In the modern workplace, we are all drowning in a sea of emails. Your email has to stand out to get the attention that you need in sales communication and prospect outreach.
Retire the tired, business-sounding clichés to elicit replies from your intended targets. Breathe some life back into your emails by finding an alternative to “I look forward to hearing from you.”
Is there something inherently wrong with the phrase? Not necessarily, but it is so boring that your prospects will likely forget about your email before they’ve even finished reading it.
If you are trying to find a way to create a more interesting email that will actually generate a response, try some of these alternatives endings.
“Please return and feedback by Friday.”
Concrete directions win out over a vague request every time. Most likely, when prospects read “look forward to hearing from you,” they mark it in the back of their mind to follow up later and promptly forget about it. A set deadline, though, requires their active attention.
Even if you get some pushback on your set deadline, you are much more likely to receive a response. If there is flexibility in your timeline and you are asked for more time, be sure to still stick to concrete dates in your reply. “That’s no problem, let’s have that feedback by Wednesday then” Is more concrete than putting it off to an indeterminate date.
“Keep me posted with any updates.”
This is an appropriate sign off when you do not need an immediate response, but keeps the channel of communication open. Everybody wants to cut down on unnecessary emails, so a statement like this lets them know that they do not need to continue emailing unless something changes. It’s a win-win that holds them accountable while keeping your inbox from being flooded with responses.
It also lets them know that even if you are not in constant communication with them, you are still interested in whatever is going on.
“Waiting for your prompt reply.”
This sign-off is perfect for when you needed an answer yesterday. Angry emails are often counterintuitive and rarely accomplish what you want them to. Even if you get the quick reply that you want, it usually comes at the cost of cooperation. If it is a customer, you can almost guarantee that you will lose their business.
However, “look forward to hearing from you”runs the opposite way and fails to let people know how urgent their reply is. Most people read right over the phrase because it is so trite and won’t think it is important. Asking for a prompt response is the perfect way to give a friendly notice that their reply is needed quickly. It takes any negative emotion out of the email but still lets them know that time is short.
“If you are too busy to handle this request, is there someone else I can reach out to?”
Maybe you’ve been trying to get ahold of someone for weeks. You sent a contract weeks ago and emailed several follow-ups. When you’re at your wit’s end, this is a reply to let them know your frustration. It also informs them that you are willing to go around them if necessary.
Because it is a somewhat aggressive tone, you should reserve it only for the direst of circumstances. If your deal is at a real risk of falling apart, then it might be worth one last shot.
“Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.”
If you want to bring a friendly end to a conversation, this is the right phrase. As a sales rep, your ability to make a customer feel cared for will go far to create sales. Not only are they more likely to become loyal customers, but they will feel more comfortable recommending your business to others. As part of a wider strategy, this phrase can help reinforce your friendly tone.
This small phrase is an excellent opportunity to go above and beyond to deliver great service. It will have a better effect on prospects and customer than the overused “look forward to hearing from you.”
“Always happy to hear from you.”
Like the alternative above, this is a great casual end of email for a prospect or customer. Prospects can sometimes have a lot of questions. Customers may be confused about who to contact when they need help. You create a warm dialogue and reassure them that they can always turn to you for help without the risk of annoying you.
An open and warm relationship with potential customers sets a great groundwork for sales. When you ditch the tired phrases and make your potential customer feel they can turn to you with all of their questions, you can go further to increase your sales.
If you want to increase your response rate in your emails, you need to change what you email. Give one of these a try today to see what works for you!
