I’m on the receiving end of a lot of e-mail solicitations requesting an appointment. The vast majority are obvious blast messages, but there are precious few that stand out and every once in a while, I’ll come across a pearl. In doing so, I always learn something useful about the sales process; what works and what doesn’t.
“Bill, I just love your work” is a common starting line. Most times it’s in reference to something I’ve posted and if I’m going to reply at all I go with, “Really? What exactly did you like about it?”
Rarely do I hear back.
The ones that do get through to me are deeply personal, for lack of a better word. That is, it’s someone who has clearly done their homework and doesn’t waste my time with flattery but rather makes reference to information that could only have been found by spending some time researching my company. Those emails get a better response.
And that’s the biggest take away here. No one cares about you or what you sell. They’re not interested in print, signage, or promotional products. They could care less about your ability to handle their packaging and label needs. What they care about are their business challenges and that information is typically available right there on their website.
Personalize your next e-mail campaign by quoting the customer’s mission statement or discussing an upcoming event. Add a note to your next LinkedIn connection that mentions a recent post they made or perhaps the college they went to.
Show that they are more than just the next name on some list you bought and you dramatically increase your chances of getting what you want.
