6 e-mail marketing secrets most experts won’t share with you

How many times have you met a prospect at a networking event that you think would be a great fit for your services, only to hear from them, “Call me back in 3 months.”

So, you wait 3 months to contact them, and then they tell you they aren’t interested. Isn’t that frustrating?

Most consultants face this problem. No matter what profession you are in, most prospects are not ready to buy from you the moment they first meet you at a networking function like the Chamber of Commerce or a trade show. Marketing studies show that it takes 5-7 points of contact with a prospect before they are ready to buy from you.

Even though we know that we are in the business of building relationships, we know that it is often difficult to keep up with all the prospects that we come in contact with. That’s why I recommend that you setup an automated e-mail communications system to build relationships with current clients and potential clients that you run into.

Here are 7 tips to help you develop an effective e-mail marketing communications system for your company:

1. Put together a swipe file of proven subject lines.

When you scan your inbox, the first thing you look at is the subject line. If it is not catchy, you won’t open the e-mail.

Coming up with new, interesting subject lines can be hard work, though, unless you have a swipe file of e-mail subject lines that have been proven to work before.

Here are a few examples of subject lines that work well:

How to headlines

• How to save money on your taxes this year
• How to grow tomato plants
• How to close more sales

List headlines

• 10 proven ways to save money on your utility bills
• 10 ways to decrease your advertising costs this year
• 5 ways to increase your customer retention

2. Send 50% promotional e-mails and 50% informative content

When planning out your e-mail marketing campaign, you need to think of it like building a relationship with a prospect. If you send out too many special offers and neglect to provide enough informative content, you run the risk of your e-mails getting ignored by them.

I am sure you have received many e-mails from stores that you have purchased goods from. Often, they will concentrate on sending you strictly promotional offers. What do you usually do? After a while, you probably ignore them.

3. Ask prospects if they would like to subscribe to your free e-newsletter.

Bob Bly, one of America’s top copywriters, says in his book “Selling Your Services” that 90% of prospects, when asked this question, will say “yes.”

We strongly recommend that you ask all of your prospects and current clients if they would like to receive your company e-newsletter.

4. Include an e-mail opt-in form on your website.

Have you ever thought about creating an e-mail opt-in form on your website? I recommend that you consider offering something of value to your prospects (a special report, e-mail follow-up series, etc.) on your website in exchange for your name & e-mail address.

It’s a very simple way for you to collect information from prospects that visit your website and build a stronger relationship with them over time, prior to purchasing from you.

5. Create content that answers the top 10 questions that you get during your sales process

Do you often come across “writer’s block” when writing content to promote your company?

If so, a great way to come up with ideas for compelling content is to identify the top 10 questions that you get in your sales process. Also, identify the top 10 questions that you know your prospects should be asking.

6. Write like you talk

Another way to overcome writer’s block is to write like you talk. For instance, if you are writing an e-newsletter, write like you were talking to one of your customers.

Also, it’s important to get the content all down on paper before you edit your e-newsletter.

Have any questions about e-mail marketing? Leave a comment below and let us know!