Updated June 2023
The subject line is the most important factor affecting your open rate (other than your deliverability).
Simple subject lines typically work best.
I usually use "[First Name] - Quick question" as my go to subject line as this has the highest open rate.
There are two things that you don’t want to do when writing your subject lines:
The best subject lines include the prospect’s first name, and either asks a question or makes a relevant statement.
In this article, I will cover the 40 best subject lines that you can use in your cold emails.
I usually use "[First Name] - Quick question" as my go to subject line as this has the highest open rate.
I've had open rates of 87% using this particular subject line. The quality of the leads that you are emailing, and your deliverability rate will also affect your open rate.
I purposely make the "q" lowercase for "question" because this slight irregularity makes it seem more authentic and real. This increases the open rate as people are more likely to open emails if they think they are from a real person.
Writing just the name of the prospect’s company with no other context will create a sense of curiosity. This will lead to a higher open rate.
Any time you mention the name of a prospect’s company, they are likely to open your email. This subject line can be used in a variety of ways.
Writing your first name and the prospect’s first name, with an “x” in between has a high open rate.
This is short and sweet. It triggers curiosity from the prospect, which leads to a high open rate.
This is another example of a subject line that is vague and thus triggers enough curiosity to get the open.
This can work well for agencies that are selling services related to TikTok.
Most companies don't often receive emails about TikTok, so you will stand out when they see this subject line in their inbox.
Most prospects will open an email if the subject line is about their company. The risk of losing real business is too great to ignore.
If you mention a prospect's competitor, then they are likely to open your email out of curiosity.
They will know that you are a real person as you have done a certain amount of research to know who their competitor is.
This subject line makes the prospect want to know if there is a superior alternative to their company. This will get a high open rate.
Simply writing the company name of the prospect will create curiosity. This works best when emailing smaller companies.
This is an open-ended subject line which has a high open rate.
You don't want to give too much away in the subject line, otherwise the prospect is less likely to open your email.
Combining the prospect's first name with a question is a great way to guarantee a high open rate.
If you research your prospect, you can mention a topic that is relevant; this will ensure that your cold emails get opened.
This subject line creates curiosity which results in a high open rate.
This is very direct, but sometimes being direct helps you stand out from the crowd.
Most prospects will read this subject line and want to open your email out of sheer curiosity.
You can mention what their competitor is doing successfully, and then pitch the prospect on doing something similar.
You can highlight a problem with the prospect's company, and then offer a solution to such problem.
This doesn't sound like a sales pitch. It sounds like a genuine inquiry. This will result in a high open rate.
If you request to interview the prospect, then they are likely to open your email.
Most people don't get asked to be interviewed, so you will stand out with this subject line.
Simple & effective. This will get open rates of at least 60%.
Most people don't use emojis in their subject lines. You will stand out from the crowd with this.
There are many types of partnerships which will create curiosity with the prospect. This will lead to a high open rate.
This is similar to a previously mentioned subject line. Prospects are more likely to open your email if you mention someone that they know.
Mention an event that the prospect was recently involved with.
This shows that you are a real person because you did research to know about a relevant event.
Most prospects are open to feedback so will be incentivized to open your email.
Most people will open an email with this subject line because you are directly mentioning their company.
This is a great subject line to use when following up with a prospect.
Similar to the previous subject line, this is a good subject line to use when following up with a prospect.
Always follow up with prospects at least twice. The first follow up can be 5 days after the initial email. The second follow up can be two weeks after the initial email.
This creates a sense of urgency which usually leads to a high open rate.
Most people don't receive many invitations. This will cause the prospect to open your email due to curiosity.
This is very specific and unusual, which are two things that lead to a high open rate in subject lines.
This is simple and straightforward. This doesn't have the highest open rate, but still works well.
This subject line is casual and mentions the prospect's first name. This makes you seem genuine and not spam.
This is suitable for your final follow up email. It implies that you are leaving for now, but you'll reach out again at a better time for the prospect.
Identify a challenge that your prospect faces in their business, and then present a solution.
Mentioning only the prospect’s first name will cause them to open your email as it doesn’t sound promotional.
This can be used in a wide variety of B2B sales emails.
This is short and snappy. The vagueness makes most prospects open.
This can work well, especially when you are trying to establish a relationship with someone that you don't already know.
"[First Name] - Quick question" is the best subject line in my experience.
It has a very high open rate of more than 80% and works in almost all scenarios.
"[First Name] - Quick question" is the best subject line with the highest open rate of 87%.
There are scenarios where a different subject line may work slightly better, but in general, you should use this subject line. You don't need to reinvent the wheel. The quality of your leads and your deliverability will also impact your open rate.
Yes, you should include your prospects' name in your cold email subject lines. This will increase your open rate.
Yes, Quick Question still works very well. You can make it even better by combining it with the first name of the prospect.
The best subject line for cold email is "[First Name] - Quick question".
I have had open rates of 87% using this subject line.
Although your subject line is important, your lead quality and deliverability are equally as important.
I recommend that you use our LinkedIn Email Finder to find relevant leads and their emails.
I also recommend that you send your cold email campaigns using Emailchaser, since it helps your emails land in the primary inbox (not spam).
Finally, you should read my article How To Write A Cold Email That Gets Responses (4-Step Process).
Article by
George Wauchope
Founder of Emailchaser.
I have been working in the sales & marketing industry for nearly a decade.
When I’m not working on my business, I enjoy eating sushi & doing jiu-jitsu.
Address: Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Email: [email protected]
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