Write better sales emails faster.

Inbox Triage: How your prospects go through their

inbox and how to optimize for replies.
Will Allred - Co-Founder & COO, Lavender

www.trylavender.com
New User Promo Code: LAVENDERLOVE
 Agenda

1. What is Triage? - How prospects view email.

2. Boosting Replies - The best practices

3. Frameworks > Templates

4. Q+A

trylavender.com
 Inbox Triage

How do decision makers manage

their inbox?

trylavender.com
 The Triage Process

1. They open their inbox

trylavender.com
 The Triage Process

1. They open their inbox 🤯

trylavender.com
 The Triage Process

1. They open their inbox 🤯

(your prospect is basically in fight or flight mode)

trylavender.com
 The Triage Process

2. They look for what they recognize.

(Names and threads they recognize first. Topics they recognize second.)

trylavender.com
 The Triage Process

3. They scan over what's left

(Subject Lines and Preview Text are key here)

trylavender.com
 The Triage Process

4. They quickly scan through the

emails that catch their eye.
(more on this later...)

trylavender.com
 The Triage Process

5. The email then gets 1/4 actions:

Do | Delay | Delegate | Delete

trylavender.com
 The Triage Process

What does this process tell us?

🤔

trylavender.com
 Inbox Triage

The inbox is a to-do list

(social inboxes are different)

trylavender.com
 Inbox Triage

Prospects receive 120% more emails since

COVID. Replies are down almost 36%.
Source: HubSpot

trylavender.com
 Inbox Triage

That's over 2x the amount of emails

🤯
(almost half the replies...)

trylavender.com
 Inbox Triage

Remember that 4th Step?

"4. They quickly scan through the emails that catch their eye."

(This is "later"...)

trylavender.com
 Average Reading Time Per Email

11 seconds
Most are deleted in 3 Seconds
 Why Are Most Deleted In 3 Seconds?

Emails are read for categorization.

Categorization > Comprehension

trylavender.com
 It's a Mental Spam Filter

They don't want sales emails, but they

have problems that need solutions.

trylavender.com
 What Triggers the Mental Spam Filter?

1. Cliches
"Hope this finds you well."

"Do you have 15 minutes?"

trylavender.com
 What Triggers the Mental Spam Filter?

2. Length
Quick glance... does it
look like a lot of work?
 What Triggers the Mental Spam Filter?

3. Buzzwords
Most people don't speak in buzzy lingo. Ditch the feature speak.

ex. "strategic initiative" | "end-to-end" | "next-gen"

trylavender.com
 What Triggers the Mental Spam Filter?

4. Marketing Subject Lines

😍"
🙄
"Will - increase your reply rates!

(more on this later)

trylavender.com
 What Triggers the Mental Spam Filter?

5. Bad Formatting
Dense paragraphs = 😬
Pro Tip: Avoid Clusters of Long Words

trylavender.com
 About That Formatting...

They view emails on their phone.

(8x more likely)

trylavender.com
trylavender.com
 Rule of Thumb: 1 line = 2 lines

trylavender.com
 What's the point of triage?
It sets the stage for everything.
•
Have empathy for how your reader experiences
the inbox.
•
•
Follow the golden rule - does this look like an
email you'd want to read?
 How to boost replies?

• Better Subject Lines

• Simplicity
• Formality
• Brevity
• The Ask
• You vs. Me

trylavender.com
 How to boost replies? Subject Lines

You can't get a reply without an open.

... but how?

trylavender.com
 Opens Happen for 2 Reasons

Subject Lines
Preview Text
(FYI: We'll cover preview text in personalization)

trylavender.com
 What's the Data Say?

Keep it short
2 Words.
Also: Title Case, No Numbers, No Punctuation
 Framework for Writing Killer Subjects

Internal - Camo
/inˈtərnl ˈkamō/
Adjective

A subject line from a vendor crafted to feel like

it came from someone within the company

without being deceptive.

trylavender.com
 Internal Camo Tips

Be Boring.
Be Short.
Focus on a To-Do List Item.

trylavender.com
 What's in the Message Matters

11 seconds
Categorization impacts the types of messages getting replies
 How to boost replies? Simplicity

The #1 killer of reply rate is

complexity.

trylavender.com
 How to boost replies? Simplicity

70% of emails are written at

(or beyond) a 10th grade reading level.

trylavender.com
 How to boost replies? Simplicity

Emails written under a 6th grade

reading level are 31% more effective.
Quick Data: 3rd to 5th is ideal. Replies *drop* after 7th.

trylavender.com
 How to boost replies? Simplicity

Your persona doesn't matter.

Simple works best.

trylavender.com
 How Do You Get to a 5th Grade Reading Level?

Short, common words.

Short, simple sentences.
Small Paragraphs.
Choppy. Copy.

trylavender.com
 How Do You Get to a 5th Grade Reading Level?

Pro Tip: Avoid using commas

trylavender.com
 How to boost replies? Formality

Be mindful of formality.
You sound like a robot 🤖

trylavender.com
 How to boost replies? Formality

Most sellers write emails that are too

formal. It's how they learned to write.

trylavender.com
 How to boost replies? Formality

Don't swing too far in the other

direction though!

trylavender.com
 How to boost replies? Formality

Too Formal = "Bad Marketing Speak"

Too Casual = "Cheesy Marketing Speak"

trylavender.com
 How to boost replies? Formality

Be conversational but professional. Build

rapport by writing like they're a peer.

trylavender.com
 How to boost replies? Brevity

Write concise emails.

trylavender.com
 How to boost replies? Brevity

11 second emails = <50 words

trylavender.com
 How to boost replies? Brevity

Reply rates fall off at ~ 30 seconds

Quick Math: 30 seconds is ~75 words

trylavender.com
 How to boost replies? Brevity

Avoid fluff.
Hope this finds you well... yikes

Features = Fluff

trylavender.com
 How to boost replies? Brevity

Ask Yourself
Does this *actually* add to the email?

trylavender.com
 How to boost replies? A little on brevity and the ask

Don't try to book a meeting or close a

deal on the first email.
(No, they don't have 15 minutes)

trylavender.com
 How to boost replies? The Ask

Interest - Based CTAs get 2x the number

of meetings booked.
Why? Triage.
Source: Gong

trylavender.com
 How to boost replies? The Ask

0-1 Question cold emails

get the most replies.
0 Question ex. "Curious if this sounds interesting - let's connect"

trylavender.com
 How to boost replies? The Ask

Only Goal = Get a Reply

trylavender.com
 How you frame the message matters...

It's about them, not you

(I:You Ratio)

trylavender.com
 Your Email Should Answer Questions:

Q: Why did you reach out?

A: Give *context* on why you're here

(this is how you start)

trylavender.com
 Your Email Should Answer Questions:

Q: What's this about?

A: Speak to a *specific problem* on
your to-do list.
(this is gives the context relevance)

trylavender.com
 Your Email Should Answer Questions:

Q: Why should I believe you can solve it?

A: Remove Doubt. Prove You're *Credible*.

(this is keeps them open minded)

trylavender.com
 Your Email Should Answer Questions:

Q: What do you do?

A: Be concise, concrete and provide *clarity*

(this paints a picture of what to expect)

trylavender.com
 Templates Don't Teach

Frameworks Do
It's about explaining "why"
 My All-Time Favorite Framework to Try

1. Make an observation

2. Problem / Insight based on the observation

3. Credibility

4. Lead into what you do to solve problem.

5. Interest based CTA.

trylavender.com
 Framework Example
Hey George,

I saw you’re hiring for SDRs. I’m guessing you’re already thinking about how you’ll ramp
those new reps.

Usually, we see customers lean on templates, but wonder why their reps plateau.

We’re helping reps ramp faster and continue improving with our in-inbox assistant.

Worth a conversation?
Will

trylavender.com
 The best part is the exibility

#1 and #2 obviously change with

personalization.

trylavender.com
 The best part is the exibility

#3 (credibility) can be any number of

psychology experiments.

trylavender.com
 The best part is the exibility

#4 (your solution) is where you can play with

how your company messaging.

trylavender.com
 The best part is the exibility

#5 (CTA) allows you to play with tone,

questions, and the ask.

trylavender.com
 Another Example Framework

1. One sentence that shows you know them/personalization.

2. One relevant question that implies pain point and value prop.

3. Question should be easy to reply to (yes/no, binary choice)

4. Little to no pitch.

5. Start conversation

trylavender.com
 Framework Example

Hey George,

Saw on LinkedIn you're growing the sales team by 20% this quarter.

Would knowing which new reps are at risk of missing email quota be helpful?

Will

trylavender.com
 Another Example Framework

1. Credibility + Psych Safety

2. Two relatable problems

3. Specific Customer Credibility

4. Solution

5. CTA

trylavender.com
 Another Example Framework
Hey George,

When I talk to sales leaders with growing teams. They're typically dealing with one of
two things:

1. They're finding it hard to scale 1:1 coaching sessions

2. They're leaning too heavily on templates

We provide an objective third option. The coaching of a 1:1 with the scale and
objectivity of a template.

Would that help your team?

trylavender.com
 Want to build a framework? Ask yourself...

1. Why am I reaching out?

2. What's the point of this email?

3. What's the point of each sentence?

4. Does each sentence serve the point of the whole email?

5. Does each sentence (and its point) logically lead into the next?

trylavender.com
 Templates ---> Frameworks

But, I have templates.

I don't have frameworks.

trylavender.com
 Templates ---> Frameworks

Understanding the template means you can

create better templates.

trylavender.com
 Templates ---> Frameworks

Templates are temporary.

Frameworks? They last.

trylavender.com
 When you master frameworks...

1. You can quickly dissect each element of an email

2. You'll quickly know what tweaks are needed for an email

3. You'll be able to write emails faster

4. You'll have a lot more fun :)

trylavender.com
 Summary
Templates lack flexibility needed for a personalization-
first future for email.

Learn how each piece of the email comes together, and

you'll be able to analyze, adjust and write emails faster.

The flow of the structure is just as important as the

blocks that build it.
What's Next?
Personalization
Before Next Week

• Break down some of the current templates you use.

• What's the point of the email?
• Does it follow best practice?
• Does it ow?
• Make a new version of that template
• Create a framework for it