7 Proven Ways To Write Emails That Get Replies, Backed By Science
Effective email writing boils down to one thing: Mind reading. Really.
Sure, we’re all different, but in many instances our brains are prone to react to psychological triggers in a similar manner. Understanding these subtleties can help you hone in on creative ways to persuade others to take a desired course of action, like reply to more of your meticulously written emails.
Here are seven powerful psychological principles that can help you get busy people to respond to your emails, backed by template reply-rate data and examples from Yesware’s own sales team.
1. Social Proof
Peer pressure is one of the oldest tricks in the book, and still one of the smartest. It accounts for why emails
have higher open rates when sent to multiple people, and higher
response rates when mentioning other stakeholders at the company. Because when it comes to making decisions –like whether or not to reply to someone’s email– we take cues from other people.
What it means: If
your prospect sees proof that his colleagues are receptive to your
ideas, he’ll be more likely to jump on the bandwagon and give you the
time of day. It’s one of the reasons this prospecting template from
Yesware’s Paul Hlatky has been so effective at garnering replies:
2. Provide A Reason (Because I Said So)
A study performed by Harvard social psychologist Ellen Langer found
that people were more willing to comply with a request (in this
instance, cut in line) when people used the word “because.” Even when
the reason was seemingly nonsensical (i.e. “Can I use the copy machine
first because I need to make a copy?”), nearly all (93%) people complied.
What it means:
When you ask someone to do you a favor, you’ll be more successful if
you provide a reason. Because (see what I did there?) yes, in today’s
world of 24-7-365 communication and mile long to-do lists, answering an email from someone you don’t know is a favor.
3. Throw In The Frog
You’ve been going back and forth with someone for weeks now, and then suddenly, they’re MIA. No reply. Won’t return your phone calls. Nothing. What’s your next move?You throw in the frog.
In an experiment by O’Quinn and Aronoff, participants were assigned to “buyer” and “seller” roles and asked to negotiate the price of a painting. Half of the sellers received instructions to use the line “my final offer is $_, …and I’ll throw in a pet frog.” This led to relaxation, smiles, and increased compliance, with buyers agreeing to pay significantly more money than when the frog joke was not used.
What it means: When you make someone smile, they relax. Humor can help break down objections and win over an otherwise unreceptive audience. Here’s an example of how breaking the ice can earn you replies:
4. Choose Your Numbers Wisely
Let’s
look at three quick tips that can increase your chances of getting your
email opened and keeping their attention long enough to get a reply,
all backed by science.
- Include digits in the subject line. Numbers written out as numerals (i.e. 33 as opposed to thirty-three) have been shown to stop wandering eyes of online readers, making it more likely that your email will get noticed in an overcrowded inbox.
- Use statistics and data. It makes you appear more credible.
- Remember: Three is the magic number. Numerous studies have proven that the brain likes to be presented with three choices, whereas four choices may trigger skepticism and anything higher than that can lead to confusion. Try breaking your email into three (short) paragraphs, offer three options for meeting times, or describe your product using three adjectives.
5. Keep It Short & Simple
Brevity is the soul of wit. So it should come as no surprise that it’s the soul of effective emails, too. Drawing from data culled from five years of emails in an executive recruiting firm, researchers found that shorter emails result in quicker response time, leading to higher overall productivity.What it means: Don’t waste their time. Be considerate of your audience and use spacing, numbers, bulleted lists etc., to visually break up your message so that it’s easy to digest and take action on. MIT’s Marshall Van Alstyne argues that Twitter length - roughly 140 characters – is ideal. Here’s what that looks like:
6. Use Their Name More Than Once
Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language. -Dale Carnegie
Dale
wasn’t kidding. “Few things light us up quite like seeing our own names
in print or on the screen,” explain the folks at Copyblogger, citing
recent research on brain activation. “Our names are intrinsically tied to our self-perception and make up a massive part of our identity. No surprise then, that we become more engaged and even more trusting of a message in which our name appears.”
What it means: Personalization
is key. Try catching their eye by placing their name in the subject
line — i.e. “Hi Jim, it’s Bernie from Yesware.” Asking for a reply that
requires more than a simple yes/no? Throw in a simple “Thanks for your
time, Jim” to close out your email.
7. Be Specific
Being
vague isn’t going to help you clinch that important meeting. According
to research by psychologist Robert Sutton, people are more responsive
and willing to help if they’ve been given clear directions on
how to contribute. Research coming out of Carnegie Mellon also found
that people are more likely to respond to email requests that are easy to answer, as opposed to complex messages that require more time and mental energy to address.
What it means:
Ending your emails with open ended statements — i.e. “Let me know what
works best for you” or “how is your schedule this week?” — does more
harm than good. Rather than take the time and energy to make the
decision for both of you, they instead opt for “no decision” and you get
no reply to your email.
You should end every email with
a pointed call to action. Buy or not buy? Meet or not meet? Interested
or hold off? Here’s an example that’s worked particularly well for our
team:
