You can potentially double your email response rate just by rewording your opening sentence. Did I get your attention? The way you begin any form of writing (email, blog, etc.) is the key to whether or not people will continue reading. If it’s boring or similar to other emails they’ve received recently, they’ll delete your message before even reaching your primary content. To prevent this outcome, employ some of the ways HubSpot writer Aja Frost suggests sprucing up overused openers.

The Well Wishes

“I hope you’re doing well.” “I hope this letter finds you well.” Any bland opening like this is a waste of space. You may think that it shows a personalized interest in your client. However, they receive so many emails with this opening that your email won’t stick out at all. And how many times have you actually gotten a response to that question? Do you have reason to believe that the client’s company isn’t doing well? Do you have a solution for them? If not, cut to the chase of your email. That will be more attention-​grabbing than this overused opener.

Congratulatory Openers

Beginning an email with the words “congrats” or “congratulations” is another way to make this outreach seem like a cookie-​cutter email. Are you only writing to say congrats or is there more meat to this message? If your client is short on time, they may not read further than that first word to find out. Instead of beginning your first sentence with congratulations, end the line with it. Open with that fact that you read or heard about a specific accomplishment of the client’s company. With the following sentence, immediately connect it to why you’re writing. Now, by the time the client sees “congrats,” they’ll also see the beginning of a sentence that could be of more interest to them.

Your Thoughts

Frost points out that the opener, “I’ve been thinking,” damages your email’s effectiveness by making the message seem based on you. Luckily, this can easily be fixed by avoiding using the word, “I” at the beginning. Instead, begin the sentence with what inspired you to think about your idea. Frost suggests something like, “Your recent acquisition of [blank] got me thinking.” The mention of something relevant to the client is more likely to hold their attention than a vague reference to a thought you had.