How to get every sales email message to work
We’ve talked previously about key phrases to avoid when closing a sale, and we’ve outlined phrases to avoid during an in-person sales period. A lot of sales take place online and via email and messaging in today’s era, however. Do these guidelines change when sending a sales email message to potential clients and customers? Emails can be great for many reasons, one of which being that you can send a lot of information while still personalizing messages.
So are your sales emails helping or hindering your program? Are you using sales email message as the great tool and resource that it is, or are emails working against you and your sales team? There are some email phrases that essentially render messages obsolete and worthless. These phrases are overused and clichéd phrases that no potential client or customer wants to read. These phrases will not set you apart from other companies and show a lack of creativity and unique vision. Here are some examples of what to avoid in a sales email message and what to use in their place:
“It’s been a while”
When a potential customer (or former customer that has previously done business with your company) reads this sales email message, they are reminded just how long it has been. This can have a negative effect for many reasons. The first concern is that maybe it has been a while. Has your team let too much time go by since following up on a previous conversation? This phrase either highlights the fact that your company has not been in contact, or that the customer has not been in contact. These are both not things that you want to draw attention to as a salesperson looking to close the deal. Instead: Try beginning an email with what you last spoke about with the customer and then ask a direct question.
Starting an email off by stating your name
While some may see this as a personal touch, the truth is that it comes across as very boring. Business people receive hundreds of emails, and without an interesting and snappy first couple of sentences, other messages will be seen as more pressing. If you are cold-pitching your services and a customer has never heard of you or your business, find a way to leave a lasting impression. Instead: Begin with a lively pitch or interesting statistic. Make the sales email message relevant to the particular client that you are reaching out to.
Allowing your email to be vague
At the end of the email, your customer should have a clear call to action. Your purpose for emailing must be direct and to the point. If customers do not know what it is that you want from them, how can you expect them to do it? It is easy to get lost in flowery language and extensive jargon, but at the heart of it all, why are you emailing them? Have a clear idea of what you want before you sit down to write the sales email message. Instead: Clearly articulate the next steps for your client. They’ve received your email, now what?