Shiny, Red Object
Rob Sharkey
Breaker of Hiring Barriers, Commander of Culture, the Unburdened (of subjectivity)
Call it a Smoking Gun or a rare Absolute Indication - we all have one.
My Own Irony
I spend my day selling Ecommerce Marketing Automation software that I truly believe is a cut above the rest. I find it to be a rewarding experience, love my customers, my company and the culture of sales. During my day of calls, texts, emails, messages, web searches, coffees, pacing, chatting and selling I can point to times where I hunt for it too. My perception of that Shiny Red Object as a Master Key to unlock all things inside peddling my wares to make every prospect proclaim "YES! I need what you've got."
I wake up from my daily dream session and realize it's not there to be had - a Grail Quest. Reality sets in and I know in my world of sales there is no substitute for the grind, deep knowledge and my finely sharpened, professional selling skills gained from years of experience. Additionally, coming down from the clouds, I remember that all the while I'm preaching to my prospective clients that the same metaphorical chalice in the email world only exists in fantasy.
The Pitch
I understand the impulse to run toward the haloed promise and temptation of Shiny Red Objects in the Email World. I can tell you from my experience working with retailers that there is no surrogate for the ordinary and a laser-focus on table stakes. The drive to perfect what can be perfected in simple (but robust and well-planned) email strategies for Ecommerce as in Cart Recovery, Welcome Series, Post, Lapsed and Transactional Emails can pay dividends - extraordinary dividends. These unique sales engagements are your first and last impressions to leave with clients and are far too often overlooked for industry buzz-words.
The Call to Action
There's room for the Shiny Red Object in your Ecommerce stack, I wouldn't deny many of their capabilities. The advice I would offer is to spend time understanding your own email program in the most granular way or work with someone who does, even if it's not my team, prior to deciding to invest in something you may not be ready for yet.
There's one thing about perfecting and understanding the traditional features of a well-balanced email program that is sexy... Revenue.
Where do you get the most revenue in your Ecommerce Marketing Stack?