The purpose of an effective email sales pitch is to get your audience to read your message and take action. Unfortunately, most people get inundated with emails each day and only open those they recognize from family members, business associates and vendors, or if something strikes their interest. More people are also reading emails on their smartphones because of their mobility. A recent study revealed that 75 percent of respondents would “very likely” delete emails if they couldn’t read them on their phones, according to Marketing Land. Following are some ways to perfect your sales pitch and increase the readership of your emails.
Use Larger Fonts and Single Columns
Regarding the technical aspects of your email, use no less than a 14pt. font for content and a 22pt. for headings. People are more likely to peruse your sales pitch if its readable. Similarly, use a single column template for your email. It enables readers to zoom or scroll your message to better fit their screens.
Avoid Banal Subject Lines
Many email marketers start their messages with “Read Immediately” or “Got a Quick Question.” These emails are becoming so commonplace that the savvy professional deletes them before reading the ensuing message. Find a common connection between you and your reader and use it as a subject line. For example, say something like, “The File You Requested” or “Follow-up to Last Week’s Meeting.” Ensure the reader that your information is valuable to them. If you’re still unsure of how to start, do a bit of research online and you’re sure to find plenty of help with writing professional emails.
Tailor Your Emails To Client
Never send canned sales messages in emails. Tailor your sales pitch to each prospect, identifying his key needs and the solutions you can provide. This will take a little research to determine what problems or challenges your prospect faces in his industry. Then you can cut to the chase without a lot of fluff and tell the prospective client how you can help them.
Identify Yourself
Be brief but tell the reader who you are before you start promising all the great things you can do for them. Add your name along with your credentials at the bottom. And always include your phone number. Prospects are more likely to respond if they know where to reach you.
Keep Message Informal
Speak to the reader in your email message. Use “you” in your sentences instead of “people” or “they.” Maintain a friendly but businesslike tone, which means avoiding some of the common acronyms like LOL or BFF. Save those for more personal emails.
Keep Message Focused
Your message should flow from point A to point B without jumping around. Discursive writing will only confuse your prospect. Make sure each sentence leads logically into the next one. For example, you may list a couple challenges the client may be facing. But right after listing those problems, explain how your product and service can alleviate those issues.
Stay Brief
An email has a better chance of getting read the shorter it is. Busy people have short attention spans. If you catch their attention with the subject line, make your point in two or three well-crafted paragraphs. Keep those paragraphs limited to two or three sentences. Longer emails can get caught in spam filters, according to business writer and consultant Evan Carmichael.
State Your Purpose
Whether you want to direct a prospect to a landing page, call you or attend an event, make that clear in your email. This is known as your “call to action,” which is the most important element of your sales pitch.
By using these simple techniques, you can expect to increase the response rates to your emails. However, if you are still struggling to craft the perfect email sales pitch, consider taking a course or seminar in negotiations training. These professionals can help you hone your negotiating skills from both your computer and in direct meetings with clients.