Getting someone to listen to your email - Part 2
Email is a tool that seldom delivers a direct sale in the world of B2B communication. Email is a tool more suited to moving clients through the sales process. It's important to grab your audience's attention, deliver them the critical information and then complete the message with an incentive or call-to-action. Don't forget to include a link to additional information on the web either in the message or at the end of your email.
The most critical part of your email message may not be the message at all but the subject line. Remember that the people on your list may be receiving 30, or 130, emails each day. Just like traditional direct mail, the first hurdle in email communications is enticing people to open your message.
In paper-based direct mail, the subject line equivalent would be the teaser copy on the envelope or 3D mail piece. Just like a successful teaser, a successful subject line can stop your email from joining the dozens of emails that wind up in the 'deleted' folder, unread.
One technique is to place your client or prospect's name in the subject line. It gets attention, but today that may not be quite enough because some spammers have already got in on the act and the smart ones are merging names into subject lines too.
Regardless of whether you elect to personalise the subject line or to simply use some good headline, try to limit it to no more than six words. Yes, you need to be attractive, engaging, stimulating and enticing in less than six words. If you go longer than six words it is highly likely some words will be truncated on the header summary most email readers display. It's entirely possible the whole meaning of your carefully crafted subject line will be lost.
Now that your recipient has opened your email, time is of the essence. You have just moments to engage them before they delete your message. Keep your email as short as possible. If you haven't captured your reader's attention in the first few sentences, you can forget them scrolling down. Yet another similarity to a good direct mail letter.
So in summary, remember to restrict your copy to your core messages and a have a link to more information. Think of email as a communication tool to move interested clients toward action. Your email should motivate prospective clients to chase additional information.
Lastly, always give readers the opportunity to remove themselves from your mailing list. This is called an 'opt out' and is mandatory under the Australian Spam Act ... but it's also good practice.
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