10 Ways to Screw Up Prospecting Emails

The number of bad emails salespeople are sending never ceases to amaze me. I've started to call out some of these people and I am building a file I will begin posting shortly of the worst of the worst.

My goal is to not gloat in the number of bad emails, but rather to help do away with them. To help everyone, here are 10 ways I see people screwing up prospecting emails:

1. Thinking you can copy verbatim what you see other salespeople doing.

Every situation is different. It's a big mistake to think just because it worked for someone else it will work for you. My solution? Test something in a small amount before thinking you can scale.

2. Pulling an email out of the file that worked great a year ago.

Wow, it's amazing how quickly things change, but your email that might have seen cutting edge a year ago may very well be stale bread today.

3. Trying to be cute and funny, thinking you'll stand out.

I'm seeing way too many of these, and six months ago it might have caught my attention. Today it screams copy cat.

4. Including personal pictures to stand out.

What you might think as being unique others may very well see as creepy. Sure, it might get some people to respond, but remember that you wind up with the type of customers you prospect.

5. Feeling the need to include your life story.

I got one of these yesterday. I could care less what the person has done. To me it screams "narcissist" and is certainly not a person I would ever want to do business with.

6. Sending me the note that says "we're starting in 10 minutes" or some other line that says immediate action is needed.

The Internet "get rich quick" kids are notorious for this, and the sad comment is I see others picking up the bad habit.

7. Sending the "are you ignoring me" email.

Look stupid, I am ignoring you because you don’t have anything that interests me. Quit playing the games you played in middle school. It's time to grow up!

8. Sending multiple emails in the same day.

Are you serious? Just last week I received not one, but multiple emails on the same day, from salespeople trying to get me to engage.

9. Using my name at the start of the email, but misspelling it.

Remember, garbage in, garbage out. If you enter a name into your system wrong, it's going to come out wrong.

10. Finally, the one that takes the cake is the email you keep getting from the same person asking the question, “Have you seen this yet?"

It blows my mind the number of salespeople who send the same email time and time again and at the top write something lame like, "Have you seen this yet?"

There they are, the 10 worst ones. I hope you're not doing any of them. I do know with a few of the ones I listed I'm calling out some of the more brazen people out there. I'm sure you'll take issue with me. I'm fine with it. I have thick skin.

My rule is simple: Prospect with integrity and you will get customers who have integrity.

If you have not bought my new book, High-Profit Prospecting, I suggest you do. It's full of great ideas on how to prospect using email and other tools.

Copyright 2016, Mark Hunter "The Sales Hunter." Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Selling: Win the Sale Without Compromising on Price and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.