Subject Line Psychology:
Your subject line determines if your email gets opened, ignored, or deleted. Executives scan subject lines in 2-3 seconds.
High-Impact Subject Line Formulas:
- Action Required + Deadline: "Approval needed: Q4 budget by Friday"
- Specific Outcome + Timeframe: "Reduce costs 15% - proposal for your review"
- Question + Benefit: "Quick question: Save $30K on software licenses?"
- Update + Status: "Project Alpha: On track for Tuesday launch"
- Request + Context: "30 minutes needed: Strategic planning input"
Email Structure for Maximum Impact:
Subject: [Action Required] Q4 Marketing Budget - Approval by Friday
Hi [Name],
BOTTOM LINE: I need approval for our Q4 marketing budget reallocation to capture the holiday opportunity.
REASON: Early data shows 40% higher conversion rates for holiday campaigns. Reallocating $75K from underperforming channels could increase Q4 revenue by $300K.
KEY FACTS:
• Current holiday campaign ROI: 4:1 vs. 2.5:1 average
• Competitor analysis shows 60% increase in holiday ad spend
• Implementation deadline: Monday to capture peak season
NEXT STEPS: Please approve by Friday COB so we can launch Monday.
FOLLOW-UP: I'll send detailed performance metrics weekly starting next Friday.
Best regards,
[Your name]
Email Response Psychology:
Why Executives Don't Respond:
- Unclear what you want them to do
- Too much cognitive load to process
- No clear deadline or urgency
- Request seems low-priority or risky
How to Guarantee Responses:
- Make it easy to say yes (provide options)
- Create appropriate urgency (real deadlines)
- Reduce decision fatigue (clear recommendations)
- Show business impact (connect to their goals)