How to write stronger sales calls-to-action in emails (plus 30 high-converting CTAs)

Here's the thing about emails: If they're not concise or catchy enough, they'll go unnoticed. To get leads via emails, you have to work twice as hard to attract your prospective customer's attention — because let's face it, no one reads emails with the same enthusiasm as social media posts.

But what if we told you there’s an alternative to working twice as hard?

A compelling call-to-action (CTA) levels up any sales conversation and encourages prospects to take the next step. So, if you've been suffering from a poor response rate to your sales emails, read on because we’ve got 30 high-converting email CTAs, and they’re yours for the taking.

What is an email call-to-action (CTA)?

A CTA is a sentence or two you place at the end of an email to prompt recipients to visit your website, make a purchase, or take some other form of action. You can place your CTA on a button or write it in text form; either way, it has to be engaging enough to grab the attention of your potential clients and garner a click.

The question is: How can you do that?

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What makes a good call-to-action?

A “good” CTA depends largely on the purpose of your email and the desired response from your prospect. So, here's an 8-point checklist to walk through as you optimize your specific CTAs:

1. Align your CTAs with expectations: Your call-to-action should align with the expectations you promised your clients in the email. For example, if you promise a solution, make sure the CTA reflects that.

2. Assume the sale in wrap-up: While writing your CTA, you should consider your prospect’s stage in their buyer’s journey and phrase it in a way that suggests the natural progression toward making a purchase.‍
3. Boost engagement with automation: Technology never fails to impress, so you can boost your recipients' engagement with a simple automation trick. For instance, you can use AI tools to automate appointment scheduling, application requests, and many other tedious tasks.‍
4. Craft a compelling CTA: Write your CTA using exciting or persuasive language to make it compelling enough for recipients to engage with it.‍
5. Encourage prompt action: Your call-to-action should clearly state an action that recipients should take immediately, like "Schedule your appointment today" or "Buy now."‍
6. Show social proof: Reassure your clients that you're trustworthy by showing proof that the product or service you're offering has solved other people's pain points before.‍
7. Split test and optimize your CTA: Before you decide on a consistent, go-to CTA, you should test multiple variations with several recipients to see which one gets the best engagement, and optimize accordingly.‍
8. Use email signatures as a call-to-action: Email signatures are often basic and don't grab enough attention. To change that, you can write a CTA in the place of your signature that mentions an upcoming promotion or event.

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Where should the sales email CTA be?

The most recommended place for sales email CTAs is at the end of the email so that recipients can decide if they're interested or not by the time they reach the call-to-action. Placing it at the start can distract them from the main goal of your marketing campaign.

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30 call-to-action examples for different email types

With that said, here are 30 CTA examples and templates that you can use right away. They're categorized by email type to help you find what you're looking for.

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Cold outreach emails

A cold outreach email is an email you send to a recipient who hasn't expressed any prior interest in your service or product. It's an email marketing and sales outreach tactic designed to land new potential clients by making a pitch to a recipient through a concise, clear email.

You can't overlook the importance of a CTA in a cold outreach email because it can make or break the success of your pitch. Even if your product solves a client's pain point, they won't take any sort of action without a crystal clear next step. Here are three call-to-action examples you can use in cold emails:

1. Let's explore how we can collaborate: Schedule a call now.
2. Interested in learning more? Get a demo now.
3. Eager to hear your thoughts about this. Just reply to this email to start the conversation.

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Closing or advancing deals

If your email's main intent is to push a deal forward, it should reflect a sense of urgency to encourage clients to take action fast. Since this type of email usually comes after the client is already interested in the product, you shouldn't be afraid to speak directly and boldly.

Ideally, you should use phrases like, “Hurry up!,” “Limited-time offer,” or “Just a few seats left!” in the subject line and the CTA. Here are a few CTA examples to help you close your deals:

4. Let’s make this official. Sign the contract now!
5. Register in the next 24 hours to secure your spot.
6. Ready to take the next step? Click here to finalize the deal.

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Event invitations

Emails with event invitations come with one main aim: to encourage recipients to attend a specific event, seminar, webinar, workshop, or conference. These emails should provide clear information about the time and place of the event and include a catchy CTA to grab the reader's attention.

7. Join us for an exciting event: RSVP now!
8. Don't miss out on our event. Click here to register!
9. Be a part of our exclusive event. Save your spot now!

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Feedback or survey requests

Feedback or survey requests are emails that encourage recipients to provide feedback about a specific service, product, or event. It's a clever marketing strategy to improve products and services if you notice an increase in order returns.

Ideally, these emails should include a link to a short and straightforward feedback form or survey, and we recommend you put a CTA at the end to give readers a sense of urgency. It should be a short, simple phrase that encourages recipients to take a step.

10. Take our feedback survey now. It'll only take a minute!
11. We care about your opinion. Complete our feedback form now.
12. Share your thoughts in this survey. We value your feedback.

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Newsletter subscriptions

If you want to invite potential clients to subscribe to your email newsletter, promotional emails provide a quick, easy way to drive subscriptions. You can include exclusive offers or promotions in the email to convince recipients it’s worth their while, along with a catchy CTA to grab their attention. Here are three CTAs for inspiration:

13. Keep up with [COMPANY]’s latest updates. Subscribe to our newsletter now!
14. Get exclusive promotions and discounts. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
15. No spam, just great deals and updates. Get our newsletter in your inbox today.

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Product or service promotion

To promote a specific product or service you provide for your clients, you can send emails with its standout features or benefits and special offers. The main goal of this type of email is to drive sales and boost brand awareness. Here are some sales email CTA examples you can include at the end to make your prospects respond:

16. Limited-time offer. Shop [XYZ PRODUCT] now!
17. Discover exclusive offers. Visit our website today to learn more.
18. Claim your discount, [FIRST NAME]. Enjoy 20% off today.

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Setting meetings or calls

Emails sent to set meetings or calls are an easy way of communication between team members or service providers and clients. The email message should include a range of preferred dates and times for a quick call or meeting, and the recipient should respond with their availability.

To boost response rates, some senders include CTAs at the end of the email. Here are some catchy examples you can use in your next email:

19. It’d be great to chat live. Schedule a meeting now.
20. Let me know what time works best for you, and we’ll get a call on the books.
21. I appreciate your interest in [XYZ PRODUCT]. Could you connect for 15 minutes on Tuesday?

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Free trial offer

Emails that offer a free trial of your product are a great, low-barrier way to get a prospect to try your product, and hopefully, find enough value to stick around and turn into paying customers. Here are some CTA examples you can include in free-trial offer emails:

22. Start your free trial now. No credit card needed.
23. Try it out for yourself. Sign up for free!
24. Explore all of our features for free for 30 days.

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Follow-up emails

Follow-up emails are sent to recipients as a response to a previous interaction, whether it's an initial email exchange, meeting, or purchase. They’re often used to keep deals progressing, encourage further action, or gather quick feedback. Said differently, they’re a critical tool in maintaining communication between service providers and clients.

To encourage recipients to reply to your follow-up emails, you can include any of the following CTAs:

25. Missed our last message? Here's another chance.
26. Keep the conversation going. Reply today!
27. Any updates? Let us know with a quick reply to this message.

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Valuable resource

Business owners send emails with resources when they want to share useful content with their clients, like PDFs, eBooks, tutorial videos, blog posts, or possible events to attend. They usually send these to help recipients solve a problem, learn something new, or make informed decisions. This type of email should highlight the value of the content and include attachments or links.

If you want to guarantee quick action to emails with valuable resources, you should include a CTA at the end of your note. Here are three examples you can test:

28. Download your free copy of the guide today.
29. Get your comprehensive checklist now.
30. Access exclusive insights with one click. Get started now!

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Maximize your email campaign effectiveness with Streak

Are you looking to take your email campaigns to the next level? With Streak, you can streamline your efforts and get exceptional results. As a powerful CRM tool for Gmail, it offers a convenient pack of features for email campaign management, including:

• Mail merge for sending personalized sales emails in bulk
• Email tracking with real-time insights about opens and link clicks
• Snippets, so you can re-use your favorite, most effective CTAs over and over 
• Automatic follow-up sequences

Best of all, you can try Streak for free, and it only takes 30 seconds to get started! Try it now.