Tweet

How to Write Winning Emails

Guest post by: Mike Brooks

Article Overview: Follow these six email secrets the next time you write and send an email, and you'll be on your way to the kind of response you used to get - and the kind that will lead to more business.

How to Write Winning Emails

I don't know about you, but my email open rate is going the way of voicemails - rarely listened to, and quickly deleted. What I've found, however, is that there are some techniques that can give you the best chance of getting your emails read and even responded to, but you have to be very specific in the way you construct them. Follow these six email secrets the next time you write and send an email, and you'll be on your way to the kind of response you used to get - and the kind that will lead to more business:

Email Secret #1: Use the prospect's first name in the subject line. Think about it: what is everyone's favorite word? Their first name! Have you ever been in public before and heard someone call out your name? You automatically turned around and were receptive and ready to respond until you saw they were calling someone they knew.

You can get your prospect's attention the same way by putting their name in the subject line of your emails. To start with, doing so will distinguish your email from the hundreds of others your prospect gets, and because we are all drawn to our own name, it will draw your prospect's eyes to your email like a magnet. This is the very best way to get their attention and a great way to get them to read more.

Email Secret #2: Customize the first few lines of your email as much as possible. Many people preview their emails by reading the first few sentences in their email program before deciding to read the whole thing, so concentrate on writing a short and value laden opening that is addressed right to them. Something like:

"Hi Barbara, Mike Brooks here with HMS software. I've got some ideas about your networking issues for your new office that's opening in Houston next month. I think you'll find it useful if we talk."

Again, keep it short, customize it to what you know they're interested in and provide immediate, specific value to them. Email Secret #3: Keep your email short and easy to read! Nothing will turn your prospect off more than long, information packed paragraphs. Their eyes will glaze over and they will hit the delete key faster than it took you to hit the send key!

Don't let any of your paragraphs be more than three sentences, and if possible, make them just two sentences. Recap the major ideas in short phrases, and make sure to engage your prospect by asking questions. An example would be:

"Hi John, I was wondering if you were still having trouble recouping all the available cash from your current collection program? If so, you'll want to speak with me about our new itemized IT solution.

I've got some time next Tuesday or would later in the week work for you? Please let me know either way. You can see more info here (your website address).

If I don't hear from you, I'll follow up with a call next week."

Email Secret #4: Ask for a return response - whether they are interested or not. This is a great way to end your email and a good way to get a response. Just think about how nice it will be to finally take someone off your list who isn't going to do business with you, and also how great it will be to find someone who is!

Simply thank them in advance for their consideration and let them know that you're looking forward to their response on this - either a yes or a no.

Email Secret #5: Promise to follow up by phone if they don't respond. Let them know that you understand they are busy, and that if you don't hear from them, then you'll follow up with a call in a day or two.

This really increases your response rate and you can be happy when you get a "not interested" response. These prospects just disqualified themselves and saved you a lot of time and energy!

On the other hand, there will be others who don't respond and they become your follow up leads.

Email Secret #6: Proof read your emails before you hit the send key. Because your prospect can't see you, they only have your writing sample to judge you on, and if it's filled with misspellings and poor grammar, what kind of impression do you think this makes?

It only takes a minute to proof read your emails, and I'll tell you now I'm always glad I did. I almost always make them better, and when I hit the send key I know I've sent out the best message possible. Doing so allows me to make the best impression, and this once again separates me from my competition.

So there you have the six secrets to writing effective emails. Believe me, following them will give you the best chance of getting through to decision makers and getting responses that will give you an understanding of where you stand. That's a whole lot better than chasing and wondering, isn't it?

Related Articles
  Should You Use Long Or Short Email Copy In Your Sales Communications?
  Writing Emails to Your Customers - 6 Important Tips
  How writing sales prospecting emails and negotiation emails is different
  Email Inbox Management - Read it Backwards!
  Pre-written emails to the rescue
  Tips for Writing Effective Emails That Get Results for Your Online Business
  FREE isnt what it used to be
  Stress-Free Selling® - How to Make it About Them
  Hosting Service Providers in India: Ways to Solve Outgoing Spam Problem
  How To Write A Good Tender To Win Business
  Tendering For New Business The Easier Way
  The Soul of Wit
  Winning Business the Right Way
  How Tender Writing Services Win You That Bid
  How To Guarantee Success In A Internet Marketing Opportunity! ~3 SIMPLE STEPS
  How to Win More Sales
  Secrets of Email
  Article Writing 101 - Basics You Must Have
  Internet Marketing: Swipe! Create the Ultimate Swipe File
  Sales Proposals Kit for Dummies

Article Tags: closing sales, closing scripts, closing techniques, cold calling, inside sales, overcoming objections, phone sales, phone sales scripts, phone script, phone scripts, phone scripts examples, prospecting, telephone scripts, telesales



Related Forum Posts
Re: Quote of the Day - "Have the courage to follow your heart an - [quote="GT Bulmer":102twzd2]Hi, Evan: I haven't yet managed to capitalize on the longings of my heart as successfully as Jobs did[/quote:102twzd2] Hi GT - I woke up thinking about this post and I have a challenge for you for May if you're up to it. Here it is: Write the blog post / article you were born to write. Write something that you can pour your heart and all your passion into. Write something where you can change the life of the person reading it. Write something where if you look back in 10 years you'll be really proud of what you created. Can you do that? I'd love to read it (and I bet a lot of others will too!)
Re: Awesome Resource: Instapaper - So far the only thing I use the filters for is to send all the safelist emails I get to a folder. It currently has over 386,000 emails in it. This is a really good tip though. I need to start utilizing it. Emails eat up too much of my time right now.
Re: Awesome Resource: Instapaper - [quote="billgelwick":3jk3d6mn]This is a really good tip though. I need to start utilizing it. Emails eat up too much of my time right now.[/quote:3jk3d6mn] It's probably the biggest single productivity issue for most entrepreneurs!
Elevator Pitch in 10 Words - "Winning Business Design For Aspiring Entrepreneurs Based On Their Idea"
Re: Do Articles For Businesswomen need to be written differently - I don't think that as a general rule an article [i:11csddi3]needs[/i:11csddi3] to be written "for women." In my opinion, the two important writing rules are: 1) Write for your targeted audience. If it happens to be predominantly women or predominantly men, then write accordingly (if you have the ability to make that distinction in your writing). 2) Write in your own voice. Be natural. If you are a serious writer, your style will become apparent over time and you will develop a following. It may happen that your style is more attractive to one sex or the other. If so, you may be able to advance your writing career by further cultivating your sensitivity within that style. Bottom line: I do believe that certain styles appeal to women, certain styles appeal to men and if you know the distinction, have the ability to write in a particular style and choose to target one sex or the other, then go for it. But I don't think that it is a necessity in today's market. GT :-]


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Resistance to Change and How to Deal With It

Starting A Set of Books

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.