Let’s face it, finding a way to reach interested prospects via email is difficult. But with a few pointers it could get so much more effective. Below we have gathered some tips that our clients and ourselves have found very successful.
Step 1: Avoid the spam filter
More and more emails are getting stuck in the spam filters. Don’t believe me? Go check your spam box right now, and be amazed how many people are willing to give you their money. Unfortunately, it is fairly common for sales emails to end up there as well (even if they are relevant to the recipient). In order to avoid it here, follow these steps:
- Avoid colors in the email.
- Keep formatting very basic.
- Avoid using more than one link.
- Don’t attach anything to the email.
- Through Qualifier you will not be able to attach either files nor videos to increase the chances of reaching the recipients
Step 2: Get them to respond
So now you have been able to avoid the Spam box. Good job! Now to the hard part: to actually get them to respond. Some things to think about here:
The subject line
This is the first thing that the recipient will see, and is thus one of the more important things in order to have prospects open and respond to your email. Try to keep it short since using fewer words will become more effective. Try as well to think outside of the box than the classic (yet successful) subject line in having their company name and yours in the subject. With Qualifier.ai, you can automatically set the parameter [company] in order for it to auto populate the prospect's company in the subject line.
Good frameworks for a subject line:
- Max five words
- Make it a statement or a question
- Not a “clickbait”
- Not too detailed
- Not a sales pitch
The content (KISS)
It's crucial to keep things simple and short here. Research has shown that three paragraphs is the perfect length for somebody to get a grasp on what you can help with, and what next steps would be. DON’T write blocks of texts or have any weird spacing. Avoid using fluffy words such as "effective" and "timesaving". Talk in concrete terms on what you actually can do for the recipient that makes it more relatable.
Since you only have three paragraphs to convey your message, you really have to think about the content. Don’t waste text unless you really believe the receipt would be intrigued by your information. Sometimes it does not matter how big you are on the market, how many years you have been in the industry or how many different companies in different industries you've helped unless it actually provides further value to your offer.
Catch interest early
You would also need to get the attention very early in the email. The sooner you get to the point the better. Don’t save the best for last.
Another crucial factor is to be very clear on why you are contacting this person, and why you think this could be of interest for him and her. We cannot stress enough the importance of clarity and concreteness in the email. This has become increasingly important during the GDPR (more on that later) and will give the prospect some context to why you are emailing them.
Have a call-to-action (CTA)
It is very important that the receiver doesn’t get confused what the next step should be. So always end the email with a question, in order to get the receiver something to answer. Common questions include asking for a quick phone call or meeting, or to start a free trial of the product. To give something to the prospects have been proven to be highly effective, as you are more likely to get a big "yes" after the clients first have given a "small" yes.
Follow-up/sequences
On average, 80 % of the responses that have come from all of our users have come from the follow-up emails. So one of the best tips we can give is to use follow-ups. At Qualifier.ai we have up to three follow-ups and here is some best practice regarding the structure and content of each e-mail.
The first email
As mentioned before: keep it short, explain why you think this could be interesting for this specific prospect, explain what you might be able to help with and have a call to action. Catch interest early.
The second email
This email should be a quick follow-up email. Just writing something along the lines of: "Hi X, I just wondered if you’ve had the time to look at my previous message?" will do just fine here. No need to add any other factors to this email, save that for later.
The third email
Try to structure it like the first email, but switch the value that is getting pitched. Try to find a new value for this pitch. If you pitched the time saving aspect on the first email, then try to pitch the team collaboration features on this one. Another good trick here is to ask the prospect if there is anybody else in the company that this could fit better for, in case the reason for the prospect not responding is that she is not the right person at the company. That way, you could get a new (and better) person to contact as a last resort to get in touch with somebody at the company.
The fourth email
Here you can be creative. Keep it short still and do not apologize in your efforts to reach out. Keep it positive and lightweight. Do you have a webinar to invite the prospects to or something that includes sharing your knowledge?
A/B testing sequences
As always, it is very important to iterate your sequences and change if the response rate is too low.
A great way to do this is A/B testing, which is something we at Qualifier offer to our clients. You can easily start different sequences, and see which one converts the best right in our platform.
