As humans, we are all unique, but in many cases, our brains tend to respond to psychological triggers in similar ways. Knowing the main factors for effective email writing will help you improve your ability to persuade others to take the action you want, allowing them to connect with you rather than just communicate.
I’ve been studying field of sales & marketing for several years now and I’m constantly overwhelmed by the lack of education & creativity some reps have in the field that is all about empowerment, persuasion & fulfillment.
Below are the 7 most powerful principles I’ve found along my endeavors to boost sales for my company by connecting with clients.
1. Social Proof
When making a buying decision your closest friend circle has the biggest impact on you. Before buying different products or using different services we seek for our friends or family member’s advice. With today’s social world, social proof has increasingly become more essential for generating inbound leads, and still proves to be one of the smartest methods to attract clients.
These facts explain why emails have higher open rates when sent to multiple people, and higher response rates when mentioning other co-workers at the company. Due to the fact that when it comes to making decisions such as – whether or not to respond to someone’s email – we take cues from other people; and hence, if your prospect sees proof that his colleagues are receptive to your ideas, he’ll be more likely to give you the time of day.
Understating the negative and positive power of social proof is important for both ways, why you might be asking yourself?…
Studies have shown that when you are satisfied with a company, product or service you’d usually tell 1-3 people. However, when you are dissatisfied you’d usually tell 7-10 people.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask for a favor (however, in an intelligent manner)
When you ask someone to do you a favor, you’ll be more successful if you’ll provide something that resonates. Because unfortunately in today’s world of 24/7/365 communication and endless to-do lists, answering a stranger’s email is 100% favor.
3. Stop Being the Pitching Salesperson that Everyone is Tired of Listening to (Incorporate Some Humor!)
You’ve been corresponding with someone for awhile now, and then suddenly, he disappears. No reply, won’t return your calls etc… What should be your next move?
When you write something worth a smile, your prospects can all of a sudden find a minute to relax. Humor is the best way to break the ice and reduce sales resistance if know how and when to use it!
4. Its a Wise Numbers Game
Adding numbers to your subject line (33 as opposed to thirty-three) have been shown to stop wandering eyes of online readers, and hence enhance email open rate when the number 3 is the undisputed king of all numbers!
Various studies have proven that the human brain likes to be presented with three choices as opposed to four choices, due to the fact that four choices may trigger skepticism and anything higher usually leads to confusion. Try to break your email into three (short) paragraphs, offer three options for meeting times, or describe your offering using three adjectives.
5. The KISS Principle of Email Marketing (Keep It Short & Sweet)
Be considerate of your prospects by using spacing, numbers, bullets etc… To make you message visually pleasing, easy to digest and thereby worth taking action. No wonder Twitter limits it’s messages to 140 characters, people’s attention span is just getting shorter and shorter…
6. Use Their Name More Than Once
Personalization is key to successful messaging. Catch you prospect’s eyes by placing their name in the subject line “Hi Jack, it’s Ori from convertiFIRE.” Ask for a reply that requires more than a simple yes/no answer by adding a simple close such as: Looking forward to speaking / meeting with you.
7. Be Specific
Being vague would help you to pass the gatekeeper when using the telephone for cold calling, however it will not help you to schedule an important appointment with a prospect.
Ending your emails with open ended statement such as “Let me know what works best for you” or “ What’s your availability for a 5 minute call next week?” in most cases were found to do more harm than good. The end result from a prospects perspective is rather than take the time and energy to make the decision for the both of you, to not make a decision at all! Resulting in you not getting the reply you were hoping for.
The best practice I can give you to overcome this obstacle is to sum up with a clear & pointed call to action such as the following:
“Are you available to examine the applicability of our services for (company name) next Monday 1/12? Looking forward to meeting with you.”
Originally published here.
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