In the age of texting and chat apps, where does a good ole fashioned email fit into the communication mix? The answer is — everywhere! Done right, email can be a great tool to bolster sales and maintain long-term relationship! Done wrong, you may find yourself ignored, deleted, or worse . . . flagged as spam.
There are 2 important types of emails that support your sales process – Lead Generation Emails and Lead Nurturing Emails.
In this Playbook, we will focus on the emails you send to customers every single day - the Lead Nurturing email.
Similar to text messaging, the objective of an email is to advance the ball to the next interaction and, in the process, build a trusting relationship across multiple touch-points and multiple communication channels. [Read our Text Message Playbook]
While the phone should always be your initial go-to when following up with a customer, email can be a perfect secondary tool to nudge the customer, especially after you leave a voicemail or haven't heard from the customer in a couple of days.
Email also allows you to supplement your prior communication and voicemails with a bit of additional, enticing information and gives the customer an alternative way to contact you.
As discussed in our Text Messaging Playbook, a poorly executed text message follow-up can to be considered invasive and impatient. Email is a much less intrusive way to keep the communication pipeline open.
Email is often the most effective way to send your customer additional information, such as videos, PDFs, and images, due to the varying file sizes and types. Customers can download and preview on the most appropriate device, including their cell phone, tablet or computer.
Avoid getting too far in the weeds. For example, do not negotiate price and/or terms, hard-close, or discuss sensitive/complex topics.
Also avoid long, drawn-out conversations via email. For example, an email conversation consisting of 5+ emails is likely too drawn out.
Sending an effective email can be separated into two distinct steps. Tackle each one separately.
There are a number of best practices to write an effective subject line, which can ensure the customer will see and read your message.
Ineffective examples include:
Be very clear about next steps or follow-up activities so the consumer knows what to do. If you want them to:
Make it easy for the reader to take the next step if they choose to do so. Make the call to action a separate paragraph. Avoid burying it in the middle of a paragraph or too far down the page so that the read needs to scroll in order to see it.
Whether you are using templated emails or sending one-off emails, it should go without saying that you need to be thoughtful about what you actually include in the email. Unfortunately, our mystery shopping demonstrates that there's often a lack of thoughtfulness, and reps just fire off an email without much thought.
They contend, "Stop overthinking it, just send the email. This isn't rocket science." But consider this: over the course of the year, how many emails do you send? Hundreds? Thousands? The impact of increasing your response rate from 20% to 25% would have a huge impact on your pocket and the bottom line of your dealership. Give your emails the thoughtfulness that they deserve. You're only doing yourself a disservice if you don't.
The purpose of the email is not to talk about you – it’s to talk about them. They have a need or problem and you are there to help. Make sure your content addresses their needs and offers your expertise as the most effective solution.
In our Mystery Shopping, it's shocking how often we receive unprofessional, spammy emails that are more likely to result in a restraining order than a sale.
If it looks, feels, and sounds like spam, then it is spam, and the spam filters and your recipients will treat you like spam. It's astonishing how often the basic rules below are violated.
Sending too many emails in quick succession or following up too quickly to an inquiry can sour a relationship very quickly. Aim to find a balance between persistence and annoyance. Emails should act as a support channel adding value to the journey, not be a source of agitation.
The general rule of thumb is to avoid attachments in email. That said, if you have already established a relationship with the customer, and they are expecting something from you, then by all means attach away! Within reason of course - always be mindful of file format and size, using PDF for documents and .jpg for photos whenever possible.
As an alternative to attachments, send a link instead, especially when it's a big file size, like is the case with videos.
The paragraph you are reading right now is 5 sentences, which is about the sweet spot for email length. Never exceed 8 sentences. Keep your message to the point by directly answering their question or providing the requested information. Close with an effective call to action to advance the ball to the next appropriate stage. Don't forget to include your contact information should they decide to follow up via another method!
Keep in mind that many people will be reading your email on their phones, so try to keep your emails succinct (4-6 sentences) and avoid unnecessary wordiness.
The early bird gets the worm! Studies show that emails sent in the early morning (6 to 7:00am) or early evening (7 to 8:00pm) have the highest response rates. Consumers are generally in a better position or mindset to read and respond to new emails before starting their workday or after dinner.
When it's too early or late in the day to place a call or send a text, sending an email can be an effective way of providing additional information. This allows the customer to realize you still have their interest in mind, but it allows them to respond at their pace.
Before hitting send, go back and re-read the email from start to finish. Better yet, have a checklist on hand! Ask yourself - Did I answer the question or provide the information requested? Are there typos or grammatical errors? Did I close with a call to action? And if applicable - Did I include the attachment? There is nothing more frustrating than firing off an email only to realize you forgot to include the attachment!
If you are still unsure if your message is send-worthy, ask a colleague to read it. They can give you a good sense of how the message reads to someone else.
This step only takes 30 seconds, but it can save you a ton of grief.
Even if you're able to send emails directly from your cell phone, a web browser, or Outlook, there are reasons why you should consider sending them through your CRM/DMS instead. By doing so, you can actually track if and when the customer opened the email, clicked any links, etc. You can also set your system up so that you get an alert if, for example, they open an email 5 times without responding.
Understanding your customer’s behavior will help you determine their preferred communication methods, interest level, position in the buying journey, and allow you to better service their needs.