Email Persuasion: How to Get Clients to Respond

Email persuasion is a hot topic.

Let’s face it. Just like you, your clients are inundated DAILY with an avalanche of emails. And then it starts all over again. Day in and day out. 

I consistently hear  people ask “How do I get  clients to respond to emails?” or if they do respond, “How can I better results from my email communications?”  

Writing a great email makes the difference between getting a response, getting a meeting and making the sale. Using persuasive words and phrases is certainly a key component. But it’s not enough. Here are a few questions that I turn back to them.

• How intentional are you with writing your emails?
• Are you really clear about what you want?
• Do you appeal to your client’s needs and wants?
• How can you stand out from the rest of the pack and get noticed? 
• What is your strategy to get clients to respond? 
• Do you know how to structure an effective email?

Many people assume they know how to write email so they just do it. They don’t think it through.

 The Canadian Professional Sales Association posted an article 5 Email Mistakes You DON’T Know Are Costing You Sales! Helping people become aware of the importance of effective email communications is a good thing. Pounding out emails without planning and having an intentional strategy just doesn’t cut it anymore.

I was recently planning a focus group with the VP of Sales from one of my client companies. The purpose of the focus group is to begin the process of deconstructing the email habits of her sales team. Armed with this data we can begin the process of mapping out email best practices that are most relevant in their selling world and create templates for the typical communication scenarios they encounter. 

Because she gets copied on many of the emails that are sent to both external clients and internal teams that support sales, my client is well aware of the magnitude of problems that arise from ineffective email habits. Her observations include:

• Inefficiencies with  emails going back and forth 10 times when one effective email could have done the job
• Duplication of effort
• Poor or slow response rates from clients

The repercussions are significant. Frustrations and missed deadlines for the client. Sluggish sales and longer than necessary selling cycles for the sales person.

But what about the impact on everyone’s precious and limited commodity of time?  “Not enough time” is a constant cry that is most certainly heard in all organizations today.  

And what’s the impact on your personal and company brand? Are you and your team positioning yourself as organized professionals that create value for clients or are you adding to their challenges with your ineffective email communications? 

What about how all that affects the level of trust?

Given how much time is spent communicating via email every single day, even small improvements have the potential to provide massive benefits.

Stay tuned for more posts on how to hone your skills on email persuasion. 

I would love to hear from you. What are your challenges with email communications? Leave a comment below.