Point blank: The job of your subject line is to get your email opened—in a way that doesn’t backfire in your face.

Print these off and hang them on your wall!

​Remember everyone on Earth scans their inbox the same way. Without exception.

We want to know:

• Who is emailing me? (is this spam?)
• What do they want?
• How long will this take?

Ask a yes/no question and half your prospects will say no. ----- Bingo. Delete key.

Tell them what’s inside your email by being too specific? ----- Delete key.

Weird or odd is good. But a total disconnect with the prospect risks the delete key.

Please, never ask for a meeting in your subject line—or telegraph you want someone’s time!

For Heaven’s sake don’t write your subject line like an email newsletter headline. What do you do with anything looking like that—coming from someone you don’t know? That’s right. You delete it!

3 of the best subject lines I've found

"Is this a fit for ____________?"

If you received an email asking, “Is this a fit for you, John?” wouldn’t you be curious about what “this” is? Just a little? That’s because “this” is a trigger word.

This is just one example of a mental trigger. Pair this kind of approach with a bold, no-nonsense first sentence and you’ll earn better response.

I demonstrate how—exactly—to use mental triggers in our upcoming Email Writing Clinic. Join us!   

Most email clients reveal the first few words in the opening email message. Combined with a subject line that sparks curiosity this dynamic can jack-up your response rates. Especially if your first sentence continues the stream of curiosity. (encourages the prospect to read the next sentence… and the next after that)

"Know this about ____________?"

Think of what your prospect is aware they need to know … or suspects they might not know enough about. That's what goes in the blank here. Leverage that uncertainty. Here’s how: Inside the email reveal a specific fact or alarming trend most customers don’t know right now—but should.

Warn them.

Don’t waste time introducing yourself in the first sentence. They can see who you are in your signature.

Help your prospect think, “I didn’t know that. Doggone ... what else does this person know that I should know?” or “Wait. I didn’t realize that. I need more details. How exactly does that work?”

The best InMail subject lines spark curiosity—and create an urge to know more (hit reply).

Focus on making your email message sound like a message from a person—not a marketer or sales rep. This way you can get invited into a discussion about what they are receptive to talking about right now.

"Advantages of ____________"

This technique can be super effective. Because it’s odd. Weird. Strange yet relevant enough to be interesting.

And that sparks curiosity.

Do you know of something your prospects are aware of—but do not associate with gaining a competitive advantage? Something on the horizon. Maybe it’s an upcoming government regulation they must comply with. Or bad news—something they’re not looking forward to dealing with.

Your product or service can help. But don’t focus on that. Instead, present a hidden advantage this regulation or bad news will create. Tell the prospect something they don’t know. But don’t tell them too much. Present just enough to make it credible. The rest is going to take hitting reply and asking you for more details.

Not about what you sell—or any kind of solution. Prospects will want to know more about how this hidden advantage works. Or if you have any other hidden advantages to reveal to them.

They’ll want to talk to you. All because you started with one of the best subject lines out there. It’s more of am effective subject line formula than it is a cut-and-paste subject line.

Need more subject line formulas?

Join us for our next Prospecting Master Class to get more personalized ideas! I'm only taking a small group of students.

To your success,​

Jeff Molander
Sales Trainer  |  Speaker

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