everyone has personal preferences, trendy events interest almost everyone.
So incorporating trending events that people like into your email marketing can help you improve your email open rate.
#20 The Gift
What to say:
“{Points or a gift card} just for you! Get your favorite {product name} and more.”
Why it works:
We all love discounts. And when someone gives you a personal offer, that makes you feel truly special.
Sending a gift card or extra points to prospects might give them the extra nudge they need to complete their purchase. Moreover, mentioning that on the subject line is sure to pique their interest. Adding an oddly specific number can also help catch your prospects’ eyes, making it even more likely to open the email.
#21 The Snarky Comment
What to say:
“Not Cool, Guys”
Why it works:
This is another creative and slightly aggressive subject line. Moreover, it is an ambiguous subject that does not explain too much about itself.
A subject line like that aims to casually intrigue the prospect. Despite not having a call to action, anyone would be curious to find out the content of such a snarky email.
Of course, you should be careful about overusing subjects like this. But mixing in a snarky comment like that in the subject line can help you boost your email open rate.
Subject Lines for You Can Steal
Here's a quick list of the best subject lines for sales:
- I made you a Sendspark video
- Time is money - {prospect’s competitor} knows this!
- {Prospect’s name}, quick call next Wednesday?
- A {relevant} question
- Time to meet?
- More wins for {company name}!
- New tool / Improved results / Any company achievement
- {insert relevant emoji} Cool {product} Alert! {insert relevant emoji}
- Don’t open this email
- {Insert name} from {insert company name}
- Connect?
- {Relevant data} involved in {email content}
- Any response will be appreciated
- (Shameless) Last Attempt
- Uh-oh, your subscription is expiring.
- Best of {your company}: The Deals That Make Us Proud (Unlike Our Nephew, Steve)
- Your timer on your cart is about to go off!
- How Was Your Experience? Write a Review!
- Important {recent and important event} Alert!
- {Points or a gift card} just for you! Get your favorite {product name} and more.
- Not Cool, Guys
Final Words
So, now you have 21 stellar email subject lines at your disposal. Choose any of them, tweak it a little, and send it to your prospects to make the most out of your email marketing game!
