Friday, December 19, 2008

How to Write an Introductory E-mail That Doesn't Get Deleted

Sales trainer Steve Martinez recently relayed a story of bad introductory emails and gave some advice to make sure you don't commit the same offense. Read on to make sure your email is read, and not sent directly to the trashcan!

"Today I received an introductory email from a company that wanted to tell me how great they are and why they want to do business with me. There were about 232 words in the message. I know, because I counted them. Plus, I had to read the message four times to get the gist of what the author wanted me to know."

We are all busy and when you write a business letter or an email, here are a few tips:

--Make the letter personal and use first and last names instead of being formal like you are talking to my father. I don't really like being referred to as Mr. Martinez. When you do this, it makes me feel old and puts me off right away.

--Remember, if you want someone's attention, we are a society that is "ME" centered. This means that it isn't about you - we don't care how great you or your company is. Tell us how your service will impact us and maybe we will take a shine to what you offer.

--Close with an incentive or a call to action that gets us excited to consider doing business with you. If you want us to do something, spell it out clearly and if there is a time frame for action, make that clear too.

--Add a picture and logo to your message to help us remember you. We are only human and it really helps to put a name to a face because we will remember a face or a logo better than the words you write.

When writing a letter or an email, try to write it as a friend to a friend. Keeping your message simple and short is also important.

Steve Martinez is a leading authority on automating and systemizing the selling process. His company, Selling Magic, LLC teaches businesses how to simplify, balance and automate the complex selling process. Learn more at www.sellingmagic.com

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