Writing a sales email is tricky. A single word in the subject line can make or break the fate of that email. Sadly, the right way to email still eludes even the most experienced sales reps.
One of the most common reasons for any sales email to fail would be irrelevant content. ‘We are so-and-so. We have done A, B and C. We can do this for you.’
Imagine opening the email that starts like this.
It’s like going on a date with a presumptuous person who only talks about him-or-herself. Emails along similar lines are as annoying, if not more so, which is exactly why your message has to be about the prospect. Make it about their challenges, and how the integration of your product with their process will yield them the desired results. It’s always about the prospect and what you can bring to their table! A one-size-fits-all approach does not work here. Despite knowing this, sales professionals continue to waste leads by sending cookie-cutter emails with little to no personalization.
You say you hear your prospects, but are you making them feel heard?
Email recipients are no longer happy with a customary greeting. Even putting the first name instead of ‘to whom it may concern’ is losing its luster as a “personalization upgrade.” Prospects are seeking acknowledgment and understanding of challenges specific to them, and it takes more than adding their names at the top of emails. They want to be heard. They need to know you are there to listen.
Email personalization at this level for every prospect in the lead list may seem daunting. But how else would you stand out among the cutthroat competition?
Here is how.
1. Give your prospects a voice within cold emails and make it count
Any communication mode is a two-way street; emails too. Face it; prospects are sick of receiving blind pitches, tone-deaf to their challenges. It’s shocking how little research on the recipient and his or her company goes into the emails. Have you considered embedding a short poll on specific pain points or possible solutions in the email itself? It may not be a common practice, but it can certainly give the decision-makers you’re emailing a voice and ensure some engagement.
A poll within your cold sales emails may generate interest and get some prospect insight that can accelerate the next phase in the sales process. You can use a poll maker to embed questions into your emails. This is just one method that can be combined with sales prospecting tools and techniques.
2. Personalize your communications to show how well you know your leads
Remember the craze around customized Buzzfeed quizzes? Why were so many people addicted to them, and still are? The quiz results told stories about the reader.
“Oh my, this is so me,” they exclaimed. The rest, as they say, is history.
Every brand strives to be excellent storytellers – but tend to focus on their own story. They forget the central character is the prospect/customer.
Consider how Adidas launched its ‘Originals line’ last year through its #ORIGINALis campaign. They succeeded in making their target audience come forward with ‘original’ stories, redefining the meaning of originality. While establishing itself as a firm fashion icon, it also encouraged people to embrace their true selves. This campaign used storytelling to boost their engagement, and it worked.
To understand your customers better you can also integrate into your marketing strategy, interactive elements like surveys, personality type tests, and polls to allow individuals to connect with your brand on a more personal level.
A deep understanding of the customer persona is crucial for campaigns like these. You can apply the sales personalization strategy to your emails too.
3. Personalized Call To Action (CTA)
Reaching out to a prospect via email is only a foundation to your final goal: you want them to register on your site, request a demo, subscribe, share or buy your product or service. The call-to-action is the most significant aspect of your email. An email with a feeble one is only a touch better, and the one with the wrong CTA can ruin your brand image. Your CTA must hit the right note. By clicking, it should take the prospect to a blog or video or product demo that they need.
Setting a telephone appointment too can be a CTA but it needs to be specific. For instance, ‘Looking forward to hearing from you soon’ is as good as not putting any CTA. Instead, something like ‘Would you be available for a short call on [Date & Time] so we can discuss a bit more about [Product]’ might work. Even better, you may give them two or three options in the same week.
4. Use sales email templates as a foundation to personalize
Templates, indeed, are huge life-savers for salespeople who send tons of similar emails regularly. Having a few sales email templates ready for various prospect types (common inquiries and responses) can be handy. However, a template should only form the basic outline to save you time and effort to think up the lines, core message, and format every time. You would still need to edit and make it ‘meatier’ to make the email reflect your relationship with the prospect or customer. Nobody wants to read an obviously automated and soulless email.
In fact, you can even add a CTA in your email signature, complete with clickable social media icons at the end. It is subtle and offers enough scope for your email to stand out.
5. Reward loyalty to build more
A few years ago, receiving ‘Happy birthday’ emails was a big deal. However, nothing holds a candle to a real acknowledgment of a customer’s loyalty. It could be in the form of a special discounted package or even a free trial for a certain period. When a customer receives such an email, he or she immediately knows it’s not some bulk email. These types of emails are a privilege to receive; it is a reward. If you’ve included the right subject line with the offer, then your open rate should be great.
It’s easy to set this up using the existing customer data – keep a few original copies of congratulatory messages and awards handy. Even a loyalty certificate would do.
Start Increase Quality Engagements?
When writing sales emails, personalization makes emails remarkably relevant and recipient-oriented, adding value to the relationship-building process. Focus more on building a one-on-one feeling, just as you do in face-to-face meetings. You have the demographic data, know the prospect’s history of engaging with your brand, and possess enough insights to use them in real-time email automation. Why hesitate to use this information when it can increase quality engagements that can lead to increased revenue? These five tactics might solve most of your sales email woes.
