Sales email subject lines: 20 examples and a way to write your own

Good sales email subject lines are short, specific and honest: they name something about the reader and match what the email says. Most get opened or skipped in under a second, so a plain subject that sounds like a colleague wrote it usually beats a clever one.

When to use these

Use them for the first email to a prospect, for follow-ups and for emails after a call. Pair the subject with a short body, such as the cold email template.

Cold email subject lines

Fill the brackets with something true about the person:

1. (company) and (your area)
2. Question about (their team)
3. Saw your post on (topic)
4. Congrats on the new role at (company)
5. (mutual connection) suggested I write
6. Hiring for (role)?
7. Quick question about (process)
8. Idea for (company)'s (goal)

Follow-up subject lines

9. Re: (original subject)
10. One more thing on (topic)
11. Should I close the file?
12. A short example for (company)
13. Different angle on (problem)

After a call or demo

14. Next step after today
15. What we covered, and what is next
16. Notes from our call
17. Your question about (topic)

For a referral or an introduction

18. (name) asked me to reach out
19. Introduction from (name)
20. Following up on (event) in (city)

How to write your own

• Be specific. Use a name, a role, a topic or a place only you could know.
• Keep it short. Many people read mail on a phone, where long subjects get cut off. A handful of words is enough.
• Sound like a person. Lowercase and plain wording look like a real email. Avoid ALL CAPS and symbols.
• Match the body. The subject is a promise. The first line should keep it.
• Test one change at a time. Run two versions to a small group and keep the one with more replies, not only more opens.

What to avoid

• Fake "Re:" or "Fwd:" on a first email. It misleads, and misleading subject lines are a problem under the US CAN-SPAM Act, which makes no exception for business email.
• Claims you cannot back up, such as promising a result.
• Hype words and exclamation marks.
• A subject that has nothing to do with the message.

Two variations of the same email

Same body, two subjects, to test:

A: Question about (their team) B: (company) and (your area)

Send each to half of a small list and compare replies after a few days.

Finding the detail for the subject

The best subjects use a fact about the person. In Rodok, a tracker such as "new VPs of Sales at B2B software companies in the US" finds people with a real reason to hear from you, and AI drafts a first line and subject from the signal. You review it in a queue and send from your own Gmail or Outlook. For more, read signal-based selling.

Frequently asked questions

What makes a good sales email subject line?

It is short, specific to the reader and matches the email. Reference something true about them, like a role, a post or a hire.

Should I put the prospect's name in the subject line?

Sometimes. A name or company can help, but it does not replace relevance. Test it against a version without.

How many words should a subject line have?

Few. Aim for a handful of words that fit on a phone screen, and read it as if it came from a colleague.