Sales Prompt Engineering is the skill of structuring inputs for Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate persuasive, non-robotic sales copy. While most salespeople ask AI to “write a follow-up,” top performers use specific constraints, context injections, and tonal instructions to produce emails that outperform human-written copy by 20-30%.
The “Garbage In, Garbage Out” Rule
If you type: “Write a follow-up email to John asking if he saw my last note,” you will get a generic, spammy email starting with “I hope this finds you well.”
To unlock the power of Gemini and GPT-4 for sales, you must treat the AI like a junior copywriter. You don’t just give them a goal; you give them a Framework.
This guide provides 10 battle-tested prompts you can plug into Email 360 Pro today to automate your nurture sequences.
Category 1: The “Nudge” Prompts (Follow-up 2 & 3)
The goal here is to be persistent without being annoying.
Prompt 1: The “New Value” Drop
- Concept: Don’t just “bump” the thread. Add a new piece of value.
- The Prompt:“Write a 50-word follow-up email to a prospect who hasn’t replied. Context: My previous email pitched {{Product}}. New Info: We just released a case study about how {{Competitor}} saved 20%. Tone: Casual, helpful. Constraint: Do not use the phrase ‘Just checking in’. Ask if they want to see the case study.”
Prompt 2: The “Thoughts?” Brevity Check
- Concept: Low-friction ask.
- The Prompt:“Write a 1-sentence follow-up email. Goal: Ask if my previous proposal was relevant to their current Q4 priorities. Tone: Direct, peer-to-peer. Formatting: No greeting, no sign-off. Just the question.”
Prompt 3: The “Wrong Person” Pivot
- Concept: Asking for a referral.
- The Prompt:“Write a polite email asking if {{FirstName}} is the right person to handle {{Topic}}. Instruction: If they are not, ask who leads that department. Tone: Deferential but professional. Keep it under 40 words.”
Category 2: The “Overcoming Objection” Prompts
Use these when a prospect replies with a “Maybe” or “Not now.”
Prompt 4: The “Too Expensive” Rebuttal
- Concept: Pivot from Cost to ROI.
- The Prompt:“A prospect just said ‘Your tool is too expensive.’ Write a response acknowledging the budget constraint, but briefly explain that our tool replaces 3 other tools (X, Y, Z), actually saving them net spend. Tone: Empathetic, financial logic. CTA: ‘Open to seeing the math?'”
Prompt 5: The “We Have a Vendor” Pivot
- Concept: Pitching a complementary (not replacement) role.
- The Prompt:“Prospect said they already use {{Competitor}}. Write a reply explaining that we actually integrate with {{Competitor}} to fill the gaps in their reporting. We are not a replacement; we are a power-up. Tone: Collaborative, not combative.”
Category 3: The “Break-Up” Prompts (Follow-up 4+)
When they haven’t replied in 30 days, you need a “Pattern Interrupt.”
Prompt 6: The “Permission to Close”
- Concept: Taking it away.
- The Prompt:“Write a ‘Break-up’ email. Context: I’ve emailed 3 times with no reply. Goal: Ask if I should close their file for now so I stop bothering them. Tone: Professional, final. Psychology: Use ‘Loss Aversion’.”
Prompt 7: The “One Last Resource”
- Concept: Leaving the door ajar.
- The Prompt:“Write a final email. Content: ‘I assume this isn’t a priority right now, which is totally fine. I’ll leave this PDF guide here for you in case you need it next quarter.’ Constraint: No question. No CTA. Just the gift.”
Category 4: The “Creative” Prompts
For when you need to stand out in a crowded inbox.
Prompt 8: The “Haiku” Pattern Interrupt
- Concept: Humor/Brevity.
- The Prompt:“Write a follow-up email in the form of a Haiku about missed connections in B2B sales. Follow it with one normal sentence: ‘Still interested in {{Topic}}?’ Tone: Witty, self-aware.”
Prompt 9: The “Video Thumbnail” Tease
- Concept: Driving clicks to a Loom video.
- The Prompt:“Write an email teasing a 30-second audit video I made for their website. Hook: Mention one specific error I found on their pricing page. CTA: ‘Mind if I send the link?’ (Don’t include the link yet).”
Prompt 10: The “CEO Ghost”
- Concept: Faking a forward from your boss.
- The Prompt:“Write an email that looks like I am forwarding a message from my CEO. Top message: ‘Hey {{FirstName}}, my CEO just asked me if we ever connected. What should I tell him?’ Context: Creates internal pressure/urgency.”
5. Advanced: The “System Prompt” Configuration
In Email 360 Pro, you can set a Global System Prompt that applies to all AI generations.
Recommended System Prompt:
“You are an expert B2B Sales Copywriter. You prefer short sentences, active voice, and 5th-grade reading level. You hate corporate jargon (synergy, unlock, delve). You never use ‘I hope you are well’. You always focus on the prospect’s pain, not our features.”
Setting this once saves you from typing it in every single specific prompt.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: How specific do I need to be with the prompt? A: The more specific, the better. Giving the AI “Context” (e.g., “We are selling to Dentists”) changes the output completely compared to “We are selling to Enterprise CTOs.”
Q2: Can I use these prompts for LinkedIn DMs too? A: Yes, but shorten the word count constraints. Change “50 words” to “20 words” for LinkedIn.
Q3: Why does the AI sometimes ignore my word count limit? A: LLMs are bad at counting words. They are better at counting sentences. Instead of “Under 50 words,” try “Maximum 3 sentences.” It follows that rule more strictly.
Q4: Should I include the prospect’s name in the prompt? A: No, use the variable {{FirstName}}. The sending tool will swap it out. The prompt should be a template structure.
Q5: How do I test which prompt works best? A: Use the A/B Testing feature (from our previous guide). Run Prompt 1 vs. Prompt 2 on 100 leads each.
Q6: Can AI write in my specific voice? A: Yes. Paste 3 examples of your previous emails into the prompt.
“Here are 3 examples of my writing style: [Paste Examples]. Write the next email matching this tone.”
Q7: Is the “Break-up” email really effective? A: Yes. It usually has the highest reply rate of any follow-up (often 5-10%). People hate leaving loops open. They will reply “No, not interested” (which is good data) or “No, keep it open, just busy.”
Q8: What is “Chain of Thought” prompting? A: It’s asking the AI to explain its logic.
“First, identify the main pain point of a CFO. Then, write an email addressing that pain point.” This usually produces higher quality results than just asking for the email directly.
Q9: Can I use prompts to translate emails? A: Yes. “Translate this email to German. Maintain a formal business tone suitable for the DACH region.”
Q10: Why does the AI sound aggressive? A: You might have used words like “Persuade” or “Convince.” Try using “Help” or “Educate” in your prompt to soften the tone.
Copy. Paste. Close.
Don’t stare at a blank screen. Let the prompts do the heavy lifting.
[Link: Save These Prompts to Your Library in Email 360 Pro]