Companies have been using email to channel their marketing efforts for years. As a result, people have grown weary of giving their email address or reading messages coming from businesses.

Even email providers have responded to this by making sure that messages from companies are now automatically filed into a separate folder named Promotions. Interestingly, email still remains to be a lucrative way of connecting to a target audience. In fact,59% of marketers attest that email is their strongest online business marketing channel for generating sales.

This only proves that despite many consumers’ aversion towards promotional mails, there are still companies that can break through the barrier and reach their target audience. If you want to be counted as one of them, you need to learn how to write sales emails without putting people off.

Check out these guidelines and start writing a winning sales email today:

The DON’Ts

Don’t make extravagant promises. Consumers are smart enough to discern that if an offer is too good to be true, it most likely is. Get-rich-quick schemes, exaggerated health benefits, and far-fetched promises have a bad reputation. Companies that attempt to reel in customers through this approach are also frowned upon by search engines and email providers and often branded as Spam.

Rather than lure your readers with big promises, let them see the practical benefits of your service. More than making a sale, remember that you are also building credibility.

Don’t overuse the “Limited Offer” card. A discount that’s only available for a few days, an opportunity-of-a-lifetime webinar, a life-changing e-book – these offers may have been effective many years ago but emails with this approach have now become predictable.

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People who really want your product will either get it on a regular price or wait for it to be on sale again. The internet is such a vast resource that people who can’t make it to your webinar or can’t get your e-book will scour Google for alternatives. Instead of posing a threat that people have missed out, offer them a convenient way to access your service – lest you want them looking in your competitors’ direction.

Don’t be timid. Some companies think that opening with lines such as “Can I have a minute?” or “Are you interested,” will intrigue people into opening their messages.

Unfortunately, these messages are often skipped. People filter through their emails by only opening the ones they deem important. Using these timid lines will make you come off as forgettable.

The DO’s

Use numbers wisely. Numbers make an email standout. They can break down a comprehensive email into small, digestible bits of  information, they can provide concrete proof as in the case of statistics, and they can easily catch the eyes of readers.

Using numbers in your subject line alone is a sure way to rouse interest among your recipients.

Personalization is key. If you want to get noticed, make sure that your email has a personal touch. People are easily put off when they feel like they’re reading a sales pitch that was sent to thousands of other recipients.

Mentioning your recipient’s name more than once and proposing an offer based on their likes, purchase history, or membership puts personalization to a whole new level.

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Keep it short and sweet. Don’t beat around the bush, but don’t come off as standoffish either. Learn to find the balance between being straightforward and friendly. By keeping your email short but informative, you respect your reader’s’ time.

Whether you are responsible for your company’s correspondence or have delegated the task to a content writer VA (virtual assistant), make sure that these techniques are evident in your emails.