ENEWS > SPRING 2008

Your Business in Mind
How to Write Effective Follow-Up E-Mail that Sells

Building customer or prospect relationships through e-mail is not the same as writing a business letter. Because the Internet began as a way for people to communicate with each other, e-mail is expected to be conversational, concise, and genuine. When done right, it can be a very successful way of building relationships and selling your products.

Here are five tips to writing an effective follow-up marketing e-mail:

• The most important – and most difficult part of any e-mail is the subject line (you can’t sell them anything if they don’t open the e-mail). Make it catchy and to-the-point. Keep it 40 characters or less if possible so it can be read without opening the e-mail (test it by sending it to yourself). Your relationship with the person will determine the best approach. If you’ve met them, make it personal. If you are following up on a lead, a compelling offer makes a good subject line. Asking a question that addresses the pain point/benefit can be effective as well.
• Make the connection in the first paragraph – that may be the only paragraph they “screen” through the preview pane. Tell them why you are sending them an e-mail – with emphasis on how it benefits them. Discounts or special offers with a firm expiration date work well in grabbing attention and prompting action. If appropriate for your business, online coupons are a sure-fire way of getting the customer/prospect to open the e-mail and try something new.
• Since people tend to skim e-mail after the first paragraph, short and/or bulleted paragraphs work best, with “active voice” headings throughout that sum up the benefits of your offer or your product/service. As a general rule, do not write beyond one screen length so people do not have to scroll down (they may give up).
• Be conversational, genuine, real. Establish a rapport. Be interesting and not overly technical. Know your audience and their challenges. Ask yourself: is this relevant to my audience? Have I made it compelling enough to read all the way through, then take action?

If you don’t remember anything else, remember this: Get their attention, give them a compelling offer, and get out quickly.

Note: This brief article does not cover the legal aspects of sending e-mail to a mailing list. However, you should familiarize yourself with guidelines regarding SPAM, opt-ins and opt-outs, etc.

Sources: “Net Words: Creating High-Impact Online Copy,” by Nick Usborne, “Effective E-Mail Marketing, A Complete Guide to Creating Successful Campaigns,” by Herschell Gordon Lewis; and a Direct Marketing Association Seminar “Comprehensive E-mail Marketing Strategies,” by Karen Talavera.

Joyce Ethridge
Sage Software

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