3 Expert Insights About Email Writing (July 2024)

When 80% of clients prefer communicating over email, your email copy better be good.

But between urgent Slack notifications, sales calls, team meetings, and all the other day-to-day responsibilities, people don’t get to give email writing the attention it deserves. 

As a result, either their emails sound stiff and robotic or they leverage email templates, generative AI, and other tools.

But if you want to learn how to write quality sales copy, here are three expert insights on how you can do it.

Use casual language, not formal

Josh Braun says it best: “Casual cold email writing kicks formal writing’s ass.”

In the world of sales emails, truer words have never been spoken.

Formal (and even semi-formal nowadays) language often comes across as stiff and impersonal, leading to lower response rates. People are more likely to engage with emails that have a more conversational tone.

Conversational language is also simpler, clearer, and more direct, which makes it easier for readers to quickly comprehend your message. Formal tends to be overly complicated and dull (unless you’re Joey Tribbiani).

How you can apply this

If you want to write emails so they sound casual, here are some sales writing tips:

• Write like you speak – The easiest way to sound casual is to simply write the way you’d speak. Would you say “We would like to extend our gratitude” or “Thanks”? Unless you’re royalty, you’re probably going to say “Thanks”.
• Ask questions – Questions are a part of everyday conversation, which means there’s nothing wrong with asking a few in an email.
• Use contractions and phrases – Don’t use “I am”, “I just wanted to ask if”, or “With whom do you want to go?”. Use “I’m”, “Just checking in”, and “Who do you want to go with?”. This revisits the idea of writing how you’d speak (which means being fine ending sentences with prepositions).

Write emails like you’re writing a friend

As Anirban Das shares, one simple ‘hack’ to closing more sales deals is to simply stop writing like you’re talking to a customer and start writing like you’re talking to a friend.

Customers are people too. 

So ask yourself this: Do you like being bombarded with emails filled with sales pitches about things you’re not interested in?

Chances are the answer’s no.

So why do you do it to other people?

How you can apply this

People prefer buying from those they like and trust. If you’re coming in cold, this can be challenging, but that’s why you do your research so that your cold email can spark a relationship.

Here’s how you can apply this insight to your email writing:

• Avoid aggressive sales pitches – Instead of firing off a sales pitch, focus on delivering value. Emails that share useful information, tips, or insights will be received better.
• Prioritize honesty and transparency – If your product has a flaw or can’t solve a lead’s problem, just tell them. This shows you care and are committed to improving. Who knows? Even if they don’t sign with you, they may refer clients to you.
• Use active voice – In most cases, you’re good going with active voice. There may be occasions when passive is preferable, but you can stick with active well over 90% of the time.

Don’t overthink email follow-ups

Florin Tatulea has a point. A lot of sequences struggle after the first email.

Some writers overthink their approach and believe they need to pack as much info and value into each step of the sequence.

But sometimes less is more, especially if an email is just a follow-up.

In Florin’s opinion, the best follow-ups are:

• Very casual to the point of sounding internal
• Short (< 50 words)
• Not pushing for an ask
• Providing educational and valuable content

How you can apply this

In addition to Florin’s advice about follow-ups, here’s how you can improve the quality of your follow-up emails:

• Mention specific topics relevant to the reader – By personalizing your follow-up and highlighting a topic of interest, this shows you’ve done your homework and are legitimately interesting in connecting and learning more.
• Share insights, articles, or videos – By providing links to content with your own input, you position yourself as a helpful resource instead of just a salesperson.
• Avoid weaseling – Weasel words signal a lack of confidence and certainty in your message. They also leave room for doubt in a reader’s mind. Follow-ups shouldn’t do any of this.

Don’t stress about creating perfect follow-ups – Simple, direct, and value-laden messages are more effective at yielding results than long or overly clever emails.