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    What are your sales email no-nos?

    IT Business
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    • M
      MKM8DY
      last edited by MKM8DY

      We've all read some truly sucky sales emails in our day - one of our own rips apart a message he received the other day here - but what makes you click away? How do you use these examples of lackluster, unconvincing content to inform your own sales efforts? What are the pitfalls you try to avoid when crafting emails to prospects or attempting to upsell clients?

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
      • Minion QueenM
        Minion Queen Banned
        last edited by

        Template emails. People want to feel like you care. Yes it takes longer and sure the emails are basically the same each time. But I just delete the form ones that are a mass send.

        M 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
        • M
          MKM8DY @Minion Queen
          last edited by

          @Minion-Queen By template do you mean that it formats incorrectly and you see bracket placeholders which were meant to be personalized to your company, like Hi [Name]? If not, are you saying you can sniff out emails that are personalized, but sound forced and like a mass-send?

          What are your tips for creating meaningful and individualized emails, but still in an automated way?

          mprftwM 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • DashrenderD
            Dashrender
            last edited by

            Are sales emails even tenable? Cold emails are just spam, those my filter doesn't catch are simply deleted.

            G scottalanmillerS 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 4
            • Minion QueenM
              Minion Queen Banned
              last edited by

              Well both actually.

              Tips for creating emails:

              • Take the time to know who you are writing to (the person not a full audience)
              • Take the time to personalize your greeting (as in actually have a greeting)
              • Take the time to send the email to just that one person or the people from an individual team you are trying to reach (not BCC)
              • Follow up in a few days. Not everyone can read every email. Also following up shows your investment and effort given
              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
              • G
                GlennBarley @Dashrender
                last edited by

                @Dashrender I disagree. I have gotten some cold emails from companies that can provide a valuable service to us. If it sounds like it could help, I'll set up a demo.

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                • DustinB3403D
                  DustinB3403
                  last edited by

                  Any email that is sent to the sender (and everyone else is BCC'd), is almost instantly deleted.

                  It's a blanket email, and I don't want to read it, nor their product.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • nadnerBN
                    nadnerB
                    last edited by

                    Generally, any email where the entire contents is in the subject line 😡

                    Sales wise... well blanket spamming. Prime example: https://community.spiceworks.com/topic/839204-cotap-spam
                    C&H reference

                    (High five if you get the reference 😉 )

                    FrostyPhoenixF 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                    • RojoLocoR
                      RojoLoco
                      last edited by

                      Sales emails ARE no-nos..... but since you won't stop sending them, try these tips:

                      Emails written with the presumption that I am interested in your product or service are really annoying.

                      The omission of the all important "unsubscribe" link must stop. Now I have to respond to the sales d*** to tell them I want to unsubscribe, to which many respond with more sales pitch BS. <--- that's how you make the brown list (never EVER use these vendors).

                      No means no - being persistent after I express my non interest also gets you on the brown list.

                      Skip the buzzwords altogether. In the link above, I can't even read through it because of terms like "proof points". Ick. Stop it already. Those buzzwords are only fun for sales/marketing/C-levels, not IT pros. I, and many others, truly loathe both their existence and use.

                      Always remember - when we need something, we will determine that need, we will do our own research, and, if needed (which is less often than sales folk think), we will call you.... not t'other way round.

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                      • coliverC
                        coliver
                        last edited by coliver

                        Never, ever, ever... ever say that the marketing email is a follow up to a recent conversation. I rarely talk to sales people and when I get the "Hey how you doing we talked yesterday about this product, and you seemed interested." emails when I haven't talked to anyone on the phone for a week... that is very annoying. Seriously this gets you put on the spam list.

                        The other one I've gotten only once was, "Hey we talked to your boss and he wanted us to talk to you about purchasing our product." Don't do this either...

                        RojoLocoR 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                        • M
                          marcinozga
                          last edited by

                          Good sales email is no email.
                          If I want or need something, I'll look for it. If I get sales email that makes it through spam filter, it gets marked as spam anyway.

                          scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 5
                          • RojoLocoR
                            RojoLoco @coliver
                            last edited by

                            @coliver where I come from, we call those techniques "lying through your teeth".

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
                            • IRJI
                              IRJ
                              last edited by IRJ

                              Every sales email I get, I mark as spam and delete. Even if I was interested, I couldn't reply because I would be called and emailed until the cows come home.

                              I dream of a world where software sales aren't based on commission and the product itself is so good that it actually sells to customers without a salesperson being involved.

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                              • s.hacklemanS
                                s.hackleman
                                last edited by

                                Personally if I get a Template email, I delete it. If I keep getting bothering with constant emails, I will choose another product on principal, even if I liked it. The only way a sales person will influence me is to get to know me, have a honest personal conversation with me about what they have to offer, and not be offended if someone else makes a product that is a better fit for my current needs. Also, there is nothing worse than getting a marketing email from someone who can not even begin to answer the first technical question I ask with with out "Checking on that for me"

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • MattSpellerM
                                  MattSpeller
                                  last edited by

                                  When I sold stuff (granted not electronics) I made a point of calling or doing it in person. Not only will you do more business but it's WAY HARDER for clients to be horrible to you lol. Also it establishes your face / voice as the one who provides stuff to fix problems. Then you're part of the solution.

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                                  • Minion QueenM
                                    Minion Queen Banned
                                    last edited by

                                    Your brand relies more on your voice/face then it does your product.

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                                    • scottalanmillerS
                                      scottalanmiller @Dashrender
                                      last edited by

                                      @Dashrender said:

                                      Are sales emails even tenable? Cold emails are just spam, those my filter doesn't catch are simply deleted.

                                      I wouldn't think so. I never even look at them. I see if it is someone that I know. If not I block it and report it to the O365 spam filters. I never even read it. Reading email you did not request is how you can phished. I prefer to nip that in the bud as early as possible. I don't get much spam coming through, but that that does does not get read.

                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • scottalanmillerS
                                        scottalanmiller @marcinozga
                                        last edited by

                                        @marcinozga said:

                                        Good sales email is no email.
                                        If I want or need something, I'll look for it. If I get sales email that makes it through spam filter, it gets marked as spam anyway.

                                        I'm the final spam filter 😉 And nothing makes it through me.

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • O
                                          original_anvil Vendor
                                          last edited by

                                          I'm not a sales guy, so just wondering, isn't it much efficient to jump on the call with a guy? I mean, thus, you can easily make the contact much more personal comparing to the email conversation. And also, since people are lazy (just admit it), it shouldn`t be the problem to convince the guy to jump on the call with you.

                                          RojoLocoR 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • RojoLocoR
                                            RojoLoco @original_anvil
                                            last edited by

                                            @original_anvil said:

                                            I'm not a sales guy, so just wondering, isn't it much efficient to jump on the call with a guy? I mean, thus, you can easily make the contact much more personal comparing to the email conversation. And also, since people are lazy (just admit it), it shouldn`t be the problem to convince the guy to jump on the call with you.

                                            Maybe, if you actually take cold calls. In my world, that's why voicemail exists.... for screening out sales calls. But you are also assuming that the "customer" in this example actually wants to be contacted by sales.... people. Most IT pros have the attitude of "don't call us, we'll call you" (are you listening sales folks???)

                                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
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