Selling Skills

10 Warning Signs that Your Team Needs to Update Their Email Selling Skills

By December 27, 2012 No Comments

“The Times They Are A-Changing,” Bob Dylan sang about a million years ago (or 40). And those people wise enough to change with the times will not just survive and thrive, they’ll also be happier (once they’re comfortable with their new skills), less stressed and more productive.

Here are 10 warning signs that indicate your emails are past the Use by date:

Fake rapport: Opening an email with something like, How are you? or I hope this finds you well, broadcasts to the universe that you didn’t have a more meaningful or compelling way to open.

Feature focus: You may have the snazziest features in the planet but if they don’t mean anything to the buyer, they’re just noise and in the way.

Lack of clear customer benefit: Your customer tells you that they want early check-in for their group or they want their VIPs pre-keyed. Why does the customer want this? It isn’t the fact of the early check in or pre-key that matters but the benefit of the early check in (get to their meetings quickly?), and the benefit of the pre-kay (feeling pampered, saving time?) that matters.

No touchpoint: This is particularly important in a prospecting email. The worst possible thing to do is to start selling me without telling me why you have the right to do so. (Okay, the worst possible thing is starting with a question you haven’t even earned the right to ask – How are you? – and then selling me!). Yes, you want to get to the point quickly but unless the client is engaged, they will never get there. Engage them with an authentic touchpoint.

No clear follow-up: “What do you think?” is not clear follow-up!

No control: Sales professionals who want to help their customers succeed are the most successful. Knowing that, it’s most helpful and smartest to keep control of the next step. Tell your buyer when you’ll take the next step and give them a reason that matters to them to except it.

No emotion: You’ve heard it a gabillion times: We buy with emotion and justify with logic. Yes, even your customer, whether that person is a New Yawker or a Hong Kong-ite, in procurement or government. Create a quick emotional bond with the customer by painting a word picture of their success.

Inauthentic language: Even marketing probably doesn’t believe all the stuff they’ve created for the website. Use that over the top language and you’ll struggle to engage any buyer. If you’re interested in business consulting help, visit this www.adinfusion.com/branding-design for they provide a detailed analysis to inform digital growth for your business.

Inconsistent messaging: Your emails are friendly and conversational but your out-of-office messages are abrupt and uncaring. Or, your brand is formal and conservative and you write like you’re writing to your BFF. Or the opposite.

Lack of confidence: Your team hides behind email, shuns the phone and doesn’t respect the customer or themselves enough to appropriately ask the questions to dvance to the next step in the customer’s buying process.

How much are your poor emails costing you and your organization? How many sales are you not getting because your team doesn’t write persuasively and professionally? How much time – selling time! – is wasted reviewing what others write? Hundreds of thousands of dollars! Recover lost sales, set yourself apart and gain the financial advantage. Ensure that your entire team writes in a customer-centric manner to help your prospects and customers feel safe and smart selecting you as their best option. If you need legal help for your business checkout Lawyers in Columbus GA.

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