You do have a sales process, right? Being a fan of winging it is all well and good in the early days, but with a sales process, sales become more consistent and reliable – and that’s a good thing.
A sales process works best when there are several points of contact, but one of the most critical is email. Your emails are the cornerstones of both sales and customer relations, but how do you build them into a process?
Let me tell you!
Why Email Suits Sales
“Emails are the cornerstones of sales” – Yes, I just said that because it’s true. A cornerstone is the part everything else is built from, the bit of the structure that holds it all up. Many of your sales should be built from emails.
Let’s take a look at why:
- Easy - Emails are easy. You can create many emails that are quick to write and then adapt them as needed and schedule them for effortless delivery.
- Direct - Emails get to the people who matter and don’t rely on any luck or saturation.
- Personalised - Emails can be tailored precisely to suit the reader, making you a familiar voice and increasing the likelihood that your message is heard.
- Low-Cost and High Return - Emails are very cheap to produce and send, and the return on this investment is impressive.
- Convenient - Emails aren’t just convenient for you with their easy automation that means sales emails can be sent while you’re busy doing other work, but they’re also relaxing for the recipient, with no pressure to respond and without cutting into what they’re currently doing.
- Trackable - Emails come with a wealth of statistics and data. You can see what’s working, what are not, and where your customers are in their sales journey.
Once you have a good email process going, the rest of marketing can follow – the very essence of a cornerstone.
Understanding The Sales Process
So, what’s in a sales process, and what do we mean by it? Well, the typical stages of a sales process go something like this:
- Prospecting - This is where you find potential customers.
- Qualifying - When you determine if they’re a good fit (don’t waste time on customers that are not for you!).
- Nurturing - A period of building relationships and providing value so they know you’re there for them.
- Closing - Asking for the sale and finalising the deal.
Each of these stages plays a role in moving your prospect closer to a purchase.
Working Email Into Your Sales Process
Where do the emails come into it? Oh… they’re everywhere!
- Introductory emails - Right from the off, you’re using emails to make a strong first impression, spark their interest and, if it’s business relevant, request a meeting.
- Follow-up emails - Checking in on nurturing your leads with valuable content, addressing their concerns and scheduling follow-up calls or further meetings.
- Proposal emails - “Let’s get all this on paper…” It’s with emails that you clearly outline your offer, address any potential objections and provide a clear call to action.
- Case study emails - Are they looking for some tangible proof of your abilities and past successes? Detailing case studies and sending them over demonstrates that you can achieve the project deliverables.
- Story-based emails - Personalised and subtle emails that build your relationship and create the foundation for later sales.
- Closing emails - A summary of the key points, reiterating the value and creating the sense of urgency needed to get them to make the decision in your favour.
- Post-sales emails - A nice thank-you and some next steps, gathering feedback for use with other customers as well as building a long term fruitful relationship.
How Often Should You Send a Sales Email?
You will need to find your own “Goldilocks Rule” – This is all about finding the frequency that’s just right – not too much that you annoy your prospects, but not too little that you become forgotten. Consider the following:
- The buyer’s journey stage - In the early stages, nurturing emails are effective in moving the buyer forward; these are less needed when they are nearing a decision.
- The industry and target audience - Some industries are better suited to frequent emails, such as retail and e-commerce, while others expect no more than well-spaced regular communications.
- Content value - If the information presented in your emails has good value to your audience, they will be more receptive to frequent communication.
Test and Adjust
Using emails for your sales process will require fine-tuning. It’s essential to keep good data on what works and what doesn’t and make adjustments accordingly.
Pay attention to available statistics, such as open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribe rates to gauge what’s performing as desired.
A/B testing is another excellent method to compare different frequencies and determine which results in the best engagement.
How Do You Know Your Emails Are Working?
Your email service provider should allow you to access several essential metrics. Use these to measure the success of your sales emails.
- Open rate - the percentage of recipients who open your email.
- Click-through rate (CTR) - the percentage of recipients who click a link in your email.
- Response rate - the percentage of recipients who reply to your email.
- Conversation rate - the percentage of recipients who take the desired action specified in the email, such as make a purchase, schedule a call etc.
- Unsubscribe rate - the percentage of recipients who unsubscribe from your email list.
Top Sales Email Tips
If you’re going to be successful with your sales emails, there are a few simple things you should do from the outset:
- Make it personal - When you tailor your emails to an individual, addressing them by name and speaking to their specific needs and pain points, you increase engagement significantly.
- Be bold with your subject line - An attention-grabbing subject line is going to mean a far greater open rate than something generic. Take risks and be willing to test and try new ideas.
- Be sure to communicate value - It’s essential that your email clearly communicates the benefits of your product or service and how it can solve the reader’s problems.
- Tell them what to do - Don’t be rude, but push that call to action. A clear CTA will help them make an immediate decision without struggling.
- Don’t disappear - Be consistent. Follow up on your emails regularly, but be sure to retain professionalism and avoid being pushy or spammy.
Building Your Sales Process with Nathan Littleton
Moving from an ad-hoc sales system to a clear process on a solid foundation of email consistency isn’t always simple. If you’re looking for some expert help in shaping a comprehensive sales process, why not talk to me? Contact Nathan Littleton today.
