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| This will offer you helpful tips and tricks on proper e-mail etiquette, how to grab the attention of the recipients, and encourage them to engage in continuous communication creating new business relationships and maintaining old ones. |
- Focus on the customer. A generic e-mail letter that talks about your company’s features and capabilities may mean nothing to your prospect. Focus on the features and benefits that matter to each specific customer. Every e-mail letter you send MUST be personalized with the recipient’s name
- Remove roadblocks. What is the reader’s biggest objection or hot button? Address it head-on. If for example the prospect doubts the quality of your facility or service, lead with a glowing testimonial from a respected name in the industry.
- Write a killer subject line. The subject line can open doors or slam them shut. Subject lines should tell readers what e-mail letters are about before they’re opened.
- Start strong. You only have a few minutes to grab the reader’s attention. Start strong. Make your point in the first few words of the first paragraph.
- Don’t give prospects reasons to doubt your professionalism. Speedy doesn’t mean sloppy. Every e-mail letter you write reflects on you and your company’s professionalism and credibility. Use your Spellchecker and proofread.
- Write as though mom were reading. Don’t write anything you wouldn’t feel comfortable saying in an elevator crowded with customers, colleagues, and competitors.
- Obey the rules of netiquette. No shouting. No flaming. No spamming. Translation: Don’t write in capital letters, don’t send hostile messages, and don’t forward electronic junk mail.
- Don’t use e-mail to deliver bad news. Without the benefit of body language, facial expressions, or intonation, e-mail is no way to deliver bad news. Use the phone to notify a customer of space challenges, potential walk situations, rejection of a credit application, or any other potential challenges that may arise.
- Copy with care. Send carbon copies (CC) and blind carbon copies (BCC) only to people who need to read your message. Carbon recipients aren’t required to reply. So don’t get disappointed when you don’t receive a response.
- Inquire about attachments. Some companies prohibit the opening of attachments. Before attaching a proposal, ask if the customer would prefer to receive it as an attachment or in the field as part of the e-mail letter.
- Resist the urge to CAPITALIZE! The eye is accustomed to reading a mix of upper and lowercase letters. Stick with the standard style. And don’t slap exclamation points onto the end of sentences! Pump up your writing with descriptive language and well-crafted sentences.
- Respond to your customers. When a customer or prospect replies to a message you sent them be sure to reply in a timely and professional manner. Remember they are the customer.
- Qualify with care. When qualifying a new potential customer be sure to make your questions brief and to the point. Try to limit your questions to no more than 5 or 6 qualifying questions. Ask too many questions and the customer may feel overwhelmed and may not respond to your message.
- Account maintenance. Much business can be accomplished through e-mail but when it comes to customer greetings such as thank you notes, holiday greetings, and other personal messages, phone calls and personal notes through the mail have a much bigger impact. Take the time to pick out a good old-fashioned birthday card to send to your customers.
- Prompt a response. Every message you send should prompt a response from your customers. The goal is to create continuous communication between you and your customers. This will help when qualifying as well as take your relationship to the next level.
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