6 Sales Emails That Should Be In Your Marketing Funnel

Let’s talk about sales emails. You know, those messages that either have you reaching for your wallet or hitting ‘delete’ faster than you can say “spam”? Well, when done right, they can make your marketing funnel convert more.

Think of sales emails as the smooth-talking friend who always convinces you to go out on a Friday night when you’re dead set on Netflix and chill. They educate, they excite, and before you know it, you’re pulling out your credit card wondering, “How did they do that?”

But here’s the tea: crafting sales emails that actually convert is tricky. You need the right mix to guide your audience from “who the hell are you?” to “shut up and take my money!” And that’s exactly what we’re diving into today. So buckle up, buttercup – we’re about to improve your inbox game!

What is a Marketing Funnel?

Before we get into the juicy stuff, let’s break down what a marketing funnel is. Think of it as the journey your potential customers take from first hearing about you to becoming ride-or-die fans.

This all depends on the 5 stages of awareness: unaware, problem-aware, solution-aware, product-aware, and most aware. Essentially, the key to how effective your marketing funnel is.

But there are other factors at play:

• Storytelling: humans are suckers for a good story — in fact, our brains are wired for stories, and even release “the trust hormone” when we hear them. Using effective storytelling techniques throughout your marketing funnel will create a deeper connection with your audience and be more compelling and relevant
• Sales psychology: the science-y stuff that helps you better understand your audience and increases conversions like open loops, fear of missing out (FOMO), and bold statements. Because it’s not enough to have a laundry list of their paint points and desires — you also need an arsenal of proven techniques that help you understand their brains and the decisions they make. That’s what sales psychology does!
• Social proof: this is another psychological technique that’s any external validator of your credibility and helps people make decisions when they’re not sure what to do — like testimonials, your credentials, success stories and case studies, and products sold or projects completed. It’s most powerful when a lot of people like a product — because people are more inclined to follow the lead of a large group — and when that large group of people is similar to them or similar to someone they want to be (this is called peer-suasion)
• Personalized content and offers: because one size does NOT fit all. Using all of the above to send your audience in different stages of awareness relevant freebies, low-ticket offers, discounts, promos, and messaging will all affect the success of your marketing funnel

Sales Emails: Your Funnel’s Switchblade

Now, let’s talk about how sales emails fit into this funnel. They’re strategic, action-packed, and designed to nurture your leads, build relationships, and ultimately drive conversions. Not only is email marketing budget-friendly action-drivers, but 59% of consumers say marketing emails influence their purchase decisions (SaleCycle, 2022).

There are a lot of other reasons to invest in email marketing for your funnel, but think of sales emails as your funnel’s switchblade — a small part of the bigger picture, but a precise and effective tool nonetheless.

The 6 Sales Emails Your Funnel Can’t Live Without

1. The Education Email This is your chance to get your audience hyped before you drop your amazing offer. Use it to segment your list and show how your upcoming product will solve their problems.
2. The Brief Description Email Perfect for the pre-launch phase. Give your subscribers a sneak peek of what’s coming and watch their excitement build.
3. The Audience Segmenter Email Identify who’s the right fit for your offer. It’s like finding the Cinderella for your glass slipper.
4. The Authority Amplifier Email Time to flex, babe! Use this email to showcase how your product and/or you are different or better.
5. The FAQs/Objection Killer Email Address those burning questions and squash any doubts. It’s like being a mind reader, but better.
6. The Cards All In Email For limited-time offers, this is where you pull out all the stops. Pile on the social proof, crank up the FOMO, and lay the urgency on thick. For evergreen offers you can use any psychological technique except for scarcity or urgency unless it actually exists.

Best Practices for Writing Effective Sales Emails

Now that you know which sales emails to send, let’s talk about how to make them pop off. Here are some best practices that’ll have your emails working harder than a fitness influencer in January.

1. Nail That Subject Line: 64% of recipients decide to open or delete emails based on subject lines (Finances Online, 2023). So basically, your subject line is your first impression — and can make or break whether your subscriber opens or deletes your email — so make it count! Here are 10 subject line examples that’ll have your open rates soaring.
2. Personalize Like a Boss: Use your subscriber’s name, but don’t stop there. Reference their pain points, past purchases, what a day in their life is like, or any other relevant data you have. Make them feel seen!
3. Keep It Scannable: Break up your text with short paragraphs, bullet points, subheadings, and visuals. Nobody’s got time for a wall of text.
4. Focus on Benefits, Not Features: Don’t just list what your product does. Show how it’s going to make your subscriber’s life better than a spa day and a winning lottery ticket combined.
5. Include a Clear CTA: Tell your readers exactly what you want them to do next. Make that CTA button so irresistible they can’t help but click it. If you need help in this area, you can download this resource with 115 copy options for your buttons.
6. Test, Test, Test: What works for one audience might not work for another. Don’t be afraid to try different approaches and see what sticks. Use different subject lines, different hooks, and even different visuals within the email to see what performs better.

How to Measure the Success of Your Sales Emails

Alright, babe, you’ve crafted those emails and hit send. But how do you know if they’re actually doing their job? Here’s how to measure the success of your sales emails:

1. Open Rate: This tells you how many people are actually opening your emails. According to our 2022 Email Marketing Benchmarks Report, the average email open rate was 21.5%, across all industries in 2021. A low open rate with a small audience? Not too bad. But a low open rate with a large audience? Your subject line game might need work.
2. Click-Through Rate (CTR): This shows how many people are clicking on the links in your email. If your CTR is lower than the industry average of 2.5%, your CTA might need a glow-up.
3. Conversion Rate: The holy grail of email metrics. This tells you how many people took the desired action (like making a purchase). If this number’s not where you want it to be, it might be time to revisit your offer or your email copy.
4. Unsubscribe Rate: Keep an eye on how many people are saying “thank u, next” to your emails. A high unsubscribe rate could mean you’re not hitting the mark with your content or sending too frequently.
5. Revenue Per Email: Want to know how much coin each email is bringing in? This metric’s got you covered.

Most email marketing platforms give you these metrics. If yours doesn’t, it might be time for an upgrade!

Wrapping It Up

There you have it! Six sales emails that’ll round out your marketing funnel. Remember, the key to slaying your sales emails is to keep them authentic, valuable, and irresistible — just like you!

And when you’re ready to start your sales email game on the right foot, you can grab my Quick n’ Easy (But Never Sleazy) FREE Sales Email Sequence Template.

It’s a bundle of 6 easy-to-customize sales email templates that should be in your email launch campaign.

I put these sales emails in every email launch sequence for my clients and myself because they:

• Use psychological techniques like storytelling, social proof, urgency, and FOMO
• Target everyone in your audience, no matter their stage of awareness

Download the freebie here, then go forth and conquer those inboxes!