Are you sending emails to many potential customers, but your response rate is (desperately) low? Following some basic tips will help you write emails that will be answered.
Considering the new reality of mass teleworking, the mode of communication by email is more important than ever. In this troubled environment, inboxes are at risk of being used more than ever. Here are some tips to stand out.
1. Personalize the subject line
To open the message, the recipient must be interested in its content. A good idea is to mention the name of the contact person (ideally) or the company in the subject line of the message. For example, “Proposal for Mr. X, CEO of XX”. But be careful not to overdo it: exclamation marks or lots of capital letters, as well as titles that are too long, should be avoided.
2. Go straight to the point
Unsolicited emails rarely attract attention. The first lines of the message must therefore be relevant and respond to a need. After giving your name, talk about a problem that directly concerns the recipient and for which you have a solution.
3. Be succinct
There’s no need to go into detail. The purpose of the message is to hook the reader and lead to a more detailed second contact. With this in mind, write paragraphs of at most three sentences and try to limit yourself to two paragraphs. In addition, while keeping a professional tone, it can be helpful to pique curiosity with a play on words, a striking statistic or a question.
4. Ask for a response
At the end of your email, let the recipient know that you would like a response from them, whether
positive or negative. You will know what to expect and avoid unnecessary reminders. You may also want to take the opportunity to ask if the person prefers a telephone follow-up. In general, including a question at the end of the message encourages the person receiving it to answer.
5. Avoid mistakes!
It’s well known that a message that is poorly structured or riddled with mistakes (or that contains only one, let’s face it!) can cool the most interested of customers. The quality of the writing is your first impression, and mistakes hinder the impression of professionalism. Take the time to proofread, and better yet, use correction software.