Contents
Email lists are widely used by companies in every line of business. A sales email provides a customizable link from your customer to your company. Sales emails build on the existing relationship with the customer and can also be used to target new customers.
With a successful email list, you can drive repeat business and new sales to your web site. This article will detail four steps to optimize your email list.
1. The Subject: Convince Your Customer to Open Your Email
The most important thing your sales emails can do is to convince the customer to take action and visit your website, whether to do research on an item or to buy it. If the subject line doesn’t catch the customer’s eye right away, he or she will delete your email and your opportunity will be wasted.
The first task of a sales email is to convince your customer to open it. The first thing a customer sees in his or her email box is the subject line, which should be as appealing as possible.
Using mail merge techniques from your email list server, it’s possible to include the customer’s first name in the subject line. This is an eye-catching technique as long as it’s not overused. The customer may feel pressured if their name is used in the subject line every time you send out an email.
Customers also react positively to announcements of sales and deals. Convincing the customer that the special price or deal is just for them is another good technique to make the customer feel like they are getting personalized service.
It’s also a good idea to include the names of your most popular products or your company’s specialty in the subject line. This will instantly remind the customer what your company sells and make them think about your product.
2. The Body: Keep Their Interest
It’s very important to make sure that your email opens on a phone or tablet and also on a computer without any technical glitches. Customers are turned off by any email which is formatted badly.
Once your customer opens the email, it’s important to keep their attention. Don’t spend too much time on a wordy introduction – in your opening line, welcome your customer and then cut right to the chase and detail the ways your products will enhance the customer’s life or business.
Lead off with any special deals you may be able to offer, and then describe the products that are on sale. Make the products sound as appealing as possible without overselling.
For retail and wholesale sites, it’s also a great idea to use your customer database to list a few of the products your customer most recently bought from you and suggest restocking. For example, if you are a coffee company, let them know how long it has been since the last time they ordered and suggests ordering again.
If you are selling a service to an individual customer or business, include some thought-provoking questions to get them thinking about when they should use your product or service. It’s a good idea to tailor your sales email to their most important needs and goals.
For example, if you are selling carpet cleaning services to a business, emphasize how a clean office makes their business much more appealing to prospective customers and how it will increase their productivity.
If you are promoting a new product or service, get your customer thinking about it and suggest ways the customer can use it to their advantage. If you are selling computers, perhaps you could make a bullet list with the best features of the computer, along with a short section on how upgrading their computers will make their business work faster and more efficiently.
3. Use Graphics and Photos to Accent Your Email
Your customer will be more likely to keep reading your email if it is attractive to the eye. It is a good idea to use photos in your email, but it’s important to be restrained in the use of graphics. A clean and classic look that will open either on a phone or on a computer is best – don’t rely on complicated tables and graphs.
4. The Closing: Connect and Tie it Together
In the closing of your sales email, connect the dots for your customer by suggesting ways they can get in contact with you and take action. Remind your customer about the benefits of using your product and encourage the customer to message or call you with any questions they might have. If your customer has dealt with a specific salesperson, make sure to sign the email from the salesperson and include his or her accurate contact information.
Email marketing can be a huge asset to your business if you do it right. Make sure your customer not only wants to open the email but reads the whole thing without being bogged down. Add the best ways to get in touch with you and take action.
Things to Keep in Mind:
- Make sure your subject line is eye-catching and makes the customer want to open the email
- Keep their interest in the body of the email, also make sure your email is compatible with both mobile and desktop users
- Use graphics and photos to your advantage
- Prepare your customer to take action by contacting you or purchasing a product
