3 Rules For Writing A Sales Email That Won’t Get Ignored

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Ah, e-mail. Our favorite way of talking to one another without actually talking to one another!

Remember the good old days when people actually liked getting e-mail?

You would send one to someone and they would OPEN IT!

Over time, e-mail has lost a bit of it’s luster BUT it can still be a very effective sales tool if it’s used effectively.

I’ve got a few suggestions to help you with that.

Here’s a recap of everything in this episode of 5 Minute Sales Training:

Oh, e-mail. Remember the thrill of this sequence, “Welcome, you’ve got mail.”

And then, somewhere along the line, e-mail became this very cool mode of talking to one another without actually talking to one another, and then it morphed into this untamable monster.

And where are we today? Well, let me just share with you a few numbers.

Around the world, 68.9 billion e-mails sent everyday. That’s just the legitimate ones. When you look at the spam e-mail, what’s that number? 409 billion e-mails a day around the world are sent. Only about 15% of the e-mails are legit in the first place.

E-mail went from this really, really cool thing to something that we absolutely hate. So, is there still a place for e-mail? And is there a place for e-mail in sales? The answer is “definitely.”

If you can remember three rules.

Rule #1

Don’t send an e-mail when a phone call is more effective. This is my concern for a lot of salespeople. I’m going to call some of you out on this right now, and that is that we send an e-mail because it’s easier. We send an e-mail because it’s more comfortable.

You cannot make decisions based on what is easier or what is more comfortable. You need to make a decision based on what is right, based on what is most effective.

And if you’ve got something important to communicate to the customer, your first choice should always be a voice-to-voice conversation.

The problem with e-mail is it’s one-sided. So, pick up the phone.

Rule #2

Don’t send an e-mail unless a customer will actually find value in the content. Don’t send an e-mail unless the customer will actually appreciate the content.

So if your e-mail says, “Hey, just checking in.” No. That doesn’t pass the Rule #2 test. There’s no value to your customer. You have to ask yourself the question, “Does this e-mail add value to my customer’s life in some way? Would my customer like to receive this?”

That can be a hard question to answer. So, you can run it through your own self-test. After you write the e-mail, ask yourself, “Would I want to receive this? Would I be happy about receiving this e-mail?”

Don’t send an e-mail unless there is valuable content. And by the way, that clever little kitten video? No, no, no, no. That’s not value. Value is something that makes their purchase decision a more enjoyable and more informational, and more helpful experience.

Rule #3

Don’t send an e-mail without a call to action. Every time you send an e-mail it’s a one-sided conversation, so you must include something that helps you connect through to the next interaction.

Don’t think about e-mail as a separate opportunity to communicate with your customer. Think about it as part of your communication arc, your communication narrative.

This is one long conversation that includes every face to face, every voice to voice, every text message, every e-mail. It should be part of that same strategy.

NEVER…I repeat…NEVER send an e-mail without a call to action. Always ensure the e-mail you send connects to the last conversation and connects to to the next conversation.

Look, there is a place for e-mail, but only when it benefits the customer, not when it’s easy for you. If you get this right you can use this as a very, very valuable tool to help move that sale along and to help your customers’ dreams come true.

Until next time, learn more to earn more.