20 Sales Prospecting Email Templates + Best Practices

As a sales rep, you know how important it is to have a stack of ready-to-go prospecting email templates that have high success rates.

If you’re looking for some new sales email templates, we’ve got you covered.

Building a strong prospecting outreach strategy will ensure a steady pipeline of great prospects.

In this guide, we look at important elements of a sales prospecting email, top prospecting email templates to boost response rates, follow-up tips, and more.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• What Makes a Good Email When Sales Prospecting?
• When Should You Send a Prospecting Email?
• 20 Sales Prospecting Email Templates
• How to Follow up on a Sales Prospecting Email

Prospecting made easySend multi-channel campaigns with email, calls, and social touches + track resultsTry Yesware Free

What Makes a Good Email When Sales Prospecting?

Before we dive into the key elements of a good prospecting email — it’s important to note that you must always research your prospect before reaching out. In order to create an effective email, you must understand your buyer’s pain points, business needs, and how your product can help them achieve their desired outcome.

Now, let’s dive in.  We look at best practices and tips for implementing each of these elements in your emails below.

1. An Effective Subject Line

The reality of prospecting emails is that your subject line is the only thing standing in the way of your email getting read.

In a recent study on cold email subject lines, we found that top-performing subject lines:

• Ask questions: “Why Yesware? And why now?”
• Address pain points: “Eliminate the guesswork when sending cold emails”
• Provide value: “Data-backed guide on improving email outreach”
• Generate curiosity: “Discover what’s possible with Yesware”
• Include numbers: “Save 10 hours per week with Yesware”
• Generate FOMO: “5 things you didn’t know about sales”
• Use social proof: “How Yesware empowers Yelp’s sales team”

The most effective subject lines appeal to emotions.

Another way to catch your recipient’s attention is to use their name.

Studies have found that personalizing your subject line with the prospect’s name improves open rates by 26%. 

Remember, no two prospects are the same. By including their name, you make it known that you’re writing specifically to them and not simply blasting emails out to your entire email list. Recipients will be much more inclined to open if they see their name.

Remember to A/B test your subject lines to determine what messaging and tone resonates with your recipients.

Tip: Avoid using these spammy words:

• Best price
• Winner
• Act now
• Click here
• Free trial
• Double your
• Money making
• Why pay more?
• Special promo
• % off

2. A Good Reason For Reaching Out

It’s important to always state the reason for reaching out. Why are you reaching out? And why now?

These are all important questions to not only answer yourself before emailing prospects but also to address in the message itself.

Recipients will appreciate this clarification, especially if the email is cold.

Here are some powerful ways to address “why now?”

• Mention a trigger event
• Address a relevant pain point
• Bring up an internal initiative
• Communicate scarcity (such as limited discounts)

Tip: Here’s a guide on how to introduce yourself in an email.

3. Provide Value

You need to give in order to get. Providing value will help warm up your cold leads immediately.

It’s an instinctual human condition to feel that you owe something to someone who has provided you helpful insight and value.

That’s the power of the law of reciprocity. Your prospecting email templates should all provide value in some way, shape, or form. Whether that’s a relevant study, guide, tip, or referral, the recipient will feel much more inclined to answer.

If your role is to focus on helping them, the return will come naturally. 

4. Personalization

In 2024, any message you want to resonate with buyers absolutely must be personalized. It’s not only expected but required: Your prospecting email templates should always include merge fields for personalization.

Here are six powerful ways to nail personalized emails:

• Find an uncommon commonality
• Highlight mutual connections
• Reference specific pain points
• Use their name more than once
• Compliment the recipient

If you go into every sales conversation, whether that’s via email or phone, with a custom sentence, you have a way better chance of building rapport and winning that customer over.  This not only gives a good first impression and sparks conversation, but also shows that you’ve done your research before reaching out.

All in all, never send a prospecting email without personalization; you’ll diminish your credibility right off the bat.

5. Provide Social Proof

Social proof is so powerful in sales because we rely on social cues from other people to identify how to act in certain situations — especially when we’re uncertain.  One of the best ways to catch a prospect’s attention is to mention a recognizable customer you work with. If you see a successful company using a product, you’re more inclined to want to use it too. This immediately makes you more trustworthy and authoritative.

You can also mention customers from their network, successful stats customers are achieving with your solution, positive reviews, or attach case studies. 

6. End With a CTA

Every sales email needs to drive the conversation forward. A CTA at the end of your email ensures that the recipient has a clear next step to take action. 

This can be as simple as inserting a meeting scheduler link that’ll lead the recipient to schedule a meeting if your message resonates with them. 

Eliminate the ‍back-and-forthSend customizable links that sync to your calendarTry Yesware Free

7. Optimize Your Signature

Email signatures demonstrate professionalism and act as a virtual business card.

Your email signature should include additional methods of communication aside from your email address in case your recipient prefers a different channel.

Many professionals include additional elements such as social profiles, website links, CTAs, headshots, and additional elements of personalization. 

Here’s an example of a professional email signature:

When Should You Send a Prospecting Email?

There are various studies that recommend the best time to send your emails. We’ve conducted numerous studies over here at Yesware as well.

Before sharing our findings, make sure you always track your messages so you can test various times for yourself.

With a tool that tracks email opens you can gauge the best times according to your specific audience.

Now, in our best time to send email study, we found the following:

Based on our data, the best time for sending emails based on reply rates is 1 PM. And the second-best time is 11 AM.

Overall, your ideal time blocks for email outreach are 1-3 PM and 9-11 AM.

We also found that the most successful days of the week to send emails based on reply rates are Monday and Tuesday. 

Monday and Tuesday are the most active time periods when replying to emails. These two days are very close, Monday takes the lead by a small margin.

Use this data as a starting point for your own A/B testing. 

Now let’s get into some high-performing prospecting email templates to enhance your outreach.

20 Prospecting Email Templates

Save these email templates in your inbox for quick personalization and streamlined outreach.

1. Convey a Clear Benefit

Hi {!First name},

{!Paint point} is hard. With all the moving pieces, it’s hard to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. We get it. 

{!Product/service} helps with this burden. In fact, I’ve helped companies like yours struggling with the same problem and they came out on top with impressive results.

Take a look:

• {!Stat 1}
• {!Stat 2}
• {!Stat 3}

Interested to talk about how {!Product/service} can do the same for you?

Let’s talk. Are you available to chat for 15 minutes this week? Feel free to book some time on my calendar: {insert calendar link}.

Looking forward,

{Your name}

2. Reference a Recent Company Announcement

Hi {!First name},

Congratulations on {!company announcement}. I hope you and your team are taking some time to celebrate the accomplishment.

I’m sure you’re very busy, but I’d love to get your take on how {!Product/service} could solve {!pain point}.

Do you have 10 minutes sometime over the next couple of weeks to chat? Feel free to book some time on my calendar: {insert calendar link}.

All the best and congrats again!

{Your name}

3. Mention Your Competitor’s Weakness

Hi {!First Name},

We’ve been hearing from several existing {!Competitor}’s customers that they’ve been experiencing {!performance issues} recently. We can imagine your team would be getting frustrated if that’s also happening at {!Company name}!

We’ve developed our solution to support leading businesses such as {!Customer 1}, {!Customer 2}, and {!Customer 3} with stability, security, and reliability in mind so you won’t have these problems with {!Product/service}.

Are you available next week to discuss why companies like {!Customer 4}, {!Customer 5} and {!Customer 6} moved from {!Competitor} to {!Your Company} this year? If not, please let us know when the best time is to reconnect.

Best,

{Your Name}

4. Use Social Proof: Include a Case Study

Hi {!First name},

Are you looking for ways to {!outcome of solution}?

We’ve helped companies such as {!Company 1} and {!Company 2} achieve {!results} after implementing {!Solution}.

Learn how here:

• {!Case study 1}
• {!Case study 2}

I’d love to discuss how {!Solution} can help {!Company name} achieve similar results. Are you available to talk this Thursday? Feel free to book some time on my calendar as well: {insert calendar link}.

Best,

{Your Name}

5. Congratulate Them on a Recent Achievement

Hi {!First name},

Congratulations on your new role as {!Role name}. I saw the announcement on LinkedIn the other day and checked out your profile, you’ve had a really successful year at {!Company name}. Congrats! 

As your career advances, do you find a need for {!Product/service} that helps with {!pain point}? If you do, give me a shout and I can explain more about what that would look like for you and your team.

Congrats again and excited to see what you achieve in 2021.

Best,

{Your Name}

6. Make a Personal Connection

Hi {!First name},

I connected with you on LinkedIn yesterday, happy to join your network! 

I saw that you went to {!College/university}, I got my master’s degree there! Great school and loved the {!town/area} a ton. Did you ever go to {Popular attraction}?

I was looking into your company and see lots of areas {!Product/service} could come into play. We help companies such as {!Customer} achieve {!Stat}. Are you the right person to talk to about this? Let me know if you’d be interested.

Thanks,

{Your Name}

7. Compliment Them

Hi {!First name},

I read your article on LinkedIn the other day and I was super impressed with your work. I shared the article with my team and got some great responses. I particularly like how you pointed out {!specific detail from their piece}.

This isn’t a particularly easy environment to excel in. Amazing work.

I was wondering if you’d be interested in hopping on a call with me to explore how {!Product/service} could help {!Company name} achieve {!results}.

How does next week sound? {insert calendar link}.

Best,

{Your Name}

8. Share Expert Insight

Hi {!First name},

The last few calls I’ve had with companies like yours who {!specific stats about the recipient’s company} have led me to research {!topic that could be a pain point for them}.

I thought you would appreciate these articles. They do a great job at addressing {!pain point}:

• {!Link to content 1} – {!description of content 1}
• {!Link to content 3} – {!description of content 2}
• {!Link to content 3} – {!description of content 3}

If these resonate with you, let’s grab 15 minutes to see if {!My company} can help by {!proposed solution for solving pain point}.

Is there a day or time that generally works best for you?

Thanks,

{Your Name}

9. Refer to a Social Media Post

Hi {!First name},

I saw your LinkedIn post about wanting to achieve {!business value} for your business.

I couldn’t help but realize how {!Product/solution} could really pave the way here. Here are some reasons why I think so:

• {!Stat 1}
• {!Stat 2}
• {!Stat 3}

Do you see a match here? I have some ideas I’d like to run by you.

Would you be available to jump on a call some time this week? Feel free to book some time on my calendar: {insert calendar link}.

Looking forward,

{Your name}

10. Share Immediate Value

Hi {!First name},

I was checking out your website earlier, I love the work you guys have done recently. Really great improvements and super compelling messaging and imagery.

I wanted to let you know that I realized a broken link here: {!Link}. This happens to us a lot as well, and it’s always nice when someone catches it.

Here are some tools we’ve found that help resolve this problem for us:

• {!Resource 1}
• {!Resource 2}
• {!Resource 3}

After looking through your website a bit more, I have some ideas on how we can work together. Would you be able to jump on a 15 minute call sometime this week?

Best,

{Your name}

11. Reference a Mutual Connection

Hi {!First name},

Our mutual connection {!Connection name} shared your post yesterday and it caught my eye. I see you’re interested in {!topic} so I wanted to recommend some of my favorite resources:

• {!Resource 1}
• {!Resource 2}

My company also offers {!business value} to companies to help accelerate {!results}. Companies like {!Customer 1}, {!Customer 2}, and {!Customer 3} use {!Product/service} to achieve {!Stat}.

Interested in learning more? I’m free to talk anytime this week, schedule a meeting with me here: {!meeting scheduler link}.

Looking forward,

{Your Name}

12. Ask for an Internal Referral

Hi {!First name},

I’m looking for the person responsible for {!role/description} at your company.

Would you mind pointing me in the right direction?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Best,

{Your name}

13. Reference a Hiring Pain Point

Hi {!First name},

I noticed on your career page that you’re hiring {!Positions} who diligently {!activity that your solution can help with}.

Would love a few minutes of your time to discuss how {!Solution} removes this burden.

{!Solution} helps clients like {!Company 1}, {!Company 2}, {!Company 3} to {!solve pain point which saves them hours per day by:

• {!Stat 1}
• {!Stat 2}
• {!Stat 3}

Would you be open to a call next week to see how we could help your team achieve the same goals?

Best,

{Your name}

14. Cut to the Chase

Hi {!First name},

I know you’re busy, so I’ll cut to the chase. I want to explore how {!Product/service} can help {!Company name} solve {!pain point}.

Here are some ways we’ve done so for companies similar to yours:

• {!Stat 1}
• {!Stat 2}
• {!Stat 3}

I won’t keep bugging you, but if this sounds like something you’d be interested in, I’d love to jump on a quick call.

Regards,

{Your name}

15. Reference Recent News

Hey {!First name},

I saw on LinkedIn this morning that you recently {!company news}.

Typically when that happens, {X} becomes a top priority. Have you guys looked into solutions for this?

In case you’re in the process of looking, I wanted to reach out and share how we helped {!Company 1}, {!Company 2}, and {!Company 3} achieve {!stat}.

If you’d like to learn more, let’s set up a time to chat sometime this week or next. 

Book some time on my calendar here: {insert calendar link}.

Best,

{Your name}

16. Catch Their Attention by Mentioning an Interest

Hi {!First Name},

I see that you’re a {!team} fan, so you must be excited about {!player} {!player’s achievement}.

As {!company} continues to scale, your {!department} team needs {!pain point that you solve for} just as {!how same point applies to team}. We’re the {!player} of {!industry/market niche}…{!funny comparison}. 

{!First Name}, I’d love (if possible) to be referred to the best person on your {!department} team to introduce {!Your Company} as a means to hit your {!goal}.

Best,

{Your name}

17. Start Your Email With an Eye-Catching Statistic

Hi {!First Name},

What would you do with an extra {!stat} each {!day/week/month}.

Companies like {!Customer 1}, {!Customer 2}, {!Customer 3} are achieving this every  {!day/week/month} because of {!Solution}.

Take a look:  {!case study}.

I’d love to set up a time to chat so we can discuss how {!Product/service} can help your team achieve the same results.

Are you free next week to chat? Feel free to schedule time on my calendar as well: {!meeting scheduler link}.

Looking forward,

{Your name}

18. Build Rapport With Local Recommendations

Hi {!First Name},

I saw on LinkedIn that you just moved to {!State} and started a job at {!Company} — Congratulations! 

I wanted to start off by recommending some of my favorite restaurants in that area. I actually went to school in {!area} for 4 years, and I’m a big food lover.

Here are my top recommendations:

• {!Restaurant 1}
• {!Restaurant 2}
• {!Restaurant 3}

When onboarding your new role, let me know if you see areas for improvement with {!pain point}. My company offers {!business value} and we save our customers around {!stat} a week.

Shout if you need anything!

Enjoy {!State},

{Name}

19. I Know You’re Busy

Hi {!First Name},

I know you’re super busy, so I’ll get right to the point.

{!Product/service} helps {!Target customer} achieve {!results} by {!business value}.

I’m currently helping companies like yours boost outcomes and drive revenue. I’d love to show you how we can do the same for you. Are you available sometime this week for a quick screen share?

Let’s save the date: {insert meeting link}.

Thanks,

{Name}

20. Tell a story

Hi {!First Name},

Nothing is more frustrating than {!relevant pain point}. We’ve all been there.

Imagine a world where {!solution to the pain point}. You could then achieve {!desired results}.

I’d love to show you just how {!Product/service} can do this for your company. How does a quick demo next week sound?

Looking forward,

{Name}

Looking for more prospecting email templates? Grab 10 more formulas below:

10 Cold Email Formulas That Just Plain WorkSee how B2B sales professionals are using these cold email templates to engage more prospects, fill the top of their funnel and build more sales pipeline faster.

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How to Follow up on a Sales Prospecting Email

It’s important to always follow up on your prospecting emails. Recipients are busy, inboxes are cluttered, and a lot of emails these days slip through the cracks.

With every follow-up, continue to demonstrate the value that you can provide.

In a recent 2021 sales follow-up statistics study, we looked at ten million email threads sent by salespeople. Here, we found the optimal number of follow-ups and time between each email.

Although every sales cadence is different, the findings from this study show that the most successful cadence based on replies is about six touches in the span of roughly three weeks.

Here’s a look at the average cadence used by reps who received replies vs. those who didn’t:

According to the data, this cadence seems to deliver the most responses:

• Follow-up #1: 3 days
• Follow-up #2: 7 days
• Follow-up #3: 11 days
• Follow-up #4: 15 days
• Follow-up #5: 19 days
• Follow-up #6: 22 days

A good rule of thumb is to spread out your follow-up emails by around three to four days.

The chart also shows that waiting more than four days typically leads to less of a chance of getting a response.

Here are some resources to help you perfect your follow-up game:

• Follow-Up Email Templates
• Follow-Up Email Guide
• Sales Follow-Up Statistics

Conclusion

The more you perfect your sales prospecting strategy, the better your prospecting email templates will become.

Remember to continuously track your templates’ performance, as well as the timing of your emails and follow-up cadences.

You can save as many sales email templates as you’d like, but the most important factor is to ensure the messages resonate with your specific audience. And if they don’t, tweak the messaging and make the necessary changes until you receive your desired results. 

This guide was updated on March 22, 2024.