Why You Should Stop Personalizing Your Sales Emails

I currently have over 1,000 unopened emails. And that’s after deleting a few hundred. Chances are, you also get dozens, if not hundreds, of unwanted emails from companies urging you to buy their products. And yeah… it can be frustrating. How can salespeople for small businesses avoid spamming people while still using email as a means of communication? In this blog, we will discuss several strategies for crafting an effective email marketing campaign.

Stop sending mass emails.

We all know it, but it can be hard to admit when it’s the easiest option. Sending out mass emails to hundreds of prospects with the same generic text isn’t very effective. While you may get some leads leads, most prospects won’t open the email, and if they do, it usually seems too generic for them to take action on it. While mass emails may have worked previously, people today desire a more customized approach to marketing.

Personalization doesn’t work.

Many companies have tried to personalize their mass emails by adding a name to the greeting. Instead of a generic “Hi there,” most companies today send emails personalized to you (e.g. “Hi Tom”). While this is certainly better than an impersonal email and you’re still getting your brand name in front of your prospect, most people can see through it. Remember, conversion rate is what matters most to you.

Today’s customers don’t just want personalized marketing; they want tailored marketing. Your email marketing campaign should first and foremost honors your prospect. If your prospect feels like they can trust you, they may reach out. That’s the goal.

Crafting an email that honors your prospect

First and foremost, you want to stand out to your prospect among all the noise in today’s market. They are being bombarded with hundreds of emails and you’re asking them to take the time to read yours. Make it worth it!

Here are a few tips to crafting an effective email that honors your prospect and stands out among the noise.

1. Create an interesting subject line.

The subject line of your email is the first thing your prospect will see. Some subject lines just won’t cut it. Here are some examples of bad subject lines. Your goal should be to make the subject line interesting to your prospect (that means it should be relevant!). Make them want to open your email. Just be careful not make it click-baity.

2. Personalize the greeting.

While only personalizing the greeting probably won’t make much of a difference, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. Personalizing the greeting of your email is important.

3. Personalize the email body.

When your prospect opens and hopefully reads your email, they should know immediately why you chose to reach out to them. The best way to do this is to personalize the body of the email. Perhaps mention something you saw them do like give a presentation at a local business meeting, etc. Something that is unique to the prospect should appear in the first paragraph. Secondly, connect their expertise with your own. Explain why you are reaching out to them. Finally, initiate the follow-up by providing a specific timeframe you would be available to talk to them about it. You shouldn’t put all the pressure on them to reach out. They should feel as if they are responding to you.

4. Keep it brief.

Careful not to drag your email on too long. You can explain all the details of what you are offering when you speak in-person. Keep it succinct and focused.

Implementing these changes will probably mean you have to be more deliberate about who you market to. You’ll have to choose which prospects you want to target. But the pay-off may well be worth it. Give these email marketing tips a try, and hopefully the prospects will start turning into customers.