Do your emails to prospects and customers stink? Seriously, what type of response are you getting as you follow up with leads and touch base with your established customers? If you’re like most small businesses, chances are you’re frustrated with the poor percentage of responses your getting back. One minute you think you’ve got a hot lead. The next minute you’re back to the drawing board. Trust me, I’ve been there. Heck, I think anyone who attempts to sell or market anything whatsoever has experienced frustrations over a lack of what we’ll dub ‘Email Response Love’.
Follow-Up Frustration
This was certainly the case at a recent conference I taught at for builders in the fiberglass swimming pool industry. You see, the way it works in the fiberglass industry is there are manufacturers and builders. The manufacturers are typically larger businesses and therefore have stronger marketing departments. This allows them to generate consumer leads on their websites and in-turn send the lead to whichever pool builder is in that consumer’s area. Often times, these leads do not consist of a phone number and the only information a builder has to work off of is a name and email address. And the following up with these leads is often the center of great frustration for pool builders trying to generate sales appointments with consumers who are slow to respond.
This scenario is essentially no different than most small and large businesses throughout the world. More and more, consumers are slow to give out their personal information. And often times, a simple email is the only channel by which a business can work its marketing magic and initiate a relationship with the prospect or potential customer.
They Stink
The problem with follow up emails is essentially the same across the board. They’re boring and they stink. Here’s an example:
Dear Prospect,
We would like to thank you for your interest in a Widget 2000. In order to help you learn more regarding our Widget 2000, please respond to this email or call me directly on the number below.
Sincerely,
Sales guy
888-555-666
Widget Industries
Ok, now you might be thinking that most follow up emails aren’t that bad, but let me tell you that they ain’t much better. I’ve seen countless examples of company email follow ups and at least 90% are seriously lacking in originality, content, and character. But when it comes down to it, you’ve got to ask yourself the following question:
How much value do my emails really have?
Although this may be a tough question to answer for some, I have listed five essential components of follow up emails. Since I implemented all of these tools in my email arsenal, the response I’ve been getting from customers is phenomenal and the rate of response has shot up drastically. Here goes-
5 Essential Tools to Awesome Email Follow Ups
1. You Tube Video:
Let’s just start with the best first, shall we? As everybody who reads this blog is well aware, I’ve been preaching from the rooftops for some time now that if you’re a small business owner and you don’t own a flip camera, then you need to have your brain examined. The reason why flip cameras can literally transform a business is because they are the simplest tool available on the market today to produce You Tube videos. The power of You Tube for small businesses is utterly unbelievable, which is why business owners and their marketing departments should be looking to produce these short videos every possible chance they get. My company has about 100 You Tube videos that we’ve produced and these actions have branded us on a national level. In late 2009, I started including the You Tube videos in all my email follow ups as well, and the results have been extremely positive. An example of this would be:
View this awesome Fiberglass Pool Installation Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osQqatNgKzw
What’s even better is the super nerds over at Google have now made it possible to send You Tube videos via Gmail and the receiver can actually see the video on the Gmail window, which is awesome. In other words, all one has to do when sending an email is insert the URL link to that particular YT video and the video will appear at the bottom of the screen for the viewer to see, without even leaving the page. (Currently, this is mainly a Gmail feature)
Just imagine what your business could do by integrating video into your emails. Instead of introducing yourself or your products by words alone, you can add the power of visual. Dang I love technology… And again, if you haven’t already done so, stop being a slacker and pony-up $150 for a simple flip camera!
2. Attach an eBook:
Ebooks are awesome for a variety of reasons, one of which is the fact that customers will actually read them. 
A few years ago, I wrote a 55 page eBook that teaches consumers how to buy a swimming pool and what to look for when meeting with a pool builder for the first time. Not only does this eBook sell at a national level (making me a nice supplemental income), but I also send it out for FREE with every email that goes out to a new lead. For example, lead emails will say something to this effect:
I’ve attached here a copy of my popular swimming pool eBook that sells nationally at my other website (www.PoolSchool.us). I can promise you that this 55 page guide will completely enlighten you as to the mistakes people make when purchasing a swimming pool. It will also heavily discuss pool options, pricing, sizes, manufacturers, etc. Please take the time to read its pages, as I can assure you it will be well worth your time.
As you can imagine, when a consumer, who is contemplating spending 30k+ on a swimming pool sees this, they are very likely to read the book and receive a lasting impression from the supplier of that valuable information.
3. References:
Our company sends (via attachment) a complete customer reference list to every new lead that comes to our system. In other words, before I even meet a prospect the first time they have already received 600+ names, addresses, and phone numbers of happy customers that have done business with my company. And can you imagine the reaction I get from potential clients upon receiving such a list? Nothing short of surprise and amazement are the results of such a mountain of information.
4. Links to Your Blog:
Blog, blog, blog. Along with video, blogging is the greatest marketing tool a business has in this Web/Marketing 2.0 era. This is why it’s imperative your company maintains an active blog and also why every email you send to every customer should have a link to a recent and/or applicable blog that your company has written. In the case of my business, we always place strong and eye catching article titles at the end of our emails, just before the signature, and it appears in this manner:
And make sure you review these compelling articles from our blog:
7 Deadly Sins of a Fiberglass Pool Installation
Fiberglass Pool Manufacturers: Who Will Survive?
5. Questions:
Too often, follow up emails are only about the company, and not enough about the customer. Emails should not only demonstrate to your customers that you’re a though-leader in your industry, but they should also show that you genuinely are interested in hearing the customer’s concerns, thoughts, questions, etc. This is why every email to a customer/prospect should ask at least one, if not more, questions. I’m not going to give examples of questions here because that should go without saying, but again, the key is that you actually show the customer you care by submitting the question(s) in the first place.
So those are my top 5 additions to follow up emails that just about every small business in the world should be utilizing in 2010. As you contemplate the implementation of these tools and techniques into your business, ask yourself the following question:
How many of my competitors are taking such strong action in their emails?
I’d imagine that likely none of your competitors are utilizing all of these tremendous tools, which is further reason for you to make such a change today. Do not wait. I can assure you that if you only follow these five steps you’ll see a monumental improvement in your email marketing strategy in 2010.
Questions? Comments? Agree? Think I’m a nut-cake? Come on, don’t be shy, let us know your thoughts.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Interesting post. In the car business, it’s tough for a sales guy to secure an appointment, as prospects are asking for information from about 25 dealers.
When a salesperson does not know have the skill or tools to stand out, it’s obvious that the chances are slim you will ever meet that prospect face to face.
Another tragedy in this occurs when an appointment is finally secured, the prospect comes in, and then just lets whichever salesperson scoops them up first deal with them.
Definitely hasn’t made the Internet Salesperson job that attractive to me in the past.
Great article!
.-= John Nault´s last blog ..Spring Break Safety Tip: be aware of children crossing streets =-.
You bring up some really interesting points Nault. I think this article very much applies to someone like you because the idea is that a prospect sees your videos, feels comfortable with your style, and specifically requests John Nault, ‘That car expert on the internet’…..If you brand yourself enough, I can absolutely promise you these types of statements will occur again and again. Good luck my friend.
Like the updated look to the site!
.-= John Nault´s last blog ..No April Fools — John Nault write-up in today’s Winnipeg Free Press =-.