How to Write Emails That Sell Without Sounding Salesy

5 Apr

Sales emails have a bad reputation. Too often, they're pushy, gimmicky, or just plain annoying. But when done right, sales emails can be a powerful tool for converting leads into paying clients—without feeling like a sleazy salesperson.

Email marketing has an ROI of 4,200% (Litmus), meaning that for every $1 spent, businesses see an average return of $42 - which isn't bad. And when those emails are personalised, they can generate even more.

So, how do you write a persuasive email that converts without making your audience cringe? Let's break it down with data-driven strategies.

Why Sales Emails Fail (And How to Avoid It)

If your emails aren't converting, it's likely because of one (or more) of these common mistakes:

Too Salesy, Too Soon – Many emails jump straight to the pitch before building a relationship. This might be okay for very low-ticket items, but this is not a great strategy if you need to build trust before people buy.

Weak or Confusing CTA – If you try to write an email with three CTAs, the copy can never be as strong as if you have just one. The writing is trying to do too many things and becomes weak. Emails with a single CTA increase clicks. Too many options = no action.

Not Personalised Enough – We all like to feel seen and heard, which explains why 72% of consumers say they only engage with personalised messaging. A little personalisation goes a long way.

Overloaded with Jargon – Clear, concise copy beats complicated language every time. Most people won't be sitting in a quiet room without distractions when they read your email. They'll be skim-reading it on their phone, which is why 3rd-grade reading levels have a higher response rate.

The 5-Step Formula for Writing Emails That Sell Naturally

1. Start with a Hook That Grabs Attention

The subject and opening lines determine whether your email gets opened or ignored.

Best Practices:

Keep subject lines short and snappy.
Use curiosity, urgency, or personalisation.
Test subject lines as each audience is different.

Examples of High-Converting Subject Lines:

"This one tweak doubled my client's revenue…"

"You're leaving money on the table if you ignore this"

"Here’s how I doubled my client’s email open rate."

2. Focus on the Reader (Not Yourself)

Nobody cares about your product or service—they care about what's in it for them. Shift from "I" and "we" to "you."

Don’t do this: "I'm launching a new coaching program! It's amazing!"

Do this instead: "Struggling to convert leads into clients? This 3-step system fixes that."

3. Use the PAS Formula (Problem, Intensify, Solution)

The PAS formula is a simple framework for persuasive copy.

Problem: "Most coaches struggle to write sales emails that don't feel awkward or pushy."

Intensify: "You spend hours writing emails, only to hear crickets—or worse, get unsubscribes."

Solution: "What if your emails felt natural, built trust, and excited people to buy? That's what this strategy does."

4. Add Proof and Credibility

Trust is the backbone of conversions. Back up your claims with:

Social proof ("Clients using this strategy see a 31% boost in email sales.")
Data ("Emails with social proof see 23% higher conversion rates).
Case studies ("Coach Sarah implemented this, and her revenue tripled in 60 days.")

5. End with a Clear, Low-Pressure CTA

Best Practices:

Use just one CTA (too many choices = inaction).
Frame it as an invitation, not a demand.
Create urgency without pressure.

Want to see how this can work for your business? Let's chat. Click here to book a free strategy session.

I break this down step-by-step in my free training. Grab it here.

Hit reply and tell me—what's your biggest struggle with email marketing?

Final Thoughts: The Key to Writing Sales Emails That Convert

If your sales emails feel natural, personal, and valuable, you won't sound salesy—you'll sound helpful.

Keep them conversational and focused on the reader.

Use data, proof, and storytelling to build trust.

Test and refine—small tweaks can increase conversions by double digits.

Need help crafting high-converting sales emails? Let's work together to create a direct response email strategy that drives revenue. You can check out my services page here.