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Email is an essential selling tool for sales pros but, of course, we all know that the stats around effectiveness can be somewhat scary. For example, your subject line is make or break with 35% of email users opening based on the subject line alone and nothing else. Plus, 43% of people will mark an email as spam if they aren’t familiar with the email sender or something looks fishy.

So how do you make sure your sales emails are effective and lead to a response from your prospect? Here are the email sales trends to watch this year to get the most out of your inbox.

AI tools doing the groundwork

The impact of AI on sales has been much lauded but we’re going to really start seeing words become action in 2018. There are now AI email assistants, like Clara, who can save you time by organizing your schedule and your inbox. Tools like knowmail that can help you prioritize messages and sort real interactions from spam. Then beyond email organization, there are tools like Crystal Knows that actually give you tips on how to communicate with your prospects. Crystal gives you a personality profile for everyone with whom you come into contact and then gives you access to personality-driven email templates based on the recipient’s personality. The email sales trend for AI bots and big data doing the groundwork will free up a sales rep’s time to actually craft the all-important message.

Email + Video

We know that video is a powerful tool in social selling. But it’s also a great way to get a personalised message straight to your prospects. Words and images can be powerful, but video takes things up a notch because it brings your language to life. The big new email sales trend of using video in your email outreach gives you the chance to really show your personality and bring your product to life. Explainer videos are a great way to introduce your product or service but there’s also a plethora of tools available now that allow you to create a short video pitch in minutes - one you can easily share via email and stand out from the crowd. Check out GoVideo, Soapbox, or Loom to get creating.

Interactivity

The last email sales trend to watch this year is interactivity. The digital landscape is changing; people are no longer passive consumers of media, they expect to be able to interact and engage...and that extends to your sales email too. If your message moves them, people are more and more likely to expect an instant response. So as well as engaging visuals like video and gifs, expect to see a move towards a customer or prospect having the ability to jump straight into a live chat or make an order without having to leave the email itself.