Pop Quiz: What’s an easy, cost-effective way to boost your sales potential?
Email marketing.
When executed properly, email marketing can supercharge your sales funnel, converting leads on autopilot. But achieving this isn’t always straightforward.
Last year, emails in the construction sector had notably low open rates, and the bounce rate—indicating emails that didn’t reach recipients—was among the highest at 1.12%.
To stand out and build a robust sales pipeline, revamping your email strategy could be key.
In this blog, we’ll cover five practical email templates and best practices to enhance your email communication in 2024.
Best Practices for Effective Construction Email Communication
Personalization and Customization
Consistency is crucial. Avoid sounding overly formal in emails if your verbal communication is friendly, or vice versa.
Personalized emails create a warmer interaction, improving open and click-through rates and enhancing the overall customer experience.
Before sending, read your email out loud. Make improvements by:
Personalizing subject lines with the recipient’s or their company’s name.
Using a conversational tone and referencing relevant data points.
Mentioning recent achievements or notable traits and showing how you can contribute.
Clear, Concise Language
In business emails, brevity is powerful. Avoid lengthy explanations; instead, be direct and to the point.
Steer clear of jargon and use everyday language. Replace vague terms with specific details such as percentages, dollar amounts, or time frames.
Break up text with bullet points or numbered lists and prefer active voice over passive voice.
Mobile-Friendly Formatting
With nearly 40% of business emails read on mobile devices, ensure your emails are optimized for small screens.
To enhance readability:
- Keep images under 500 KB for faster loading times and use alt text for blocked images.
- Use single-column layouts and break text into smaller paragraphs.
- Trim subject lines to about 30 characters and use impactful words upfront.
- Craft compelling preheader text to boost open rates.
Timely Responses
In today’s world of instant communication, fast replies are essential for maintaining momentum and closing deals.
Send emails at the start of your workday and use automated responses to acknowledge messages received outside business hours. Employ AI-suggested templates for quicker replies, and create your own templates for recurring needs, like case studies or client testimonials.
A/B Testing for Optimization
A/B testing compares two versions of an email to identify which performs better, particularly useful for subject lines, visual elements, and CTAs.
Use the insights from A/B testing to refine your emails and enhance their effectiveness based on metrics like open rates or reading times.
Construction Email Templates with Examples
1. Project Inquiry Email
Create an engaging subject line with the recipient’s name and avoid a preachy tone. Use this versatile template for initial contact, responses to inquiries, or reaching out to website visitors.
Template Elements:
- Personalized subject line
- Friendly icebreaker
- Question addressing a pain point
- Social proof
- Strong CTA
2. Bid Submission Email
Adjust the length to fit your needs and cover these key points:
- Thank the recipient for the opportunity
- Link to the detailed proposal
- Summarize scope, timeline, and pricing
- Offer availability for further questions
Example Subject Line:
Subject line: Ready to build the {project} of your dreams?
Hi {first_name},
Hope you’re doing well. We wanted to take this moment to tell you how excited we are about the opportunity to help you in creating {proposal}.
With our {x} years of experience in providing reliable, on-time and within-budget {list services provided}, I can assure you’ll be pleased with the results.
We‘ve submitted our bid through the form on your website, and you can also view the proposal here. Here’s a brief rundown of what to expect:
Scope of Work:
Timeline:
Pricing:
Team & Expertise:
What sets us apart:
Thank you for considering us as your construction partner. We truly believe in the value we can bring and are beyond thrilled to work with you.
If you need any clarifications or documentation, or have any additional information to share, feel free to contact me on {email/cell}.
Look forward to hearing from you.
3. Follow-Up Email After Meeting
If you haven’t heard back after submitting a bid, use this template to:
- Inquire about any delays
- Address potential concerns
- Suggest alternative contacts if needed
4. Project Update Email
Keep project updates clear and detailed. Include:
- A concise subject line
- Explanation of project status or delays
- Link to status report
- Outline of next steps
- Availability for further discussion
Subject line: Progress Report/Delay in Project Schedule
Hello {first_name},
How are you? I just wanted to touch base about the status of the {____} project.
1. [We’re currently running {(__) weeks} behind schedule due to {circumstances causing delay}. Our team is working tirelessly to close the gap as much and as soon as possible so we can get the project back on track. I’ve enclosed the revised timeline alongside the original in this report. It‘s subject to change based on further developments, so I’ll be sending you weekly updates to keep you informed.]
OR
2. [I’m pleased to inform you that we’re right on schedule with the {project title}. We just crossed the __% completion stage and should be ready with the final product by {estimated date of completion}. I’ve enclosed a detailed report for your review.]
If you’d like to get on a call to discuss this, please reach out at {contact details}.
5. Post-Project Feedback Email
Use these components for requesting feedback:
- Congratulate the customer and thank them
- Explain the importance of their feedback
- Provide a quick completion estimate (under three minutes)
- Include a link or embedded questions
- Use simple CTAs like ‘Fill out a quick survey’ or ‘Share your review’
Example Subject Line:
Subject line: How did we do, {first_name}?
And that’s a wrap! Congratulations to you and the team at {prospect_company} on your new {project name}. We hope you like it as much as we enjoyed creating it for you.
1. [Your feedback makes us better, so can you take a quick minute to answer this survey?]
OR
2. [We’re putting together some customer testimonials for our website, and we’d love to feature yours. Could you share your review please?]
Thanks in advance!
Harnessing the power of emails for rapid growth
By implementing the templates and practices outlined, you can:
- Streamline email communication
- Save time in drafting emails
- Replicate successful email strategies
Once you finalize your templates, verify email addresses to ensure deliverability. Optimize your communication strategy to make the most of your email marketing efforts.