What are some helpful tips for writing email communications to the sales team?

First of all, my sales reps tend to respond better to Slack than email. BUT...that being said, having been a former top-performing sales rep, here is what I would suggest (and what I appreciated when I was in sales):Keep it Clear and Concise: Sales professionals are often busy and receive a high volume of emails. Keep your messages brief and to the point, focusing on the most important information. Use a Clear Subject Line That Clearly States "WIIFM" (What's In It For Me?): If you want sales to ...Read More

Clarity is key. With both internal and external comms, I focus on being as clear and concise as possible. And for internal communications, it’s important to make sure your colleagues see you as a resource. I always encourage anyone with questions or comments to reach out to me directly. When I’m writing an internal email, I think through what I would ask about the project I’m either proposing or reporting on. What is the purpose of this email? Why is it important? What research has already been ...Read More

Keep it short and simple. Majority of reps (and people) won't read more than a paragraph. Use bullets to keep it concise and easy to skim Always include a CTA (what do you want them to do with this) and what's in it for them to read it/take an action/use the content etc. Make sure your ask of them is VERY clear and includes any links to resources they might need (i.e. call sheet, list of accounts etc) If there is a lot of information to share, start with a 3 bullet TL;DR / exec summary (what the ...Read More

This is a great question. I have a few rules that we try to live by for our comms:  Make it short, sweet, and to the point!  You shouldn't expect your sales team to read every word, so make sure to use bold, underline, colors for items that are most important.  Build a cadence - we've seen more success when our comms are predictable and consistent.  Try to use the rule of 3 when you can - sending an email with 10+ things you need sales to know about now isn't always effective.  Don't be afraid t ...Read More

I’d say it’s not just the sales team, but executives also. The #1 rule to remember is that people are busy so they prioritize based on subject lines and skim on the first pass if they do open your email. So when it’s an extra-ordinary email that needs action, I follow the below format because it is extremely effective. (I once had a CEO tell me that this was one of the most clear emails he had ever received.) 1. Subject line - one thing I do if I need immediate action or input from an exec is to ...Read More

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to crafting effective emails for sales teams—it depends on the purpose. However, understanding salespeople and their day-to-day is critical. As a former salesperson, I can tell you that sales teams are eager for Product Marketing support, but they’re also inundated with requests and communications that can pull them away from their primary focus: working with customers. Here are a few tips to make your communications more effective: Get Close to Your Sales Tea ...Read More