11 Funny but Effective Sales Emails by the HubSpot Sales Team [Templates]

Are you sending boring, generic emails that look just like the past 100 your prospects have gotten from reps? Or are you trying to stand out from the crowd?

We've rounded up a handful of battle-tested, clever sales emails from HubSpot sales reps -- and included a few new templates for you to try out for yourself.

How Humor Can Make Sales Emails More Effective

When it comes to sales emails, a little levity goes a long way. Most messages are straightforward and serious -- and boring. Adding a fun twist to their outreach helps reps distinguish themselves from the competition and make their pitch more memorable.

In addition, humor usually puts recipients in a better mood. Once their prospects are smiling, salespeople usually have a far better shot of getting time on their calendars.

That being said, no gimmick can make up for a bad sales process. If reps aren't capable of asking probing questions, diagnosing their prospect's needs, consistently adding value throughout the conversation, tailoring their pitch to the individual buyer's situation, and surfacing urgency, an attention-grabbing email will make zero difference to their bottom line.

Funny Sales Email Templates

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1. The funny sales pitch

According to Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be More Persuasive, businesspeople who sent a funny, inoffensive cartoon to their negotiation partners before negotiating generated higher levels of trust and 15% larger profits than those who didn’t send a cartoon.

Salespeople can leverage the same trust-building effects by including a cartoon in their outreach email.

2. The response to “we’re all set” or “no thanks”:

Hearing this standard objection doesn’t necessarily mean there’s no opportunity. Use this template to make buyers think twice about brushing you off. If they’re truly not in a position to buy, they’ll remember you when the timing is better. And if they are a good fit, disarming them with a funny meme will likely lead them to think, “Hmm, this doesn’t seem like the average salesperson. Maybe I should give them a chance after all.”

Matt Hambor, Inbound Marketing Specialist

3. The witty email

To immediately differentiate yourself from other salespeople -- and hopefully, make the buyer laugh -- send them a tongue-in-cheek sales email as a follow-up to the compelling event.

Sam Belt, Senior Sales Partner Manager

4. The clever email

Walking around the conference floor isn't usually the most scintillating activity in the world. Use this template to provoke your prospect's curiosity and make a conversation with you seem more fun than the typical booth chat. Even if they don't respond, they're likelier to stop by when they see your company's name. 

Drew Healey, Sales Development Team Lead, LeadIQ

5. The no-B.S. email

Rather than pretending your previous (unsuccessful) contact attempts never happened, bring them out into the open. Then, hook the prospect by discussing why this time is different.

Claire Chazen, Channel Account Manager, HubSpot Agency Partner Program

6. The light-hearted email

Traditional guilt-tripping doesn’t work. Your prospect will be far likelier to reschedule if you make a light-hearted reference to the no-show.

James Hylas, Senior Account Executive, HubSpot Sales Solutions

7. The hilarious email to a prospect who ghosted

Few things are more frustrating than a promising prospect who abruptly stops returning your calls and emails. Sometimes, an Adele reference is what you need to bring them back.

Gary Valenti, Account Executive, HubSpot Sales Solutions

8. The Fun Friday email

No matter where you work, the office feels different on Friday. Everyone's a little more relaxed and a little less uptight. Take advantage of the laidback mood, and shoot your prospect a Friday-themed message that won't hurt their ears.

It's Friday

Hi [prospect name],

I bet the subject line made you think there'd be a Rebecca Black gif or video inside this email. But I wouldn't do that to you.

The real reason I'm reaching out is to ask about your strategy for X [in 2018, next quarter, in response to Y trigger event]. I have a few suggestions I'd be happy to talk through -- after the weekend, of course. Are you free on Monday next week?

Thanks,

[Your name]

9. The cheerful email

Does your prospect seem like they'd be responsive to a little cheer? Send them this upbeat email.

Life is good

Hi [prospect name],

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and you know exactly how to [solve X likely pain point, respond to Y trigger event, hit Z objective]. Right?

If you're still working on that last one -- which I know is a focus for many [description of company profile] right now -- I'd love to offer some of the strategies I've shared with [customer #1] and [customer #2]. My calendar is available here: [Meetings link]. I hope to speak with you soon!

Cheers,

[Your name]

10. The "no rush" email

Want to make sure your prospect knows they've got plenty of time (within reason) to learn about whether your company and product is right for them? Try this template, that uses pop culture to set the right tone. 

This is why the GOT finale failed ...

Hi [Prospect name],

If you watched "Game of Thrones," you know about that ending. If you never cared about "Game of Thrones," chances are, you still know about that ending. My two cents? It was totally rushed and haphazard.

Let's not be "Game of Thrones."

I'd love for us to take as much time as we need to get to know our respective businesses and see if we're the right fit for each other. If you'd like to kick things off with a quick call, book some time on my calendar here: [Insert Meetings link]

Long live the Mother of Dragons,
[Your name]

11. The fill-in-the-blanks email

Just need to get them to open the email in order to pique their interest? Try this template to open a conversation with a prospect.

A puzzle for you

Hey there [Prospect name],

L_T'_ CH_T T_IS W__K

Were you able to fill in my puzzle? Correct answer is (drumroll, please ...) "Let's Chat This Week."

I know you're busy, but I'd love the opportunity to learn more about your goals and share how I can help you meet them. Book some time with me here: [Insert Meetings link]

Your neighborhood Pat Sajak,
[Your name]

Not every buyer will be responsive to a humorous or offbeat email. Before sending one of these templates to your prospect, consider what you know about their personality and preferences from previous interactions or their social media accounts. If they seem more conservative or buttoned-up than your average buyer, a more traditional sales email might be wise.

But as CEO of Sales Hacker Max Altuscher says, "Don't be overly cautious. For the most part, if a prospect is just not answering you no matter what you do, sending a funny message is a great last-ditch effort."

Want more follow-up sales email templates to send instead of "checking in?" This should help.