10 Power Words That Will Supercharge Your Business Emails

Do your business emails sound “blah”? Does it take too long to get a response whenever you contact someone? Do you want your sales pitches to grab your reader’s attention? If there’s a problem at work, do you want your team members to take action right away?

A snappy, well-written business email can make all the difference in your professional relationships. Whether you are closing a deal, maintaining a relationship with a client, collaborating with your colleagues, advertising a product/service, or dealing with a crisis, power words can transform your emails from monotonous to marvelous. Power words can also inspire others to take action, whether it’s signing up for your company’s newsletter or helping you out of a jam.

What exactly are “power words”?

Power words are the ones that pack a punch because they tap into your readers’ emotions. They can make your emails more persuasive and engaging—and more difficult to ignore. If you want your readers to sit up and pay attention to your emails, include some of the following power words.

1. Urgent

When it’s part of a subject header or title, this power word conveys importance and helps prioritize your message in your recipient’s busy inbox.

Urgent: Water leak in the basement laboratory

Urgent phone call from Tia at ABC Corp

You can also use “urgent” within the body of your email to emphasize the importance of an issue.

We have an urgent need for additional safety equipment at the Green Street worksite.

This is an urgent request to expedite the paperwork for Nobu’s visa.

2. Exclusive

This power word is most often used when selling a product or offering a service. It gives your audience a sense of privilege as well as a sense of belonging to a group.

We are offering an exclusive VIP package to our most loyal customers.

You and a guest are invited to an exclusive book launch party for bestselling author and fitness guru Jiminy Ge.

3. Discover

Use this power word to encourage curiosity and engagement by inviting your audience to acquire new information or learn about an opportunity. “Discover” is effective in multiple contexts, but it is especially useful if you are promoting an article, book, video, or workshop.

Discover 25 ways to attract more followers on LinkedIn.

Join our exclusive seminar at the XYZ Centre and discover 101 ways to boost your company’s SEO rankings! (Note how this sentence includes two power words: “exclusive” and “discover”.)

We were able to discover a new strategy to boost our engagements on social media.

4. Proven

This power word reassures your readers that you are trustworthy and that they are making a sound decision when they partner with you or purchase your product/service. “Proven” helps build your credibility, especially if you back it up with actual data.

Our proven strategies have helped our clients increase their returns by 25%.

The Jiminy Ge Workout Challenge has been proven to strengthen core muscles among those who stay with the program for six months or more.

I would rather partner with a company like ZZZ that has a proven track record.

5. Free

Everybody likes free stuff! Offering resources, trials, consultations, or products for free can inspire your audience to take action or become more engaged.

Subscribe to our podcast and receive a free ebook!

Contact us today for a free consultation. Discover how we can improve your SEO optimization. (Here is another example of how power words can be used as part of the same message.)

Feel free to contact me at any time. (The meaning of “free” is different here, but it’s still an effective power word since it helps your reader feel more comfortable about contacting you.)

6. Limited

“Limited” is a power word that creates a sense of urgency and scarcity. It encourages your reader to take prompt action because nobody want to miss out on something important.

Our workshop is limited to 100 participants, so be sure to sign up today!

Take advantage of our limited-time offer and book your hotel room now!

Space is limited, so we need to reserve our table today. (This is an example of how to use a power word in a context where you are persuading your colleagues or team members to hurry up and get something done!)

7. Guarantee

This power word reduces hesitation and builds trust in your message, product, or service.

All of our products come with a 100% money-back guarantee.

We guarantee that every one of our premium pizzas will be delivered to you in 20 minutes or it’s free! (These two power words—”guarantee” and “free”—are often used together.)

8. Imagine

Make your message more compelling and help your readers visualize the positive results of your proposals, products, or services by using this power word.

Imagine the look on your competitors’ faces when they see that snazzy new LED sign in your front window!

Imagine how confident you will feel when you walk into that conference room carrying one of our limited edition Busy Busy Briefcases. (Again, here’s how power words can work together.)

Imagine how comfortable our clients would feel if we had new chairs in our conference room! (Are you trying to persuade your business partners to order some new office furniture? An “Imagine” statement might help!)

9. Easy

Life is rough, and everyone likes to learn about products, services, and strategies that can make things easier for them.

This partnership provides an easy solution to your internet security needs.

Just follow these three easy steps to add your name to our exclusive guest list.

It should be easy to get ZZZ Company on board because they have been looking for an opportunity like this one.

10. Success

Here is a power word that will motivate your readers and tap into their aspirations by focusing on positive outcomes.

Partner with XXX Firm and achieve the business success you’ve always dreamed of.

Your key to financial success is just two clicks away!

We had great success with this sales campaign during previous holiday seasons, so it should be effective again this year.

Power, not spam

While power words are very effective when used correctly, be careful not to go overboard. You want to seem sincere rather than pushy or “salesy”. Also, avoid using words like “Urgent” and “Free” by themselves in an email header—they’ll probably end up in your recipient’s spam folder! Include some details or context to ensure that your readers will see your emails and open them.

If you need some help using power words correctly, click the blue box below. One of our TextRanch editors will check your email for errors and give you some feedback. All of our registered customers get one free revision per day!