Email Subject Lines: The Worst Advice You're Probably Taking

How believable are these statements about email subject lines? This cold email subject line earns a 34% open rate for a B2B software company: "[first name], quick call next Tuesday?" This subject line earns a 42% open rate: "Time to meet?"

If you've sent any cold email lately, you'll be laughing right about now. These are two of the worst performing subject lines these days ...  based on my personal experience sending cold email, as well as my wider experience coaching B2B sales reps.

Yet, these claims are being made by a sales email automation software provider. In fact, these particular subject line claims come from a respected, growing software-as-a-service (SaaS) company. They're publishing a guide book of subject line advice.

So are these subject line claims fact or fiction? It matters not. What matters is there's a fox in the hen house.

Who Do You Trust With Sales Email Strategy?

Where do you/your reps turn for sales email best practices? How are you educating sales reps ... or how are they educating themselves on email subject lines? Who do you trust with the email writing portion of your sales prospecting strategy?

Googling templates can be dangerous. You won't find a better-than-average way to start email conversations via Google. Because Almighty G is everyone's top go-to source for subject line short-cuts.

Most demand generation, marketing, sales enablement pros and reps are turning to software vendors claiming communication expertise. Yet 95% of folks I meet experience complete lack of success using these tips.

Here's why: The tips and advice are garbage. There's no other way to put it and I won't single-out any one provider.

Yes, I admit, it seems logical ... turning to vendors providing sales email automation tools. But most organizations fail to realize: trusting software vendors ensures sending sellers to market with sub-par email subject lines and messages.

In fact, it guarantees:

• sending them to battle with messages competitors are using
• encouraging reps to form self-defeating communications habits

You cannot afford to invest in this kind of advice. It's free but it's not serving your best interest. It threatens you/your team.

The Truth About Your Software Vendor

Software companies are not communications experts. Period.

No, sales automation and engagement software providers aren't evil. I get that. Many of these tools are quite handy. But setting email strategy based on advice from software providers is dangerous and foolish. Because they are not communications experts. They are tool experts whose clients need communications expertise ... to use the tools.

It's easy (for SaaS providers) to provide communications advice that won't hurt clients, but won't help either. Investing in quality communications expertise for software companies is not part of the SaaS business model. Even LinkedIn has invested in communications expertise to support its larger Sales Navigator clients, investing upwards of $200,000 annually.

Yet many of these sales teams end up knocking on my door... asking for help with communications technique. They often recognize LinkedIn's communications tips aren't on par and, in fact, are being handed out to competitors.

Relying on software vendors ensures zero competitive edge. Your tool is great. But your tactics are outdated.

Flawed Logic and Secret Formulas

Here are just a few examples of what sales automation software providers are telling prospects and customers who use their tools. They go as far as claiming to have "secret formulas."

Catchy, compelling email subject lines will vastly increase your email open rates and engage prospects. 

This is simply not true. Catchy fails terribly. In practice, attempts to compel also fail miserably. What software vendors don't understand is how readers are numb to catchy, see right through such attempts. They are also spotting anyone who tries to compel them into opening. Catchy & compelling don't work. This kind of advice is clearly coming from a marketing person.

Effective email subject lines are direct, straight to the point and crystal clear.

Wrong again. Cold email arrives without context. Prospects have not opted-in to receive it. The more specific your subject is about the message contents (and your goal as a seller) the lower open and response rates it earns. From your target's perspective, they don't need to open when the subject indicates, "this is a cold email about a subject that 15 sellers per day email me about... to sell me."

They delete, without hesitation.

Performing email subject lines are personal, directly reference the company or the prospect's name.

While this is true in a minority of cases it is a disingenuous statement. Truth is, this is an old marketing ploy that also fails to work in most B2B contexts. As time progresses this tactic is trending negative. Using a database merge from your list into the subject line is, actually, a tell-tale sign of spam for humans and machines. Prospects and spam guard tools easily find and mark these subject lines as spam. Again, not in all cases but increasingly across B2B.

Marketing Creep

In most cases, marketing staff write B2B email messages for reps to apply. And/or reps turn to marketing materials, cut-and-paste into emails and press send. Marketing is creeping into sales emails and it's not helping. For example, calls to action. We are told:

Good subject lines include a call to action.

I honestly don't know how anyone could take this seriously... yet many folks are. Calls-to-action are inherently marketing-oriented. If you want your B2B sales prospecting email to get opened, and read, do not include a call to action. Using a call to action in your subject is a tired marketing concept, not appropriate for sales.

"RE:" and "FWD:" are powerful when used appropriately.

In other words, tricking your target prospect (into believing your cold email is, actually, part of an on-going conversation) is good practice, "when used appropriately."

Is there ever a time to trick your prospect into believing your communication is part of something it is not? Only a marketing person could suggest this filthy tactic.

Do yourself a favor: Don't use this technique. I know many people who do (and are successful at starting conversations through trickery) but be careful of the negative repercussions... including forming habits that, ultimately, will sabotage good communications habits. Use your precious time to start honest dialogues with prospects. Don't insult their intelligence.

"[first name], quick call next Tuesday?" is effective at earning opens because prospects like to see their name & appreciate yes/no emails.

Truth is, in a B2B context this stopped working for 90% of us about 10 years ago. Most B2B decision-makers receive dozens of pre-mature, cold meeting requests per day. Some receive over 100 per day. If you'd like to signal, "One of the steady stream of sales reps asking for your time to sell you something" feel free to use this subject line and subscribe to this outdated logic.

Remember: You won't find a superior (let alone effective) way to start conversations by copying everyone else, based on what you found on Google. Avoid turning to software vendors claiming communication expertise. Otherwise, what has your experience been?