Do you think writing prospecting emails is difficult?
It might seem like it, especially if you are not getting the type of response you are hoping for.
If you are not currently getting many replies to your prospecting emails, you may need to make some changes to your approach.
When you write prospecting emails, you are not intending to be a spammer, but you might seem like you are if your email isn’t well thought out. As you write prospecting emails, put yourself in the shoes of the person who is reading it. What kind of reaction are they likely to have?
Decision makers rarely answer the phone and don’t usually get back to you if you leave a voicemail message. The point of email prospecting is simply to start a conversation and drum up leads.
There’s a right way and a wrong way to do this, and if your response rate is low, you might be going about it the wrong way.
Possible Reasons Your Emails Are Not Getting Replies
There are many possible reasons for getting a low percentage of replies to prospecting emails.
Decision makers are busy people who are typically deluged with a ton of email that they spend a lot of time trying to get through. Often they make a split second decision about each email that they receive regarding whether to read or delete it.
The first thing to keep in mind is that an email with a bad headline will probably not be opened at all.
Crafting an attention-getting headline is worth spending time on.
Once the email has been opened, there are certain things that may cause it to be deleted sooner rather than later. Common prospecting email mistakes include:
- Emails need to be short and to the point. An email that is long and rambling may seem more like an intrusion than a request for a couple of minutes of conversation or consideration.
- The focus should be on the recipient of the email, not the person who is prospecting. If you make the email all about you, the prospect quickly loses interest.
- Benefits of doing business with you are not emphasized. Emails should clearly state what you have to offer, then quickly turn the focus onto what it means for them.
- Rushing through your message and not noticing spelling or grammatical errors
- Writing a generic message that could be sent to anyone
- Offending the prospect in some way, such as implying their website is failing or ineffective in some way
- Weak or missing call to action
These are some of the reasons your prospects may be quick to hit the delete button, and may not have read your email at all. If this is happening to you frequently, the next thing to consider is what should always be included in prospecting emails.
What Your Prospecting Email Needs
If your emails are typically boring, lengthy or generic, it’s time to make a change. The focus can’t be on selling to prospects, but instead how you can be of some help to them.
All prospecting emails should start with a salutation that addresses a particular individual person rather than “To Whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam.” This should be followed by an engaging statement about why you are contacting them and what’s in it for them.
A clear explanation of what value that you have to offer them should be included in your email. Credibility should be established so that they understand why they should believe you or trust you.
Be sure to include a clear call to action that can’t be overlooked or misunderstood.