Right now I’m listening to some short webinars on Warm Email Prospecting by Ed Gandia of the International Freelancers Academy. I’m a big fan of email as a business communication tool, so I thought I’d share some of his thoughts here – they might appeal to some of you too.
In a world where we’re constantly being told about some new and interesting way to market our business services, Ed discusses how email prospecting, when done right, may be the fastest, easiest, and most cost-effective way to find and land quality clients – and it will enhance your success rate.
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In particular, it by passes the main reasons so many self-employed people hate marketing:
- Fear of rejection
- The unwillingness to sell yourself
- The time-consuming nature of marketing your business by traditional means – never-ending
- The “Tool du Jour” confusion: These days there are so many articles about some latest and greatest new social media tool or must-have plugin etc, that you just can’t keep up!
So Why Does Email Prospecting Work (When Done Right)?
- Less intrusive: Sits there in the inbox until the recipient can get to it, so it’s more convenient. Compare this with a phone call that has to be picked up, maybe disturbing the busy recipient, for your message to be received.
- Prospects are usually more receptive to a strong email message than a cold-call: When done correctly, short email messages get read. When cold-calling, you get 3-5 seconds to make an impression, as opposed to 10-20 seconds in writing.
- Email is a better medium to deliver a relevant and personalized message: It’s easier to digest a marketing message in writing, than by phone call or in person.
- Can use key psychological triggers: They appeal to core human emotions.
- Helps you stay more motivated, energized, and creative: You’ll no longer feel like a pest to potential new clients!
- Inexpensive: No postage required, and you don’t even have to leave the office!
- Quick and immediate: Your message is delivered immediately. It involves some advance research and time to compose a customized message, but it is still less time-consuming than other more traditional methods.
- You get to choose who you go after: You don’t need to simply wait until prospects come to you. It’s important to implement your own proactive marketing strategies, allowing you to control who you target, according to your business needs.
He raised some interesting points, such as the one about how a strong email subject line is more likely to get a positive response than a random cold call. I know I’m much more inclined to use email than a phone call to contact someone who I do not know. And the more marketing webinars that I listen to about how we should all be making 100 cold calls each week, the less likely I am to ever use cold calling!
The next webinar on my list is Ed’s discussion of some pointers on “how to get it right” by email. I’ll keep you tuned!
I’ve been rethinking email also as a means of contacting potential customers. Does he discuss reliable vendors of email lists? Or, how does one find people?
Every point you/he made, I agreed with and I do. I often leave an email with an interesting subject line until I have time to focus. And then I’ll spend 5-10 minutes with it if necessary or if it provokes my imagination.
Thanks for the reminder.
He didn’t discuss any vendors of email lists with respect to his “warm email prospecting” – he seemed more focused on some definite connection allowing the freelancer to a segue into contacting a client. So he wasn’t discussing investigating new, random companies etc in this instance, to see if any might suit your business. He did, however, talk about the power of Google! Just as a way of really doing some creative searching for an individual’s contact details. And also, the idea of calling a person’s company (if you could only find a general phone number) came up as being often helpful – because it can be amazing how many times you’ll be put through to them, instead of being deflected.
One of the nicest things bout email is that you can polish your message for as long as needed, instead of being on the phone, and possibly getting distracted during the call.
Plus, you can send out 500 messages in teh time it would take to make one call.
That’s so true – even if it takes you a wee bit of time to craft the ideal message, you then have it mostly “canned” for future reference too. And like you say, if you get to shoot out 500 messages in the time it’s take for a call, that’s a much increased chance of a positive reaction!
The only downside is that there is a legal requirement to manage the opt-outs if you’re going off a list.
That’s a good point.
I am bound and determined to create an email marketing campaign in 2012. It’s been on my list (ah, the proverbial, loooong list) and I really need to make it happen.
I think there’s a real art to it. Think of all the lousy, spammy-types you receive in your Inbox every day. Ed has some great ideas. If you haven’t gotten his (and Steve Slaunwhite’s & Pete Savage’s) book, the wealthy freelancer, I highly recommend it.
Happy holidays, Nicky, to you and all your readers. 🙂
Hehe! Cathy, I’ve no idea how you manage to accomplish all that you do as it is! I too think there’s a real art to it – like with anything. And I think there’s a domino effect too – “it only takes one”….in the run up, however, I can see how so many folk end up paralyzed by the fear of marketing in any shape or form.I haven’t yet acquired their book, but I will do so. I do read a lot of their articles on their site, and I also registered for their International Freelancers Day conference in September, and that was very useful and enjoyable. Hope you are well, Cathy. I’m snowed-under and playing catch-up after my last work trip. Now I’m just starting some vacation time over Christmas, and will be continuing to catch up for a couple of days. Then I’ll return to work and will be catching up then……I thought I’d become less busy as I got older? Hope you have a lovely Christmas xxx
Apparently I don’t handle everything-I missed this response. 😀
My sister, her daughter & granddaughter are visiting until the 4th. My younger sister & her family also came up for Christmas weekend so we had the infamous, Kali, to dog-sit. Love it.
I’m still playing catch-up from my trip to San Diego in November! Have a very happy and prosperous 2012!
Happy New Year, Cathy! Hope you had a lot of fun with the family over Christmas!