2 Keys to keeping engagement after your email has been opened!

I recently received a marketing email from a list vendor.

And while the email was formatted poorly (text ran off the screen, guessing someone copied and pasted the message from somewhere else keeping the old format) the marketing message was one I would read.

It addressed "keeping accurate up-to-date prospecting...." etc., something we do and utilize in marketing our business and products.

The email indicated an ability to get a state list with some numerical data on the different types of lists.

We were putting together another campaign soon so I thought I'd respond back to see what and how much a list might cost.

We use several vendors, and usually get a good deal because we buy frequently and because of the size we buy, but it's never a bad idea to compare what is in the marketplace and when you tell a vendor you’re using that you are shopping around they sometimes will cut a deal or at the least become a little more attentive.?

Now before I show you what my response was, I want to say one of the things we do is provide sales, marketing, and leadership training to companies and sales distributions.

In the sales training, when we discuss building the business plan with the salesperson, we cover what a "qualified prospect" is so the salesperson spends their time with those who are more likely to buy now while developing an activity plan for follow-up and those who could be future clients.

Salespeople must make money today to pay their bills however they also have to eat next quarter or next year so being able to determine what type of prospect you are working with, so you know where to spend your time, is crucial to building a successful sales career.?

They recognize a problem exists.

They are motivated to solve this problem.

They feel your product/service will solve their problem.

They can qualify for your product or service.

They have the money to purchase your product/service.

They are willing to spend money to purchase your product/service to solve their problem.

They are willing to spend this money to purchase your product/service TODAY!

Now I might not fall into all these categories but for a blind email marketing approach my response, at least to me, provided an indication that –

I have a problem (need a list to market to),

I am motivated to solve this problem (ask for price and breakdown),

it appeared their service might be a fit which is why I am asking "buying" questions,

they don't know if I can quality (have the money or authority to buy) but that may be what they can use to close me with a tie-down question,

we are asking because we have spent this money before and the fact I’m asking could be inferred that we have the money to spend again, that we are willing to spend this money on their product and if the numbers and cost I get back are a fit then we would spend it today to solve the problem.

So, to me my response would seem to indicate I am a "qualified prospect", here's my response (I'm changing the name of the person)

"Beth for a list with email addresses in Ga, Tx, NC, Mo, Ia, Nv, NY and Fl what would it cost, and a breakdown by state? Thanks"

How do you see this response,

I’m specifying what I want.

an email list,

I’m specifying what states I want this email list from, and

I’m asking for a state-by-state breakdown, of how many are on the list in each state.

Seems like a specific question and I'm not sure you could get a better buying signal from someone.

What response do you think I got, what response would?you provide?

Would you send a breakdown by state, then give me a total for all the states while indicating you can provide a price for specific states if I didn't need or want to spend the money on all the states I listed?

Would?you provide a payment link or send the requested information and ask to have a call to discuss what we would be emailing??

Well, here's what I got back; I'm only providing part of the list but here's what I got back:

"Hi, Lloyd,

What license type are you looking for (L&H, P&C or Reg. Rep?)?

I have a quick count for all independent L&H agents and Health Select that I can share with you, otherwise I’ll need to run some new counts for you.?Let me know!?

???????????Life/Health???????????????????Health Select

State????Data????????wEmail?????????????Data????wEmail

AK???????838???????????????476??????????????????1????????????1

AL???????13144???????????5124????????????????1025????519

Total????1026656??????438967?????????131475??61275"

The person sent me a breakdown for all 50 states

(I only showed the first two here with the total at the bottom of the list she sent).

Aside from the question about license type, while relevant to her it was not to me, is this what I ask for?

I ask for the email list, she provided with and without email,

I ask for specific states she provided for the entire country.

I ask for the count for the states I ask for she provided count for the entire country.

Then she ended the email with "Best"

Here's my take.

What a waste of my time.

I didn’t ask for every state, nor did I ask for a list without email addresses.

I'm not interested in the licensing breakdown, although I understand her providing that.

I don't care what the count is for the whole country.

I have a specific project I am working on with specific criteria and that's why I made the request I made.

What would you have sent, was her response about me or about the information she wanted to send me?

Was she concerned about –

getting it wrong,

providing enough information,

providing the information, I ask for or

providing the information, she wanted me to have?

I thought OK I'll give it one more try, and sent this response:

"So, for the states, I listed what would be the L&H email list run?"

I wanted the count for an entire state but since she broke it down by license type, I'll see what a specific type would be.

I might have bought the whole list but since the type was brought up let's see what the breakdown was.

At this point, I am not confident I’ll get the information I wanted since my first request seemed specific and she couldn’t or wouldn’t provide it.

I'm busy with several projects, and getting a list from a new vendor was not on my radar, but when it came into my view, I thought I would get a quick number.

If in line with what we were doing no harm in having another vendor to fall back on, who knows right?

That was my thinking.

Here's what I got back:

"Hi Lloyd,

Alright, great – I’m glad you were looking for L&H agents as we didn't have to wait for new count, I already had them to hand.?

To order all email records for a one-year unlimited use for 177,101 emails the cost is:$*,***.**

To do a one-time email blast to all 177,101 records, the cost is: $*,***.**?

If you pre-pay for 4 or more email blasts, you get 10% discounts on all email blasts.

If you pre-pay for 8 or more email blasts, you get a 15% discount on all email blasts.?

Email blast pricing does not include artwork.?

New artwork from scratch is $200.00.?

Changing existing artwork is $100.00.?Basic Landing page is $100.00 Custom landing page needs to be quoted.?

Best,"

I removed the cost she provided.

Let me go back to the beginning, I received an unsolicited email marketing piece from a company that provides lists and other services.

I ask for a specific list (email) in specific states with a count by state and cost.

Now I'm looking at –

one-time blast,

pre-pay for 4 or more,

pre-pay for 8 or more,

email blast and

artwork,

new artwork,

landing pages,

custom landing pages need to be quoted..........

WOW.

I thought my first response was pretty good -

"Beth for a list with

email addresses in

Ga, Tx, NC, Mo, Ia, Nv, NY and Fl

what would it cost and

a breakdown by state.

Thanks"

I didn't get back what I asked for, so I responded again, trying to be more specific and what I got back, to me, was a reason to not make a buying decision.

We do our own email blast, utilizing an in-house process and our own vendors, I just wanted the list.?

The biggest "objection" salespeople tell me they get all the time is-

?"I want to think about it"

and I always tell them the reason you hear this, in most presentations, is you gave them something to think about!?

I already have vendors I work with, I'm not unhappy with them, I ask a question, they provide the requested information, and I buy.

My 2 keys to keeping engagement after your email marketing is open are:

1. People talk from their frame of reference and people hear from their frame of reference, answer the question they ask, and don't just provide the information you want them to have.

2. It's OK for people to buy for their reason, they don't have to buy for your reason.?

Listen I appreciate –

up-selling,

packaging products and services together,

bundle pricing,

But to do this you have to first have a prospect, get the buying commitment, provide a simple way for the prospect to buy then let them know the other choices available.

I believe I met all the requirements of a qualified prospect, I'm not sure this person recognized that.

When I did not respond to her last email, she has now left me two voice messages.

Like a lot of salespeople, it felt like she was more concerned about her "pitch" and options than what I wanted to buy.

I wish her luck, but I've moved on.

What do your prospects "hear" when they see your message?

Would you have done anything differently?