If you want to traumatize someone for years, here’s one way to do it.

Fire them from an $8-an-hour customer service job. As you’re giving them their papers, murmur these five little words with heartbreaking sadness:

“You’re just not Starbucks material.”

This didn’t happen to me, but hearing about it made my skin crawl. Who says stuff like that? Mean people, that’s who.

What happened to the guy who heard these awful words, you ask?
Some people would have slowly transformed into the guy you see on the left.

Not this guy. He went on to become a neuroscientist.

Turns out, they were right. He wasn’t Starbucks material after all.

He was lucky.

How do you keep your marketing emails from getting rejected and becoming balloon-sculptors in Seattle?

Getting in front of the right prospects is the best strategy. Prospects who already see you as THEIR material.

It’s the He’s-Just-Not-That-Into-You Factor. Should you really be all that upset when you weren’t all that into him, either?

In business as in life, you want to match up in ways deeper than just “solution meets problem.”

Second, you want to write a subject line that’s subject-line material.

A subject line prospects deem relevant to them. (And write an email that’s relevant and useful, too.)

The right subject lines targeted at the right people have special powers. You can soar over gatekeepers’ heads and smack dab into your prospects’ windshields. But in a very charming way. (Twitter and LinkedIn are great for this kind of thing, as long as you follow the rules.)

There’s magic in the right subject line.

The magic happens during that split-second between when someone reads the subject line and when they open the email. Together, you’re creating a story. You’ve provided the hint of what’s to come, but they’re still filling in the empty parts themselves. This moment of hopeful expectancy is almost like being pregnant. Yes, you’ve gotten your prospects pregnant. And, by opening the email, they’re ready to have your baby. OMG, congratulations!!!!

Remember the old Zig Ziglar sales trick?

You ask your prospect a question they’re sure to answer affirmatively, just to get them into the habit of saying yes?

By getting them to open the email, the right subject line gets prospects to say that little “yes.” Just by opening your email, they’re a bit more receptive. If they’re a C-level executive, you’ve just accomplished something amazing.

Here are a few tips to ensure your next email campaign is subject-line material.

Warning for experienced marketers: These are the most obvious tips in the world. Seriously, you will not learn anything new here. But I really want you to keep reading, so I’ve combined these tips with real-world samples, some of them written by professional email marketers. So, go ahead and bask in the glow of that “I-already-knew-that” feeling. Then, see what all the other email marketers have been up to.

1. Make it about them. Think about the individual you’re trying to reach–yes, not the audience, but the individual. That lady eating the tunafish sandwich at her desk? That one. Write your subject line to her.
2. Keep it short. Studies show subject lines with 4 to 5 words usually get the best response rates.
3. Count the ways. Subject lines like “5 ways to get prospects to open their emails” tend to pull really well. You’d think people would get tired of seeing the same numbers-inspired subject lines, but they really don’t. It’s like an addiction. They’ll always want to know if there’s something they don’t know. And you’re about to tell them. So, don’t kill yourself trying to think of something creative if something practical and useful will do the job.
4. Write the subject line first. Think of a really good subject line, and then write the email. The email almost writes itself. Almost.
5. Use the word “you.” You’re reading this blog post, aren’t you? I hand-crafted the title to compel you to read it. Consultant Al Peterson reminded me of this old standby during a workshop he gave at the IMC NorCal Workshop on January 10th. His workshop, called “Partnering at the C-Level: How to be a valued client executive resource,” revealed his secret tactics for getting in front of C-level executives. Al used to cold-email C-levels with great success, so I asked whether he had a magical subject-line formula. “It usually has the word ‘you’ in it,” he said. One subject line that’s worked for him: “You’ve just taken over the CEO position… and I can help you.” It’s a bit long, but it got their attention, and that’s all that matters.

Subject Line Hall of Fame (and Lame)

Courtesy of My Personal Email Swipe File. Because, Yes, I Collect Emails. And Read Them for Fun.

Here are a few other subject line examples with variations of the word “you” in them, taken from my ongoing swipe file.

Delete. Do Not Pass Go.

These subject lines were neither great nor horrible–not what you want for your email subject line. It’s almost better to err on the side of horrible. At least you’ll get people to open out of curiosity. I only opened these because I open every email. Trust me, your prospects and other high-level decisionmakers will never be that curious.

• “Get your brand noticed in 2009.”
  • Not specific enough. What does that really mean? Why should I care?
    
• “Give your clients what they want”
  • Despite the word “you,” it’s still weak. I opened it anyway, only to discover I’d never subscribed to this firm’s email newsletter. “Spam” button, activate. This is one of those fake “you’s.” It presumes to know me by saying “you,” but isn’t specific, which makes me question whether they really know me. They didn’t. Don’t do this.
    

OK, I’m Curious…

• “I goofed, which is good news for you” (Kathy Mallary)
  • Love the honesty here. And how it combines her mistake with a potential benefit for me. This woman is human! She goofs! And she’s going to make it worth my while! OK, I’m in.
• “How to ask other people to read your writing” (Caduceus Strategies)
  
  • What a useful thing to know. Yes, tell me more.
• “Why I write to you–a lot.” (Michael Port)
  • This got me to open because Michael Port really does write me a lot, and I was feeling a bit fatigued. “Oh, not another email from Michael Port,” I was literally thinking before I read the subject line. His subject lines have this uncanny ability to read my mind like that. Result: I opened it. I read it. I didn’t act, but that’s okay. He got me and a few thousand others to open his email, and to refrain from unsubscribing. A mind-reading trick goes a long way.
    
• ‘I’m truly glad I decided to try your service.’ (AWeber)
  • Using the customers’ own words in the subject line of an email that also uses the word “you?” Addressed to someone who signed up for a free 30-day test drive? Ding! AWeber gets a special price for that one–and likely a few new subscribers.
    

Wow! How Did They KNOW This About Me?

• “Should you meet w/ prospects?” (Ed Gandia)
  • This question was on my mind that very week. Being specific and targeting your list to the right people is an awesome subject-line-writing technique. The more specific the audience, the better the subject line’s potential. Always.
• “3 home page sins that will cost you clients” (Chris Marlow)
  • Tried-and-true “numbers” tactic combined with isolating a prospect pain-point. If you know the magic formula, work it. There’s no shame.
• “You feel poor.” (McSweeney’s)
  • Why yes, sometimes I DO feel poor. McSweeney’s makes me feel connected and happy about that, in this weird way I can’t explain.
• “If you can copy and paste, you can write a great email campaign.” (AWeber)
  • AWeber breaking the “4-word-subject-line” rules again, but I’d definitely open this if I was trying to learn about email marketing software.
• “Please read if you’re not booked solid.” (Michael Port)
  • If I wasn’t booked solid, I’d be thinking about my situation all day long. This email would jolt me out of my skin. “How does he know?” I’d think. Gratefully, this email wasn’t right for me, but I’ll bet it got excellent results.

Are you subject-line material?

Willing to share a magical subject line that’s done wonders? Or, want help sprucing up a subject line for its first date? Please, comment below.