In our last post, we explained why a well-thought-out email series is a much better (and cheaper) vehicle for attracting new business than face-to-face meetings.
Where to begin?
In this installment and those that follow, we’ll walk you through the elements of an effective email campaign.
At risk of stating the obvious, you should start at the beginning:
- Who you are
- What you do
- Why you’re contacting them
- What you want them to do next
Who you are
Seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? But I bet you’ve received plenty of emails seemingly out of left field, with little indication of what the sender does or why they’re getting in touch with you.
This section doesn’t have to be long, or clever, but it does have to be clear.
I’m Don Maher, and I help high-tech companies hire sales, marketing and engineering professionals.
Focus on explaining rather than impressing. If you are a good fit for the people you’re reaching out to, they’ll want to know more.
What you do
You have already touched on this briefly, but here’s your opportunity to explain more.
Since 2006, I have helped high-tech equipment, component, instruments and materials companies hire the right sales, marketing and engineering professionals. I’m a former Sales and Marketing VP with Applied Materials and Lam Research, so I know what makes a good fit and how to find—and land—the right people for your business.
You’re not hitting them over the head with a sales pitch at this point; you’re just explaining a little more about what you do. You want to get into the level of detail you might at a social gathering—more than a sentence but less than a speech.
Why you’re contacting them
This is a crucially important part of the email. They now know who you are and what you do…so what? What’s in it for them? Why are you popping up in their inbox?
- I was wondering if you needed help with…
- I’m doing a webinar next month you might be interested in attending…
- I think we can be mutually beneficial to each other’s businesses in the following ways…
Again, focus on being clear and useful rather than salesy. This person is still in the very early stages of getting to know you, so a hard sell would be off-putting.
What you want them to do next
It’s surprising how many people fail to include a clear call to action in their email communications. Don’t make this mistake.
- If you’re interested in learning more, give me a call at [number]…
- Click here to learn more about the webinar and see a list of FAQs…
- Reply to this email and let me know what’s been giving you trouble recently with…
This is not the time or place to ask them to spend money or commit to buying. But there should be some clear next step you’re asking them to take.
In your next email, you’ll talk about something you’re uniquely good at, and why that’s important to them. We’ll explain more in our next post.