Every email you send has the potential to not only reach your audience but drive real, measurable results. Research shows that email is 40 times more effective than social media when it comes to acquiring customers. Whether you’re emailing prospects or long-time clients, your message matters – 59% of email recipients say marketing emails influence their purchase decisions.
Jeff Hoffman, a renowned sales expert and entrepreneur, says your relationship with customers isn’t the sum of one conversation or a few emails. It’s still important, however, to remember when to call and when to email.
In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we share Hoffman’s thoughts on some of the questions you should always avoid asking over email.
“Do you prefer to communicate by phone or email?” Instead of asking, just use both forms of communication. If you’re not sure, a call is usually best. Hoffman says you can get more context when you get the prospect on the phone.
“Can I give you a call?” Hoffman recommends not asking for permission to call. Instead, close for the prospect’s direct number as early as possible. Offer up your contact information as well by saying, “Great. Looks like we’re all set for Tuesday at 9 a.m. My cell number is 123-456-7890. What’s yours?”
“When would you like to reschedule?” When a prospect reschedules, there’s a good chance they’ll need to reschedule again. Instead of replying, Hoffman advises calling and asking about their next availability. Stay flexible but firm on getting a new meeting within a week of the original date.
“Who is the person you cc’d on your last email?” If someone new gets added to an email thread, it’s wise to call and find out why that person is important to the conversation. Otherwise, Hoffman says you could fail to give this new person the information they need or, worse, offend them.
“What did you think of the meeting last week?” Don’t ask this question in an email, Hoffman says, because you’re inviting the prospect to think about what didn’t go well. Your prospect’s opinion shouldn’t impact your performance. It should already be excellent.
“When would you like me to reach out to start this up again?” If a prospect says they need to hold off until next quarter, just say, “Thanks for the update.” If you ask them when to reach out, you’ll need to work on their timeline. Instead, call them when you think it’s right.
Email can come in handy when you don’t want to play phone tag or wait for the right time to call. While it’s great for providing detailed information like pricing or proposals, just make sure you take the right approach by avoiding the questions above.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Jeff Hoffman is a renowned sales executive and entrepreneur who consults with industry leaders on the topics of sales, sales management and sales operations.
