1 Email Trick For Great Response Rates
I get a lot cold emails from people I don’t know. Most of them are the familiar boring, generic intros and requests – and most of them get ignored.
So what gets me to respond?
Someone who’s taken the time to make their email a little interesting. Perhaps from someone who uses Spiro, which has built in awesome email templates to help get you started.
One day I got a cold email from a salesperson whom I didn’t know. I would have been hesitant to reply back, if it weren’t for his unique approach.
He sent me an email about drones. If you don’t know, I’m REALLY into drones. I fly them all around Boston and made some cool videos of the city you can see here.
He didn’t even ask about security or whatever he was selling. He just ended by saying, ‘by the way, I’m with a technology firm, we should talk.’
It ended up in a meeting.
There’s an easy way to get the kind of responses that lead to better conversations: send relevant content.
Muse blogger Lily Herman wrote that she got an 85 percent response rate by using this approach:
In the following (fictional) email we’re following up with Sir Richard Branson on the purchase of a mega yacht.
We did a little research and found out his favorite band is The Sex Pistols, another search showed that Sex Pistols member Steve Jones is coming back on the air with his radio show after 7 years of silence. Perfect!
The “format” goes something like this:
Hi Richard,
I heard you recently purchased another private island, congratulations!
When we last spoke, you were interested in RM Elegant. I’d love to see her as part of your fleet and she’s just been upgraded with numerous yachting touches.
Also, I saw in Billboard that Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols is bringing his radio show back on the air in LA. Will you be listening on one of your trips to the left coast?
-Adam
The reason behind these great results, Herman says, is that people feel like you’re investing in them and want to return the favor.
Sound familiar? That’s because we’ve talked about it before. It’s called the Reciprocity Principle.
The reciprocity principle is crucial in social selling, because it hinges on the way humans think about their relationships with other people. You can read more about it in our post here.
Where Do I Get Good Content to Send?
In my point of view there are three sources of content that are relevant and accessible to salespeople that they need to take advantage of.
1. Your Company’s Blog
The odds are there is problem a prospect has that’s relevant to the blog that you guys just posted.
If you’re selling software, for example, did your communications department just run a helpful how-to that would be of interest? The info is right there, wrapped up in a bow, for you to send to your prospect.
2. Other People’s Blogs
I wouldn’t send along the blog of a direct competitor, but we’re all in the same field here, right? If I come along an interesting blog from thought leaders like Jim Keenan or Andy Paul, I’ll send it out! At the end of my email I’ll put a simple call to action.
3. News About Companies Like or Near Them
Lets say you have a prospect and just closed a deal with a hospital nearby, send them a quick note and let them know. Companies always want to know what’s going on with businesses that or like them, especially like them AND near them.
Spiro’s email templates can make writing emails with great content quick and easy. Use from our most effective and proven, then personalize – double perfection. Download Spiro now for your mobile device or try out our Chrome extension.
Photo courtesy of www.wired.co.uk.
