Why Your Business Contacts Ignore Your Emails

The strength of your company and career is dependent upon the relationships you've built over the years. Even so, most people let important contacts fall off the radar, often for years at a time.

Then something happens and suddenly you want to get back in touch with a somebody you've neglected because (let's face it) you had better things to do than keep the relationship alive and well.

In my free weekly newsletter (in addition to providing links to my most recent posts), I offer free critiques of reader emails. Based on what I've seen, here's how most people attempt to reactivate a neglected contact:

SUBJECT: Long time no see

Hey, John,

I hope you're doing well!

I've started selling mcguffins and I would love to explain to you why our mcguffins are the best in the world!

What's the best way to get on your calendar? You can reach me at 888-555-1234 or check out our website at www.mcguffinsRUS.com.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,
Jim Jones
McGuffins Inc.
1234 ABC Blvd.
Central City, OH, 44130
888-555-1234
www.mgcuffinsrus.com

Email like this almost never get answered, primarily because the hidden message is: "The only reason I'm contacting you is because I want something from you."  Beyond that, here are some other reasons such emails go unanswered:

1. The email is all about the sender and what the sender wants, which is irrelevant to the recipient. 
2. The tone of fake friendliness is insulting and even faintly disgusting.  The capper is the "sincerely" at the end when the email is obviously self-serving.
3. The request for a meeting, and therefore the expenditure of the other person's time (and thus money) is completely out-of-line.
4. The Subject line is irrelevant to the recipient and actually reminds the recipient that the sender has neglected to maintain the relationship.
5. The email makes the common error of having multiple calls-to-action, which tends to reduce the response rate (too many choices).
6. The final sentence is not only self-centered but presumptuous.  After this shameless display of "me me me," why would anyone want to respond?

To be clear, the example I've provided above is much better than average. Many such emails actually contain feature lists, biz-blab, and other gobble-de-gook guaranteed to make the recipient hit the delete key.

Ironically, it's easy to reestablish contact with a neglect business contact. In fact, I have an almost 100% response rate to my "reactivate a contact" emails.  I'll explain exactly how to do this in tomorrow's post.

Meanwhile, though, I'll tell you the secret (which I'll explain in detail tomorrow). The secret is 1) get over yourself, 2) put aside your own agenda, and 3) get curious about the other person.


Again, I'll be going into more detail tomorrow, so stay tuned.

Source: http://www.inc.com/
Image Credit: Getty Images




ABOUT WNFP
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4 Things Your Welcome Email Must Do (and Probably Doesn’t)

As a small business, you know how important a first impression can be.

Whether it’s the first time someone walks into your store, the first time someone calls your office, or the first time someone looks up your business online — you work hard to make sure customers walk away thinking positively about your brand.

But how about the first impression a customer has with your brand’s email marketing?

Have you put any thought into the type of experience you’re giving your customers when they receive an email from your business for the first time?

The value of welcome emails

It’s easy to forget that each time a customer opens an email from your organization, they are actually having an experience that can impact the way they think of your business.

Like when someone decides to hop in their car and visit your store, when someone decides to sign up to receive your emails, they do so with certain expectations. More often than not, those expectations will come from the initial experience that reader had with your business­­.

That’s why it’s such a surprise that so many businesses pay so little attention to their Welcome Email.

What most businesses do wrong

Welcome emails are the automated messages subscribers receive when they sign up for your email newsletter.

Because welcome emails are automated and most email services provide stock content for businesses to put into them — many business owners don’t even know what the first experience they’re providing their readers looks like.

That’s a huge problem. Especially considering open rates for welcome emails are much higher than typical email correspondence. (The average open rate for a welcome email is between 50-60 percent.)

That’s a lot of people being served a less than optimal first impression. Even worse, that’s a lot of people setting low expectations for the emails they’re going to receive from your organization in the future.

Make sure your Welcome Email delivers a fantastic first impression. Here are four things your Welcome Email must do:

1. Reaffirm they made the right decision

The fact is, even customers who love your business can be reluctant to offer up their email address — especially if they are new to your business and haven’t built a strong relationship with you.

For the customers who do make the decision to subscribe, they’re going to want to know right from the start they made the right decision.

Here are three ways to do just that:

Remember your subject line best practices: Just because Welcome Emails are automated, doesn’t mean you don’t have to pay attention to your best practices. A Welcome Email subject line should catch the reader’s attention, thank them for signing up, and give them a reason to open your email.
Try something like “Thanks for signing up. Now what?”

Let them know they’re part of a community: Don’t be afraid to showcase your success as an email marketer. Letting readers know just how many people are receiving your newsletter each month is a great way to reaffirm their decision to subscribe to your list.

Make them feel safe: People are protective of their information online — and for good reason. Letting your customers know right from the start that you plan to protect their email address is a great way to make them feel safe and secure.

2. Tell them what to expect in the future

Once you’ve reaffirmed the reader’s decision to subscribe to your mailing list, offer some preview of what they can expect next.

It’s important that what you tell your reader in the Welcome Email is consistent with what you promised at the point of sign-up. You don’t want to offer coupons and deals to get people to sign up and then tell new readers that all they’re going to be getting is news updates.

Take the time to revisit what you’re offering people at the point of sign-up. Remember to include details about the type of content you plan to send, how frequently you plan to send it, and the expertise you plan to share.

3. Make sure future emails get through

Even the most experienced email marketers can sometimes fall victim to SPAM filters.

If you’re a Constant Contact customer, you can use the Spam Checker to improve the likelihood of your emails making it through.

But you should also use your Welcome Email as a way to avoid getting flagged as spam, and to improve your chances of getting noticed in your readers’ inbox.

A great way to do that is by asking them to “whitelist” or add your business to their trusted contacts. That way, your emails will not only end up in the inbox (and out of the spam folder,) but will also be more likely to be recognized by the reader.

4. Fulfill on your offer

It’s likely you made an offer of a download or coupon in exchange for your contact’s email address. After all, special offers are one of the reasons why people sign up to email lists. The Welcome Email is where you should fulfill on that offer. Since the Welcome Email is typically sent immediately after a new contact joins your list, you’ll be able to provide instant gratification to your new contact.

Remember this is your Welcome Email

Personalizing your Welcome Email will not only improve the first impression you’re able to make on your readers, it will also help set you apart from your competition.

While most businesses are sending welcome emails with static and un-engaging messaging, you’ll be providing an experience that will shape the way customers and potential customers think of your brand.

Take the steps provided for you in this post and remember this is your welcome email. It’s your opportunity to introduce your email marketing and reintroduce your business to your target audience. Make sure it’s written in your words and that it reflects the personal experience you plan to provide your readers.

Make it memorable.

How to edit your Welcome Email in Constant Contact:
You can edit the default Welcome Email, using these steps. Once set up and customized, this email will send automatically to your new contacts, so you can make a great first impression, every time.

Source: http://blogs.constantcontact.com/




ABOUT WNFP
Westchester Networking for Professionals (WNFP) is a business networking association dedicated to helping small businesses and entrepreneurs develop, expand and grow. We offer affordable opportunities to help create a positive impact and advancement in your business interests and personal quality of life to take you to the next level.
Stay Connected with WNFP!

Five Important Steps to Effective Email Marketing

Each time a prospect gives your company their personal email address, a contract is formed between you and them. Their role in the contract is to invite you to send them your content. In return, your role is to deliver valuable content they'll appreciate. Any time you send them content that's rushed or shoddy, you're not keeping your end of the deal. But by delivering email marketing that's useful and appreciated by your market, your company is building loyalty, trust, and ultimately sales.

For effective email campaigns that will make your readers glad they opted in to your content, consider these five important best practices.

1. Promote, Promote, Promote

The best email campaign in the world (if such a thing could actually be measured) would be 100% useless without a solid email list. Many businesses go only as far as placing an opt-in form on their website. That's a decent start, but you should also consider effective calls to action that encourage people to sign up. Your list should be advertised like any other product or service. You'll want to let your leads know how signing up for your content is going to benefit them. You should draw attention to that signup form with some creative copy on your homepage. Keep in mind that you're focusing on quality over quantity. You want people on that list who actually are excited to receive the content you send. Also, you'll want to promote your opt-in email content via your social media.

2. Remember, Quality Content is King

The importance of quality content is hardly a secret. Unfortunately, however, quality is lacking in many email campaigns (and many other places on the internet, for that matter.) Businesses are not just creators of products and services anymore. They are also creators and publishers of videos, blogs, newsletters, infographics, and anything else their audience finds useful or entertaining.

In your email marketing, create content that you're passionate and knowledgeable about. Ask yourself, "Will this video or blog post give our audience useful information that they wouldn't have learned before now? Will writing about the weird and bizarre be helpful or harmful?"

3. Name Names to Personalize Your Emails

Did you know that every day, the average person is subjected to over 120 emails? Clearly, you need to cut through the clutter and be seen through all of the information overload out there. If you don't, you can hardly expect your audience to choose your messages and ignore those of your competitors. 

Yes, the advice to personalize your email marketing is common. But the reason you hear it all the time is that it's effective. One of the simplest ways to personalize your emails and gain the attention of your audience is to mention the first name of your recipients within the email. There are other ways to personalize your email messages, of course, but starting with the inclusion of names is one of the most effective tactics."

4. Don't Neglect Responsive Web Design

Responsive design refers to the ability to easily read emails and landing pages on a variety of devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers. Smartphones and tablets represent a huge percentage of all email interactions. "Our reliance on mobile devices means email must be mobile friendly," says Bob Fabbio of eRelevance, a marketing automation service. "The majority of people who have problems accessing an email, landing page or website never return to it in the future, which makes responsive design an essential component of any effective email campaign." Just remember, however, that responsive email design is a wasted effort if your emails link to a not-so-responsive landing page.

5. Keep Landing Pages Specialized

An email is obviously not the end of the line. Rather, it should be a beginning step toward conversion. Does your marketing message lead the reader to a generalized homepage that doesn't have anything to do with the email's content? If so, it probably won't be effective at lead conversion. Your emails should link to specialized pages featuring a product. Keep the goal of conversion in mind!


Your email campaigns, if done right, can be effective workhorses in your marketing efforts. So take them seriously. With a little thought and effort, they can build relationships with customers and make your business stand out from competitors.

Image Credit: Getty Images
Source: http://www.inc.com

ABOUT WNFP
Westchester Networking for Professionals (WNFP) is a business networking association dedicated to helping small businesses and entrepreneurs develop, expand and grow. We offer affordable opportunities to help create a positive impact and advancement in your business interests and personal quality of life to take you to the next level.
Stay Connected with WNFP!

The Ultimate Guide to Growing a Massive Email List

The reason most businesses struggle to get more of these people onto their list is that they don’t have the right plan to help them do it.

We compiled this collection of 61 list growth ideas to help you put that plan into action. While many of these ideas may sound familiar, chances are there are at least a few tactics you aren’t currently using that you could put to use right away.

Let’s get started!


COLLECT EMAIL ADDRESSES IN-STORE

1. Paper sign-up sheet
Keep it simple. Sometimes a paper sign-up sheet is the best way to go.

2. Ask face-to-face
Just having a sign-up form available won’t always be enough. Train yourself and your employees to always ask prospective contacts to sign up.

3. Look at your database
Don’t overlook the obvious. You probably already have a database of contacts who would love to join your list. Ask them to sign up.

4. Ask family and friends
Look to your personal network to help kick-start your list growth.

5. Use a fish bowl
Put a fishbowl on your counter and give customers an incentive to drop in their business cards to join your list.

Note: Be sure to let people know they’ll be receiving future emails from you as well.

6. Ask over the phone
Having a great phone conversation with a customer or supporter? Keep the conversation going by asking them to join your email list.

7. Use signs & sandwich boards
Using a sidewalk sign or sandwich board to bring in foot traffic? Tell passersby about all the great info, discounts, and news they’ll find by signing up for your emails.

8. Use your in-store WiFi
Using a tool like SocialSign.in, which integrates with your Constant Contact account, lets you expose your email list to customers when they access your WiFi network.

COVER YOUR ONLINE TOUCH POINTS

9. Add a sign-up form to your website
Constant Contact customers can embed an email sign-up form on their website and collect emails from people who visit your site. Give your sign-up form plenty of visibility by putting it on every page.

10. Create a “reasons to sign-up page”
Ask your current contacts why they enjoy your emails and then create a page on your website highlighting the biggest benefits of signing up.

11. Add it to your blog
If someone enjoys what you have to say on your blog, there’s a good chance they’d want to see your updates in their inbox.

12. Experiment with pop-ups
There are a number of non-intrusive tools you can use to promote your email list on your website or blog with a popup message. Tools like Privy integrate with your Constant Contact account, making it quick and easy to grow your list.

13. Guest blog
Writing for other blogs is a great way to get in front of a new audience. Include a link to your sign-up form in your author bio. If people like your post, they’ll want to get more information from you.

14. Use online payment forms
Collect email addresses when people are making a purchase. Be sure to indicate they’re opting-in to receive future emails from you.

15. Add it to your online listings
Keep your listings on sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Google up-to-date and provide a link to join your email list.

16. Host a podcast
Start a podcast and encourage listeners to subscribe to your email list to find out about upcoming episodes.

17. Try an online survey
Add a sign-up link to your next online survey. Let people share their feedback and join your email list.

18. Book appointments online
Are you giving clients the ability to schedule and book appointments online? Offer a convenient way for people to join your email list when signing up.

Constant Contact offers integrations with tools like MINDBODY, which allows you to grow your list and keep your database organized.


19. Invest in digital advertising
If you’re already using ads to drive people back to your website, make sure that you’re sending people to a page where they can easily opt-in to join your email list.

20. Collect donations and email addresses online
If your organization collects donations online, ask donors and volunteers to join your list to stay up-to-date with your latest news and announcements.

USE SOCIAL MEDIA

21. Add a sign-up form to your Facebook Page
Make it easy for fans to join your list by adding a sign-up form to your Facebook Page.

22. Tweet it
Twitter is a high volume social network, which means you can tweet about your email list on a regular basis without overwhelming your audience. You should also post about your email list on your other social networks, but less frequently than you would on Twitter.

23. Update your Facebook Cover Photo
You can now include a call to action on the Cover Photo of your Facebook Page. Have some fun with it and ask people to join your list.

24. Use the Facebook CTA Button
Facebook’s call-to-action feature lets you add a button to the top of your Facebook Page, which can link to a page on your website or to your online sign-up form.

25. Run a Facebook Ad
Supercharge your Facebook list growth with a Facebook Ad. Add new fans and new subscribers by driving people to your Facebook sign-up form.

26. Use your YouTube channel
Talk about your emails in a video and tell people where to sign up.

27. Participate in LinkedIn Groups
When appropriate, let members of the same LinkedIn Groups know about your email list.

28. Join a Google+ Community
Like LinkedIn Groups, Google+ Communities are the place Google+ users go to find information relevant to them. Share your latest email and ask members to join your list.

29. Use Twitter Lead Generation Cards
With Twitter Lead Generation Cards, you can pay to promote your content to a wider audience and let people share their information right within their Twitter stream.

30. Add a link to your social bios
Allow social connections to easily find your email sign-up form by linking to it in your profiles. Try it on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or Google+.

31. Sample content on Pinterest
Create a board on Pinterest and “pin” your email newsletter right when it comes out! Use an image from your email or take a screenshot of your entire newsletter to give readers a preview of your content.

32. Try it on Instagram
You can add a link to your bio on Instagram and can also add a shortened link to your photo captions and encourage people to copy and paste the link into their web browser.

USE EXISTING EMAILS

33. Add a sign-up link to your regular emails
You never know how people are going to find your emails. When new readers find them, make sure they have a way to sign up.

34. Make it easy to share emails
Sometimes, the best way to grow your list is to extend the reach of your emails. Add social share buttons to make it easy for people to share your emails on their social networks.

35. Encourage people to forward
Add a “forward to a friend” button to your emails to help you reach your next subscribers.

36. Add a sign-up link to your email signature
Get more exposure for your email list by including a link in your regular emails.

37. Share your emails on your own
Show your fans and followers what they’re missing by sharing your latest newsletters and announcements on social media. Remember to include a link to sign up in the emails that you share.

GO MOBILE

38. Collect new contacts from your phone
Use the Constant Contact mobile app to collect email addresses right from your smartphone or tablet.

39. Collect emails via text
To simplify the process, consider trying a tool like Constant Contact’s Text-to-Join feature, which lets people subscribe via text message from their mobile device.

40. Use a QR code
Add a QR code to a flyer, poster, or brochure and make it easy for people to scan-to-join your email list.

41. Use a tablet
Setup a tablet in your store or at events to make it convenient for people to join your list.

DON'T FORGET ABOUT PRINT

42. Include with your receipts
Many restaurants will include a sign-up card along with the bill for people to fill out to join their email list. Look for ways to include information about your email list on, or with, the receipts that you provide customers.

43. Use your business card
Work with your business card supplier to add a QR code with a call-to-action to join your email list.

44. Use a print ad
Get the most out of your print advertising investment. Tell people to visit your website and join your list.

45. Use a brochure
Giving out flyers, brochures, or pamphlets at your store or office? Let people know your emails are the best source for up-to date information.

46. Use your menu
Own a restaurant? Add a QR code on your menu and let people join your email list at the table.

47. Use a postcard
Boston-area restaurant In a Pickle puts postcards on tables in their dining room and invites customers to “join the club.”

PLAN AND ATTEND EVENTS

48. Collect registrations online
Stay in touch before, during, and after your event by collecting email addresses when people register for your event.

49. Collect email addresses at your event
Collect email addresses at your event with a paper sign-up sheet, QR code, or even via text-message.

50. Book a speaking engagement
If people are interested in what you have to say, there’s a good chance they’ll be interested in what you write in your emails. Let people know you have a resource they can sign up to receive.

51. Sponsor an event
Work with other businesses and organizations in your community to host an event. It’s a great way to introduce your business (and your email list) to a whole new audience.

52. Host a webinar
Take your events online and offer training or free education with an online webinar. Many webinar hosting platforms will let you add an optional field to your registration form to collect addresses for your email list.

CREATE A COMPELLING OFFER

53. Start a loyalty program
Look for ways to reward your customers and grow your email list in the process!

54. Start a birthday club
Create a club to celebrate your customers’ birthdays and grow your email list. Use can store customer birthdays in your Constant Contact account and send a special offer to customers during their birthday month.

55. Offer a coupon
Offer a coupon to new subscribers that can be redeemed in-store. This is a great way to capture new email addresses and generate repeat business.

56. Use a piece of content
Offer up a great piece of content — like a whitepaper, eBook, or guide — to entice people to join your list.

57. Offer an incentive to employees
Get your employees excited about growing your email list. Offer a prize to the employee who collects the most email addresses.

58. Offer free training
Use the great education you already have available to generate new leads for your business. With a tool like Autoresponder from Constant Contact, you can setup a series of automated emails to automatically deliver your education to people who sign up. This is a simple way to setup a training course that current and potential customers can benefit from.

59. Run an in-store raffle
Raffle off a prize your customers will love and collect email addresses in the process.

Note: Always let people know they’ll also be joining your email list and receiving follow-up emails from you.

60. Host a Facebook sweepstakes
With a tool like Constant Contact’s Facebook Fan Promotion campaign, you can run a contest on Facebook and collect email addresses in the process.

61. Partner with a non-competing business
Come up with a free resource or piece of education that you could provide other, non-competing businesses, to offer their clients on your behalf. By providing value to their audience, you’ll be able to develop new partnerships and reach new audiences.


Pick your top 5 and get started today
See anything on this list that you aren’t using at your business? Pick five of these approaches that you think would work well and get started.

And remember, the best way to grow an engaged email list is to always make sure you ask for permission before adding a new contact to your email database. This will help you avoid any potential spam complaints and ensure that you’re only communicating with people who are interested and excited to hear from you!

Not a Constant Contact customer? Start your free 60-day trial today!

Source: http://blogs.constantcontact.com/


Do you know of any other creative ways to grow your email list that's not shown? Share your ideas in the comment section below!

ABOUT WNFP
Westchester Networking for Professionals (WNFP) is an organization consisting of professionals and entrepreneurs which focuses on the success of our Members. We help our Members establish lasting relationships and generate new business opportunities towards the growth of their business.

Stay Connected with WNFP!