The Green Sheet Online Edition

December 24, 2012 • Issue 12:12:02

Empower your email

By Brian Jones
Harbortouch

In my training sessions, I cover several strategies for launching a grassroots sales campaign. One key component is communicating with your prospects, that is, cold calling, following up, etc. A well placed email is very important in opening doors or moving the sales process forward. This article offers tips to employ when sending emails to prospects, especially for your initial contact.

Subject line

Think of your subject line as your headline. When done correctly, your subject should grab the attention of your prospect even before the email is opened. Most business owners are barraged with emails and consequently delete most of them without ever opening them.

Your subject line should be:

1. Short and memorably phrased
2. Intriguing
3. Easy to distinguish from a spam message subject

Introduction

Your first line should compliment your prospect or state a very specific positive comment or observation. Here's an example: Congratulations on expanding into your new location! It seems like you are having great success with your new product lines.

Suggestions on where to find information for your opening statement include:

• Google: Search for the business on Google and see what comes up.
• Company website: The business's website is usually the best place to start.
• Manta/Hoovers: If it is a larger business, these are great resources for company information.
• Review sites: Local review sites (for example, Yelp and City Search) can provide good information on businesses.

Content and closing

Transition your focus from the recipient to your own offerings. For example, fill in the blanks in the following statement: We at _________ have also been making news. We've been recognized for __________ In fact, __________.

Now, incorporate the following:

• Create a message that's relevant, and express it uniquely. Remember, your message must stand out from everything else the recipient is hearing.
• Make it clear how your product, customer care policy and economic model are satisfying your current customer's needs, and explain how they can benefit the prospect as well.
• Mention your newsworthiness, press clippings, awards, etc., to increase credibility.
• Make it actionable. Invite your prospect to do something, or tell the prospect to expect an action from you.
• Be concise; frame your value statements succinctly. If you choose to include features, organize them with a short list of bullets.

Next, sum up your message with a strong closing. Think of it as your 30-second sound bite, or what sales veterans refer to as your elevator pitch. Email is an invaluable sales tool. It is more time effective than making phone calls and allows prospects to interact with you on their own schedules. By following these guidelines, you can help empower your email for maximum impact.

Brian Jones is Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Harbortouch, an established payment processing company and an emerging leader in the POS industry. Jones is responsible for managing the recruitment of sales agents for Harbortouch, as well as for overseeing the company's marketing initiatives. If you would like to know more about Harbortouch, contact Brian at bjones@harbortouch.com.

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