What’s old is new again.
Steli Efti, Close CEO and co-founder, recently revisited one of his most viral sales tips from 2016. Does the strategy still hold up in 2025?
Spoiler alert: it does. In fact, the rise of automated email tools that make our eyes roll when we check our email inbox has made it better. The human approach is more necessary than ever.
Watch the video below to hear his updated advice:
So what is the 1-2-3 email hack, and how can you use it in 2025 to make it seem fresh? Here’s the trick to using it well.
What is the 1-2-3 Email Hack?
The 1-2-3 email hack is a simple method where you outline a few different options for the prospect, then ask them to simply choose one.
It boils down to:
Ideally, your prospect will respond with whichever option they choose.
Why does it work? Because people are busy. We don’t read every email—and we certainly don’t respond to every email—especially if that email looks like spam. We’d rather delete it and get on with our day.
That’s not ideal if your primary sales technique is email pitches. Email noise is so common these days 79% of consumers delete your brand’s emails at least half the time…even if they enjoy your brand.
Plus, when people are interested in learning more, it often takes time and mental effort to come up with a reply—so they just ignore it for now, thinking they’ll return to it later (but never do).
That’s why every sales email feels like rolling a bowling ball uphill. The primary obstacle, according to Steli, is friction.
Friction is any resistance a potential customer might feel once they get your email.
- Email overload means customers are so overwhelmed with emails that anything that looks like “homework” will be ignored.
- Spam frequency means that if you’re too salesy or unfamiliar, someone’s spam radar goes off, and they delete your email on sight.
- Asking for a time investment is too much for someone who’s just checking their emails before heading out the door. They can’t send you a 200-word response when they barely want to check emails in the first place.
The 1-2-3 Email Hack should help you cut through all that friction.
When Should You Use the 1-2-3 Email Hack?
Scenario One: The Cold Email
In this scenario, you’re sending a cold email to someone with the hopes of engaging them at the top of your sales funnel.
Your first step is to attract their attention. You need to engage them in terms of the value you can provide—or, more viscerally, with the pain point you solve.
So don’t write an “About Us” summary of your company in a cold email. Instead, engage them emotionally by asking them to choose from multiple options that might resonate with them.
Keep it short, ask them to pick one, then promise you’ll respond with something catered to their needs.
Here’s how it might look:
Scenario Two: No Response
You may send the above, but you get no response. It happens. But you can use the same “number” tactic to re-engage them. Again, the goal is to reduce friction and give them as little homework as possible.
Plus, since it’s a no-response follow-up, you can get a little playful with your tone to see if a new approach moves the needle.
Choose Your Own Adventure
See what’s going on with each email above? They’re all grade-A friction reducers.
These emails frame the simple act of replying as a multiple-choice answer to a test, not an essay response. All they have to do is pick a choice and respond with a single digit. That’s it.
Who wouldn’t hit a quick reply if they hoped it might solve their problems?
It’s the “choose-your-own-adventure” approach to sales emails. Rather than asking your email recipient to sit down, crack their own books, and tell you everything you need to know, you take the pressure off. You’re just asking for a reply with a single digit.
Once they reply with one, you’ve started a conversation. That’s the goal!
Give Them the Option to Say “No”
Make sure to include “I don’t want your service” as a potential option for them to choose.
It sounds counterintuitive to invite people to tell you “No.” Giving your prospect an off-ramp means they’ll be tempted to take it.
But the key challenge in sales emails is getting a response—any response.
“Yes” is good. Even “No” is good.
It’s the lack of response where most of your deals die.
If the worst possible outcome is being ignored, then it’s okay to give them the option to say no. It also gives your credibility a boost because if you’re open to “no,” they know you don’t plan on being pushy.
If you don’t give them that option, the whole thing feels less real and less honest.
You can work with “no.” You can’t work with being ignored. You can turn a “no” into a “yes.”
Steli says he loves it when prospects reply with “Option X: I’m not interested.” Why? First, they actually took the time to respond instead of deleting or ignoring the email. That alone is worth the price of admission. Second, a “no” response is at least an opportunity to continue a basic conversation.
Once someone’s engaged with you—even if it’s to say no—they’re far more likely to keep responding. You are now “in their life,” so to speak. They recognize who you are when your email pops into their inbox.
If you can handle a “no” without being pushy, tone-deaf, or salesy—instead being thoughtful and empathetic about their unique situation—you’ll often get another reply.
An Email Hack that Still Works
We’ve called this an email “hack,” and it is. But it works because it’s a hack on the recipient’s behalf. It makes the process easier on them in a way that benefits both parties. Your emails become less pushy, and their responses take less work. Win-win.
So, put the customer first. Make their life easy. Show them that you understand their problems and that you value your time. You’re the one with something to sell—so you do the homework for them. You may be surprised at how many doors this opens.
