BY Jessica Helinski
Sellers put a lot of effort into their emails, but what about their sales email signatures? It’s likely that many reps consider the email signature to be nothing more than an afterthought.
But, by including their name and title, sellers are missing out on the opportunity to leave a lasting impact on recipients.
Why do sales email signatures matter?
While they may be regarded as an afterthought for many, email signatures should be taken seriously. As HubSpot’s Michael Welch explains, recipients do read them.
"Other than your subject line, your email signature is one of the first things people notice when they open an email."
He goes on to explain that a well-written sales email signature has a lot of benefits.
And, he adds, “…a poorly crafted one can confuse the recipient or make your organization look unprofessional."
Benefits of an effective email signature
Close’s Helga Zabalkanska agrees on its importance, and she shares a few benefits that they can provide.
Credibility
A well-crafted signature can build credibility and establish trust. This is especially true for cold emails.
Establish brand awareness
A consistent, well-designed signature, possibly including your logo, can serve as a marketing asset and build recognition.
Share resources
Signatures often include links, which can drive recipients to your business website, social media profiles, blog, and other content.
What should you include?
At the very least, always include your name, title, company name and phone number. Typically, these compromise most people’s signatures. While some also include their email, Zabalkanska believes doing so is redundant.
Instead, add more value by including a head shot, she suggests.
“Putting a face to a name can go a long way in building trust and credibility. This is particularly true … [in] a customer-facing position like sales.”
She also recommends including a call to action (CTA). A good CTA moves the reader to take action, whether it’s vising a social media profile or scheduling a call via a calendar link.
“Cold leads might need more information before deciding to respond,” she notes.
“Add your demo link. Further along in the pipeline, or do you prefer just diving in from the start? Add your trial link.”
Best practices for a quality email signature
Sellers should focus on making their sales email signatures as valuable as possible. You want them to stand out and deliver value to readers. Welch offers some tips that sellers can use to compare with their current signatures and update them as needed.
First, he recommends touting your achievements when appropriate. If you or your company have earned an award, include a brief mention of it in your email signature to build instant credibility.
Highlighting recognitions shows prospects you’re trusted and successful without extra explanation. This is especially effective if your achievement matters to your audience or reinforces your reputation.
“Make sure any accomplishments you list are recent enough to still be relevant,” he adds.
Another suggestion is to highlight anything new and exciting going on with your business. Just make sure that it’s relevant to readers.
"Keep contacts in the loop by using your signature to promote new products, features or content,” Welch explains.
“…Link to your newest blog post, a product update or an upcoming feature launch. It’s a low-key way to spark curiosity about what’s new at your company."
He also urges reps to include your value proposition or your business’s tag line.
“[It] acts like a mini elevator pitch, giving recipients a quick sense of what you or your company delivers beyond just your job title."
How does your email signature stack up?
Take a moment to compare your current sales email signature with this guidance. Can it be updated with any of these best practices? And if you haven’t been using a signature, don’t miss out on the benefits having one can deliver.
And for even more tips to send emails that have an impact, take a look at these suggestions.
Photo by Maksim Goncharenok on Pexels
