Email isn't dead...you're just using it wrong ??

Email is dead.

It's a phrase used by SO many people who just, quite frankly, have ZERO idea where to get started.

If this is you, this article will help you to get a better grasp on email outreach, where you've gone wrong and how you can take back this potentially money-making channel.

First, though, why are you getting it so wrong?

Broadly speaking, you're likely approaching emails in 1 of 2 ways:

1. Writing an email that is a barely veiled marketing newsletter
2. Writing emails as if you have to get everything into a single email

Let's break that down:

Subject lines that give ZERO reason to open

With email, the subject line is the first thing ANYONE is going to see (other than your name of course)

So it's critical that you get this part right.

Now I'm not saying there is a magic formula but there are simple tools out there that will help to grade your work and give you ideas on subject lines that will work best.

Then, it's up to you to keep testing to find which ones work the best to get your email opened.

Tools you can use:

https://www.omnisend.com/subject-line-tester/

https://coschedule.com/email-subject-line-tester

https://sendcheckit.com/email-subject-line-tester

The biggest thing is testing. What works for one person or segment won't work for another. Try out different subject lines and track what works.

Top tip: Only change 1 thing at a time. This way you'll be able to tell what is and isn't working

Here are 7 key tips for your subject lines:

1. Be Clear and Direct: Your subject line should get to the point quickly. Avoid jargon and ambiguity.
2. Keep it Short: Aim for a subject line that's 50 characters or fewer. This ensures it's easily readable on mobile devices.
3. Be Relevant: The subject line should reflect the content of the email. Misleading subject lines can lead to high unsubscribe rates.
4. Avoid Salesy Language: Words like "Free," "Buy Now," or "Save" can trigger spam filters. Aim for more neutral language.
5. Use Numbers: Like "5 Tips for Better SEO" or "3 Ways to Improve Sales." Numbers make your subject line more digestible and catch the eye.
6. Test and Revise: Use A/B testing to send out variations of your subject line to a small subset of your list, then use the most effective one for the broader audience.
7. Mind Your Tone: Depending on your audience, the tone could be formal, casual, or even humorous. Make sure it matches the overall vibe of the email and the expectations of the recipient.

Focussing the email more on YOU than YOUR PROSPECT

This is a BIGGIE.

I've worked with many clients, and the first thing I notice about their emails is that they are very, VERY self-indulgent.

Typical structure is:

• Who I am
• About my business
• Why I am reaching out
• What my service does or what I offer
• How I can help your business
• Suggestion to book a call

This email structure is VERY focused on you.

It doesn't speak to your prospect's pain or their needs, and it sets the tone that working with you is going to be very much focused on your service rather than their outcomes.

This is what you need to know before sending an email:

• What is the pain you can solve FOR THEM
• What is the benefit going to be FOR THEM
• What outcomes can you get FOR THEM

This doesn't just go for email, but in all of your sales and marketing, really. You need to focus ON THEM.

We'll discuss the length and structure in the next section on:

Writing long emails that no one will want to read

Look, we need to talk about the length of your emails.

I know you have a lot you want to say, and you feel so passionate that what you offer is going to change this person's life

BUT

The average person will take up to 9 seconds to look at an email from someone they don't know.

So you need to catch their attention in this first email, and yes, I said first because you can send more.

The goal of email 1 is to grab attention, gauge interest, and to try and get a response.

After the first email, you can reply with a follow-up with a bit more information.

Remember, the goal isn't to sell to someone from the email itself but to get them interested enough so that you can speak to them.

With the first email, try to show them JUST these 3 things:

• What you can solve/achieve for them
• How you can do this
• A next step or CTA - keep this light - more of an invitation to respond

oh...and also, do this all in under 120 characters

Giving too many choices

Do you want to book a call, or can we have a zoom meeting? If not, I'm happy to just pop over to the office at a time that suits you. Either send over a few times and dates or use the link below, or I can suggest a date if that works better for you.

If you have EVER written something that comes close to this I wouldn't be surprised. Everyone has done it.

It's very easy to think that you are offering them the power to choose.

What you are actually doing is creating decision paralysis where there are too many options (in a rather persistent and pushy manner, might I add), so not making a choice is the easiest one and you end up being ghosted ??

This part will depend on how far into a flow or conversation you are:

Early on, perhaps just let them know you'd love to chat if they have the time

Later into a conversation, it might be appropriate to suggest booking a call (please note that offering a link to book a meeting may not always come across as helpful but still quite focussed on yourself - try asking them for a time that suits FIRST then if you can't agree a time easily, then offer a calendar link to simplify the process)

Remember the KISS rule when it comes to CTA or options in your email:

Keep It Simple Stupid

Don't overthink it.

Offering up objections or reasons to say no

This may sound strange, but people do this WAY too often.

...and it's born out of fear.

Fear that someone might think you are too forward so you try to soften your outreach by pre-emptively heading off objections - but what if they hadn't thought of it yet - you're just introducing them.

Here are 3 common ways you might be doing this:

Cost:

• Saying something like this "We want to make sure that our service is affordable for you, so we are happy to discuss price/rates"
• What you are doing is introducing a focus on price. Making the focus of your service about the price before that is even something that's come up.

Existing Suppliers:

• "Changing suppliers can be a pain, but rest assured, our team specialises in making the transition as smooth as possible, minimising disruptions to your operations."
• This may not be a thought the prospect has yet had, and before you've been able to demonstrate value, you've introduced the idea that changing from their current supplier might cause a further pain

Time Commitment:

• Time is a valuable resource, and the sender often pre-empts concerns about how long it will take to integrate or use the product or service.
• "I know you're extremely busy, and you're probably concerned about how much time you'll need to invest, but our software is designed to get you up and running in less than 10 minutes."
• Again, introducing yet another objection that they might not have considered immediately before you have had a chance to show value.

There are many other ways, such as outright asking in THE FIRST EMAIL if they just don't want to hear from you. Some think that shows confidence or creates urgency, but actually, it just gives an immediate out which 90% of prospects will take.

And in most cases, they will just not respond.

Copy and paste from ChatGPT

Okay, so this one has a few parts to it.

Firstly, ChatGPT is a FANTASTIC tool to be used to aid the work you are doing.

The issue I take with it is that when used in the wrong way, you take all of the humanity out of outreach to prospects and it really bloody shows.

Not a single line of this article uses ChatGPT but I did use it to research a few points, and provide me with some structure.

But I gave it my thinking, and it helped with using the power of AI to refine and form that into something much QUICKER than I could have.

Giving ChatGPT or any other AI tool some info and then getting it to write out an email that you then just copy, paste and send is NOT going to work.

You need to make the email sound like you.

I can spot a ChatGPT email a MILE away, and soon all of your prospects will too.

Keep the human element in your outreach and write them yourself. Just use ChatGPT for support where you can for things like research, structure and ideas.

Okay, ready to take back control of your email outreach?

These tips should give you a good starting point for levelling up your outreach to start getting some better results you can test with.

Remember that this is just part of the wider client acquisition piece.

If you'd like to chat about this crucial aspect of outreach and how you can level up your outbound approach, then get in touch. This is what my business, Born Digital , specialises in. We partner with B2B Service-Based businesses that have a great service and a great team but need a bit of help getting everything optimised and building an outbound client acquisition system that will help them to increase their annual recurring revenue.

Get in touch:

07367644693

[email protected]

weareborndigital.co.uk

Book a call: https://calendar.app.google/psg9wxSMSMHzSX6E6