Outbound Messaging
Part of Writing outbound sales messages
Removing unsupported claims from a sales email
Audit prospect, product and result claims in an outbound email, then narrow, verify or remove wording the evidence cannot support.
Audit a sales email sentence by sentence. For each claim about the prospect, your offer or a likely result, ask what supports that exact wording. Keep it only when the evidence and necessary limits are clear. Otherwise narrow it, make the uncertainty a question or remove it.
Mark the claims before editing
Highlight statements a recipient could reasonably take as facts: that they have a problem, a product delivers a saving, a customer achieved a result, a feature works with a named system or a competitor performs worse. Check the subject line and preview text too. A cautious final paragraph cannot repair a misleading first impression.
Use a short claim record:
| Draft claim | Evidence to check | Editorial decision |
|---|---|---|
| “Your team is losing time on approvals” | Did the prospect say this, or is it a seller’s inference? | Ask how approvals work; do not state a loss as fact. |
| “Our tool cuts reporting time in half” | Is there a current, applicable result with a clear basis? | Remove the figure unless it can be supported and properly qualified. |
| “We integrate with your system” | Is that exact system and configuration supported now? | State the verified capability and conditions, or offer a technical check. |
These are hypothetical draft claims, not statements about an actual prospect or product.
Supported vs Unsupported Claims in Sales Emails
- Unsupported Claim
- “Your team is losing time on approvals”
- Supported Version
- “How do approvals currently work in your team?”
- Unsupported Claim
- “Our tool cuts reporting time in half”
- Supported Version
- “Our tool may reduce reporting time depending on configuration and data complexity”
Check whether the evidence fits
A customer case may show what happened for that customer under particular conditions. It does not establish what every prospect will achieve. An internal estimate is not a measured result. A roadmap item is not a capability available today.
Keep the date, audience, configuration and other conditions visible when they change the meaning of a claim. Comparative words such as “faster”, “cheaper” and “only” need a defined, fair basis.
“Trusted by leading teams” also implies a customer base and standing that should be supportable. If evidence is absent, describe what the offer actually does.
Repair the sentence
- Narrow it:Describe the current capability and any conditions under which it is available.
- Attribute it accurately:If the prospect described a difficulty, reflect their account without enlarging its scale or urgency.
- Ask instead:If the issue is only a plausible inference, ask whether it is relevant to their work.
Adding “may”, “up to” or a footnote does not make an unsupported promise sound. The overall impression still needs a reasonable basis, with material limits clear where the claim appears.
Make the final pass
Read the email as a recipient would. What would they believe about your relationship, their situation, the product’s present capability and the result they might get?
Compare those impressions with the evidence record. Remove a customer name or testimonial you cannot accurately use. Ask the technical or commercial owner to verify any claim that depends on details you cannot establish.
Australian regulator guidance says advertising, pricing and claims made by a business must be clear, accurate and truthful. The ACCC can require businesses to back up claims they make about their products or services.
Key Regulatory Guidelines for Australian Sales Communications
- ACCC Enforcement Power
- Can require businesses to back up claims
- Truth in Advertising Standard
- Claims must be clear, accurate and truthful
- Spam Prevention Rule
- Avoid misleading subject lines and preview text
- Small Business Responsibility
- Know your rights and responsibilities under Australian law
