Email Marketing

Boosting Revenue Through Email Subject Lines for Sales - With 19 Proven Examples

Uncover Sales Email Subject Line Secrets

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Qasim Farooq

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Are your sales emails getting lost in the digital abyss? Failing to get a response on your carefully drafted cold emails? 

Fret not, what you might be missing is the secret sauce to crafting email subject lines for sales that pack a punch, grab attention, and make your recipients do a double take.

In the fast-paced world of sales, where every second counts, the email subject line holds the power to make or break your outreach efforts. Therefore, crafting a compelling subject line is your first step towards capturing your recipient's attention and driving them to open your sales email.

So, whether you're sending cold emails, networking messages, or follow-ups - mastering the art of creating attention-grabbing sales email subject lines can significantly boost your email open rates and lead to increased conversions.

In this blog, we will dive deep into the strategies that can help you craft compelling email subject lines that drive sales conversions. From the best subject lines for cold emails to tailored email subject lines for networking - it is time to turn those hesitant clicks into triumphant conversions!

Why Email Subject Lines Matters?

Remember that old saying about first impressions? Well, in the email world, your subject line is just that. 

Your email subject line isn't just a random collection of words; it's a microcosm of your message's essence. It gives your recipients a sneak peek into what awaits them inside, piques their interest and pushes them to take the desired action. 

This is especially important in today’s age, where attention spans are shorter than a hiccup, and you every business is vying for consumer attention. In this scenario, the email subject line stands as your golden ticket to cut through the clutter and secure a coveted spot in your recipient's mind. 

To put it simply, if your prospects don’t open your emails, you can’t sell them on what’s inside. Your email could contain pure gold, but if the subject line doesn't entice readers to open it, all your efforts go down the drain. By crafting subject lines that captivate, resonate, and prompt action, you're setting the stage for higher engagement and better results. 

That is why it is so important to equip yourself with the strategies necessary to draft the best subject lines for cold emails.

Email subject lines stats chart

Types Of Sales Email Subject Lines

There are different types of subject lines - each serving a specific purpose. Some of the major email subject lines for sales are listed below:

  • Meeting request subject lines - These are targeted towards inbound and outbound leads. For inbound leads they serve the purpose for a short chat or meeting. They can also be targeted toward direct or outbound leads to request a meeting to elaborate on the offer.
    For Example: "Tailored for You: Meeting to Discuss Our Irresistible Offer"

  • Sales Outreach Subject Lines - Gives a brief overview of the offer to the prospect. These subject lines serve as a bridge to inform prospects about our offerings in a nutshell, or shed light on the purpose behind our sales team's outreach.
    For Example: "Enhance Your [Specific Goal] with Our Novel Approach"

  • Meeting invite Email Subject lines - Prospective clients might receive a direct invitation from sales leaders for a meeting, or alternatively, they could be sent an email detailing the date and time of the scheduled meeting.
    For Example: "Join the Conversation: Meeting to Explore [Subject] on [Date]"

  • Follow-up email subject lines for sales - These subsequent email subjects either revisit the core of the initial discussion or provide further details regarding the offer, elucidating how it effectively resolves a pain point. These are usually utilized by the sales teams wanting to encourage a response.
    For Example: "You have 3 days to avail [Discount Offer] to automate processes."

  • Email subject lines for Networking - These communicate to potential prospects the reasons for wanting to connect and the method you intend to employ.
    For Example: “Interacted on [social platform]. Let’s connect further.”

  • Blog post subject lines - These try to educate the audience about something - a service or a new feature, or are providing information that the recipient wants.
    For Example: "Mastering [Skill/Concept]: Your Step-by-Step Tutorial"

Cracking The Code: The Science Behind Effective Email Subject Lines For Sales

Before diving into specific strategies, it's essential to understand the psychology behind what makes sales email subject lines effective. 

Email Marketing Subject lines


At its core, crafting compelling subject lines that grab attention, build a one-to-one connection and incorporate a curiosity quotient requires a science-backed strategy that taps into human behavior, psychology, and the mechanics of curiosity. 

Listed below are some key elements that are absolutely essential to write compelling email subject lines that ultimately boost your sales conversions:

Good Subject Line Key Elements
  1. Personalization
    In a sea of generic emails, personalization stands out like a diamond in the rough. Email subject lines that include the recipient's name create a sense of personal connection, turning your email into a one-on-one conversation rather than a mass message.
    Infact, Open rates are increased by a massive 50% when subject lines are personalized.

  2. Element Of Curiosity
    Curiosity-driven subject lines often lead to higher open rates. Pique your recipient's curiosity by hinting at a solution, an offer, or valuable information inside the email, in your email subject lines for sales.

  3. Relevance And Value
    A relevant subject line is what lands your email in the inbox, instead of the spam box. In contrast, irrelevant subject lines are more likely to be ignored or marked as spam.
    Recipients open emails that they believe will benefit them, whether it's solving a problem, gaining knowledge, or seizing an opportunity.

  4. Element Of Clarity
    Clarity is like a roadmap; it guides your recipients to the destination you want them to reach. In contrast, vague or confusing email subject lines for sales lead to frustration and can prompt recipients to hit the delete or send to spam button, very quickly.
    Therefore, your sales email subject lines should give a clear idea of what the email is about.

  5. Sense Of Urgency
    Urgency taps into the fear of missing out, compelling recipients to open the email sooner rather than later. The best cold email subject lines convey that there's something time-sensitive within the email – an offer, a limited-time deal, or crucial information.
    Create a sense of urgency without resorting to excessive hype or using spammy words.

Effective email subject lines for networking are a delicate blend of clarity, relevance, personalization, and creativity. An AI-powered Subject Line Testing software can help you ensure that you tick all these technical checkpoints, and draft compelling subject lines. 

Strategies For Writing Compelling Email Subject Lines For Sales

Knowing the intricacies of an effective email subject line is key to garnering the desired response from your recipients. Here are some strategies that can help elevate subject lines from ordinary to extraordinar-ily effective.

Embrace The Power Of Personalization

The average person receives dozens, if not hundreds, of emails daily. Your email subject line competes with a sea of distractions, each vying for a moment of attention. In this context, personalization is your secret weapon to break through the noise.

Personalized email subject lines for sales are statistically more likely to be opened. When a recipient sees their name or their company's name in the subject line, it generates a feeling of familiarity. It's as if you're saying, "This message is crafted just for you." When recipients feel that your message speaks directly to them, they're more likely to open the email, read its contents, and take the desired action. 

However, personalization goes beyond simply addressing recipients by their first name. Tailor your email subject lines to resonate with your audience's preferences, pain points, and aspirations. 

Case in Point: Imagine you're a fitness enthusiast receiving an email subject line that reads, “[Name], Achieve Your Fitness Goals Our New Program Tailored Just For You!" It's more than just your name; it's a promise that the email holds content tailored to your interests, compelling you to interact with it. Such personalization is key to drive open rates and is the primary element to help you find your marketing zen with email subject lines.

The Subject Line Hook: Arouse Curiosity With Intrigue

Humans are naturally curious beings – leverage this by crafting subject lines that spark curiosity. In the realm of email marketing, the element of curiosity is a potent tool that can spell the difference between an unopened email and an engaged reader. 

The best cold email subject lines offer a glimpse of something intriguing but keep the details concealed. They spark anticipation, inspire engagement, and set the stage for the content within your email. 

By skillfully wielding curiosity in your subject lines, you're setting the stage for engagement, connection, and the potential to convert curiosity into action. You can generate this sense of curiosity in your email subject lines for sales, by utilizing different techniques. 

You can add the “What If” factor to your sales email subject lines or you can give a glimpse into the unknown or even use incomplete statements or questions that make recipients curious enough to click.

Case in Point: Imagine you are reaching out to a prospect with the aim to make them sign up for your email marketing service. You should first identify a pain point you wish to address, and then tease the prospect by asking a question, like "Ever Wondered How to Boost Your ROI Overnight?". Such a strategy not only addresses a potential pain point but also cultivates sufficient intrigue within your sales email subject line, encouraging the desired action - which in this case is amplifying your open rates. 

Keep It Short And Avoid Spammy Words

Effective email subject lines are a blend of clear communication and efficient engagement. By steering clear of spammy language and embracing brevity, you're ensuring that your message reaches its intended audience and resonates with them. 

In fact, short subject lines not only ensure your message gets across quickly but also have a higher chance of being read in full. For example, sales email subject lines that are under 50 characters are more likely to be fully visible on mobile devices and desktops, preventing crucial information from getting cut off and ensuring your messaging is received and read in full. 

In an era of aggressive spam filters, avoiding spammy words is paramount to ensure your emails make it to their intended destination – your recipients' inboxes. 

Spammy words to avoid in Email Subject Lines

The best cold email subject lines utilize the following strategies to stay clear of spammy word traps:-

  • Maintain a professional tone and minimize use of Punctuation

  • Avoid overusing “Salesy” terms 

  • Maintain a natural language flow without unnecessary repetition

These strategies can not only help your sales email subject line to evade spam filters and land in your recipient’s inbox but also make your content look professional and relevant. 

Leverage FOMO And Create A Sense Of Urgency

Email subject lines, when infused with a sense of urgency, have the power to captivate recipients and prompt immediate engagement. 

Whether you're offering limited-time deals, time-sensitive information, or exclusive opportunities, mastering the art of urgency in your subject lines can significantly. 

There are different ways you can incorporate a sense of urgency in your email subject lines for sales. This can be achieved by either highlighting time sensitivity using words like “Ending Soon”, indicating scarcity with phrases like “Only 5 spots left” or by emphasizing immediate benefits by incorporating words like “Instant” in your subject lines for cold emails.

When recipients sense that an opportunity is fleeting, their fear of missing out (FOMO) kicks in, making them more inclined to take action swiftly. By crafting email subject lines that evoke FOMO, you're appealing to your recipients' desires to be part of something special, to gain exclusive insights, and to avoid the feeling of exclusion. 

Creating a sense of urgency in your email subject lines for sales is an art of transforming passive recipients into active participants, driving them to open your emails, explore your content, and seize the opportunities you present.

Case in Point: Imagine you have a discount offer on the service that you are offering. To maximize the chances of conversion, you can add a sense of urgency by phrasing your offer somewhat like “48-Hour Flash Sale: Instantly Unlock Premium Features at Half the Price”. Phrasing your sales email subject lines in this way not only incorporates time sensitivity but also emphasizes immediate benefits - prompting immediate action. 

Utilizing The Power Of Social Proof

When wielded effectively in your email subject lines for cold emails, social proofs serve as a beacon of credibility and influence. By highlighting positive experiences, endorsements, or successes of others, you're not only validating your brand's value but also tapping into the human desire to belong and make informed decisions. 

Social proof is rooted in the principle that people tend to follow the actions or decisions of others, especially in uncertain situations. When recipients see evidence that others have benefited from your offerings, it triggers a sense of trust and curiosity. By incorporating social proof into your email subject lines, you're presenting evidence that your offerings are valuable, reputable, and beneficial. 

However, it can be a double edged sword. Avoid fabrication or exaggeration; display only genuine testimonials and verifiable data to maintain credibility. 

The power of social proofs can be utilized in different ways. You can spotlight endorsements, share success stories or promote awards and recognition which can reinforce your brand's credibility and expertise.

Case in Point: You can win over a recipient by highlighting a success story in your email subject line like “How [Company] Achieved [Benefit] with Our [Solution]!". This sales email subject line which incorporates a social proof humanizes your offerings and demonstrates real-world results. 

Audience Segmentation

The best cold email subject lines for sales incorporate an element of audience segmentation in them. Audience segmentation allows you to tailor subject lines to specific groups within your email list. 

A subject line that directly addresses the concerns or desires of a particular segment has a higher chance of standing out in a crowded inbox. This, in turn, can lead to improved open rates.

When subject lines align with recipients' demographics, behaviors, or preferences, they immediately find the content relevant. This relevance increases the likelihood of recipients opening the email to explore further.

Moreover, sending tailored sales email subject lines shows that you understand your audience and care about their needs. This can build trust and credibility, as recipients perceive you as a brand that values their preferences.

Directly Address The Pain Point And Give Solution

Addressing pain points demonstrates that you understand your audience's challenges and are empathetic to their concerns, fostering a stronger connection. When recipients see their specific pain point addressed in the subject line, they recognize the email as directly relevant to their needs, prompting them to open it.

Furthermore, offering a solution right in the subject line shows recipients that you have something valuable to offer. When you offer a solution, you're essentially promising value. 

Addressing pain points and providing solutions creates an immediate engagement with your audience. They're more likely to read further to learn more about the solution.

19 Of The Best Email Subject Lines for Sales

The challenge with email subject lines is that you don’t always know where you are going wrong. It is important to ascertain and identify, for any skilled email marketer, what he might be doing wrong when writing catchy subject lines for sales

While we have discussed the key elements that constitute the best cold email subject lines, and the strategies on how to incorporate these elements to drive your open rates; it is still important to look at some proven examples that showcase what we have learned so far. 

Here are some of the best sales email subject lines, that you can try, alongside an explainer as to what makes them special 

  1. Hey [name]! Would love to chat sometime this week!”
    This engagement invite utilizes the power of personalization by addressing the recipient by his name. This one-to-one connection generates a sense of familiarity in the recipient’s mind, pushing them to engagement.. 

  2. ​​​​"Enhance Your Conversion Rate by 20% with Our Newest Feature"
    This subject line highlights a clear benefit (increased conversion rate) and uses a specific number to grab attention. It also hints at a new feature, creating curiosity and encouraging your prospect to take the desired action, which is to open the email. 

  3. "From Novice to Expert: [Customer Name]'s Journey with [Product]"
    The email subject line incorporates social proof by providing a specific case study that benefited from your product. This real life example establishes a sense of credibility in the recipient’s mind, making it more likely for them to engage with your content. 

  4. "Discover the Secrets Behind Successful Email Campaigns"
    People are always interested in learning secrets or tips to improve their strategies. The subject line uses the word "secrets," which naturally piques curiosity. It promises valuable information - the secrets to successful email campaigns. This immediately communicates the benefit recipients will gain from opening the email.

  5. "Evade the Spam Filter: Improve Your Email Deliverability Now"
    The email subject line addresses a common pain point for email marketers - emails ending up in spam folders. "Evade the Spam Filter" outlines a clear benefit: avoiding spam filters and ensuring emails reach the intended recipients. Lastly, the phrase "Improve Your Email Deliverability Now" conveys a sense of urgency, encouraging recipients to take immediate action to solve a critical issue.

  6. "Your Competitors Are Already Using This Email Strategy…"
    The subject line taps into the fear of falling behind competitors or FOMO, which is a strong emotional motivator. The subject line creates curiosity by hinting at a strategy that competitors are using. Recipients are likely to want to know what that strategy is and how it can benefit them.

  7. "5 Tried-and-True Ways to Increase Your Email Outreach"
    The subject line promises valuable information—"Ways to Increase Your Email Outreach." It addresses a common challenge (low email outreach) and offers solutions, appealing to recipients seeking improvement. Moreover, "Tried-and-True" implies that the solutions are tested and proven, enhancing your authority on the topic and instilling trust in your recipient’s mind. 

  8. "Last Chance: Register for Our Exclusive [Service] Webinar"
    Scarcity and exclusivity drive urgency. By positioning the webinar as exclusive and time-bound, you encourage email opens. The phrase "Last Chance" creates a sense of urgency, compelling recipients to take immediate action if they're interested in the webinar.

  9. "New [Product/Feature] Alert: Elevate Your Results"
    Email subject lines for sales that incorporate an element of curiosity get higher open rates. The word "New" instantly grabs attention and creates a sense of curiosity. Recipients are naturally intrigued by what's fresh and innovative. "Elevate Your Results" promises an improvement, which resonates with recipients looking to enhance their outcomes. The subject line communicates a clear value proposition – the new product or feature is intended to boost recipients' results.

  10. "Unlock Your [Benefit] Potential Today – Limited Spaces!"
    Scarcity is a powerful motivator. This subject line suggests that there are limited spaces available, spurring recipients to take immediate action.

  11. "Don't Miss Out: [Webinar/Event] Starts Soon!"
    By reminding recipients of an impending event, this subject line leverages FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to encourage attendance.

  12. "Boost Your [Metric] by [Percentage] – Uncover How!"
    Promising a specific boost in performance coupled with curiosity about how it's achieved piques interest. The subject line promises a clear benefit – improving a specific metric by a certain percentage. It speaks directly to recipients' desire for progress and growth. The call to action "Uncover How!" prompts recipients to take the step of opening the email to learn the strategies for achieving the improvement.

  13. "Join [Number] Happy Customers – Experience [Outcome] Today!"
    Mentioning the number of happy customers implies that your product or service is trusted and valued by others. Social proof is a powerful persuasion tool that can amplify the open rates of your email subject lines for sales. The inclusion of a specific number adds credibility and conveys that your product/service has been successful for a quantifiable number of people, while the call to experience a positive outcome is enticing enough to amplify email open rates. 

  14. "Act Fast: [Benefit] Awaits You Inside"
    Urgency is central to email subject lines for sale. The subject line suggests that recipients can access a desired benefit, but they must act quickly.

  15. "Get Ahead in [Industry] with Our [Solution]"
    By positioning your solution as a means to gain an advantage in a specific industry, you're appealing to an audience wanting a competitive edge. 

  16. "Ready to [Achieve Goal]? Our [Solution] Can Help!"
    The subject line addresses the recipient directly, asking if they are ready to achieve their goal. This creates a sense of personal connection. By mentioning a specific goal, the subject line taps into the recipient's aspirations, making it relevant to their desires. Both these factors serve as a strong motivator.

  17. "Master the Art of Personalization: Boost Engagement 3x!"
    This subject line addresses a key interest of email marketers – personalization. The promise of a substantial engagement boost (quantified by "3x") captures attention. It also suggests that the email will provide insights on how to achieve this improvement.

  18. "Unlock ROI: Crafting Irresistible Call-to-Action Buttons"
    The subject line speaks directly to the desire for return on investment (ROI) and offers guidance on improving call-to-action buttons. It suggests that recipients will gain actionable insights to drive better results.

  19. "Revolutionize Your Email Campaigns with AI-Powered Insights"
    The word "Revolutionize" immediately captures attention, suggesting a significant change or improvement. The subject line promises to improve recipients' email campaigns through AI-powered insights, addressing a pain point and offering a solution. It resonates with those seeking advanced strategies for email marketing.

Bottom Line

Crafting attention-grabbing email subject lines for sales is both an art and a science.  It involves understanding your audience, addressing their pain points, and sparking their curiosity. Through tailoring your subject lines, harnessing social proofs, and instilling urgency, you can significantly amplify your email open rates and, in turn, elevate your conversions for sales.

However, just like a subject line affects open rates, email deliverability does too.

That's where GoCustomer comes in. GoCustomer is a comprehensive AI-powered email marketing solution that leverages artificial intelligence to improve email campaign performance, increase engagement, generate leads, and create dynamic, personalized content. 

GoCustomer empowers businesses with its cutting-edge AI technology to craft attention-grabbing subject lines that captivate recipients. Transform your emails into must-read messages with its subject line prowess. Experience the future of email marketing today, with GoCustomer!

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Table of Contents

    In a nutshell

    Common mistakes include using overly generic subject lines, being too salesy, or using all caps and excessive punctuation. These can lead to lower open rates.
    The ideal length can vary, but generally, shorter subject lines (under 50 characters) tend to perform well as they are concise and to the point.
    Track open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to gauge the effectiveness of your subject lines and make data-driven improvements.
    Develop a clear brand voice and style guide for subject lines. Consistency in tone and style can help your audience recognize your emails and trust your messages.
    Emojis can add visual appeal and convey emotions, but it's essential to use them in moderation and ensure they align with your brand's tone and message.
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