Email Tips To Help Close A Deal |  |
| Email Tips To Help Close A Deal Posted: 01 Jul 2012 11:00 AM PDT When it comes to converting a warm lead to a done deal, email is a crucial tool. While there are plenty of technology tools for salespeople to use – mobile apps, Twitter, LinkedIn and so on – email remains the most effective way to maintain and build a personal dialog with prospects.
It's an ideal channel for sending a very personal message, without length requirements, that can be forwarded, tracked, and measured for effectiveness. And it's a great platform for building a long-term, ongoing relationship; something all salespeople know is critical for closing deals. Here are some best practices to keep a conversation going using email – and how to get your message noticed to close that important sale: 1.) Be personal and relevant. From sending the very first email to each ongoing message to your prospect, every email must be personal and show that you've done your homework. The days of the generic email blast are gone. You need to stand above the dozens of irrelevant emails your contacts are receiving on a daily basis that head right to their delete folder. Think about how you can impact your prospect's life. What kernel of information, what research, what industry news is going to matter to them and make their job easier, and demonstrate that you've thought about an issue from their perspective. 2.) Never "just check in." When you follow-up with your prospect via email you should never just be "checking in." First of all, you are too busy to have time to "just check in." Second of all, it does not bring any value to your prospect. Each and every point of contact should offer some new data point and bring more value to your prospect. It should not appear as if you're just following up to make your number. Ask for their feedback or commentary to the information, or their thoughts or experience on the issue so you can initiate a response and keep that dialog going. 3.) Fridays and weekends are still prime time. In this age of mobile devices, when people are reading email 24/7, it turns out that Monday through Friday, 9-5 isn't necessarily the best time to have your email read. Earlier this year, my company released the results of an email study we did to give salespeople advice on ways to increase open email rates. Turns out that email open rates are slightly higher over the weekend. So saving emails for the end of the week may be the best way to actually catch the attention of your busy prospect. 4.) As they say, timing is everything. You need to be immediately responsive when you get a reply. That sounds obvious, but it's always surprising to me how long some emails will sit in a salesperson's inbox before he or she responds to it. If you get a message from your prospect you need to reply right away, while you're at the top of their mind. If you're on the road, or in the middle of pressing deadlines, you can and should still respond. Let them know, for example, that you are traveling or in a meeting, and that you will get back to them this evening with a more thoughtful reply to their question. With Blackberrys, iPhones, Droids, and iPads, and WiFi just about everywhere you go, clients and prospects expect very quick responses on email. Don't worry about seeming too available, this is the message you want your prospect to have, that you are easily reachable and responsive to all of their questions and needs. 5.) You can go above, but don't go around. I often get asked, is it ok to cc the person's manager, if I don't get a reply from my point of contact, especially if I've met that person. This is a tricky subject, but my response is generally yes. This is an ok thing to do, but keep your point of contact copied and never throw him or her under the bus. In other words don't say, "Jim isn't getting back to me, so I wanted to get in touch with you." Instead say, "Hi Tom, I know you were also interested in XXX, so I wanted to send you this new research that my company just published. I hope you and Jim both find it interesting." Ask for their feedback and suggest next steps of setting up a call that week to show them the latest version of your product, or meeting up at a conference you are all attending. 6.) Silence is death. So, what do you do when you don't hear back….at all. How many times is ok to keep emailing a contact with interesting tidbits of information? I say about 5-6 times, assuming that each email you've sent is relevant, personal and adds value as mentioned above. After the last email with no response, I advise one more message with the very short subject line entitled, "Too busy or not interested?" Perhaps they just haven't had time to respond, and you're giving them one last chance with a very brief message to get back to you. Another option is to try switching channels — go to voice, go to social media, try setting up an in-person visit. If your contact really isn't an email person, maybe they will be more responsive on a different medium. When it comes to sales today, I always remind people that they should have a long-term vision. They can't only be focused on hitting their numbers, and closing short-term sales. If salespeople want ongoing business, referrals to new business, and cross-selling opportunities, it's all about the bigger picture and developing a deeper relationship. Email is one of the most effective tools for staying in touch with prospects, and continuing to send out personal, relevant, and useful information. Keep in mind the email etiquette and mechanics mentioned above to ensure your email will stand out and support your efforts to build that longterm relationship. Close a Sale Photo via Shutterstock From Small Business Trends |
| Successful Hiring Isn’t Just About Skills: It’s About Attitude Posted: 01 Jul 2012 06:00 AM PDT
What, Hiring for Attitude: A Revolutionary Approach to Recruiting and Selecting People with Both Tremendous Skills and Superb Attitude by Mark Murphy, talks about happens every day at businesses all across America. Employers often hire for skill and talent. Although the new employee may be highly skilled, it doesn't always mean the new hire is beneficial to the company. It takes much more than talent and skill for an employee to be successful. It's all about the attitude. Yet this is often overlooked or receives far too little attention during the interview process. If an employee has great talent but doesn't fit into your business culture, constantly questions policy and their company role or you find a need to be concerned every time the employee talks to one of your best customers, then they are not really such a great employee regardless of skills and talents. Your employees shouldn't be acting like "loose cannons" that you have to fear everytime they interact with someone or work on a project. This is often what happens at companies large and small: companies hire someone who they believe will be beneficial to the business but after a short period of time they start to realize this person's attitude is going to be extremely destructive to customers, other employees and to the company's bottom line. Worse yet, people begin to dread coming to work every single day because they are going to have to deal with this person. Has this happened to you with an employee? That's why, Hiring For Attitude, will help CEOs, presidents and business owners, as well as anyone on the hiring team, get the right perspective on hiring the right people with the right attitude at the right time. It IS About Attitude As an employer, but more importantly, as a hiring authority at your company, you DO want employees to have an attitude – one that is in sync with the company mission and philosophy. Here's why: According to the author of Hiring For Attitude, Mark Murphy (@LeadershipIQ), 46% of people hired in 2012 will fail within the first 18 months on the job. That's somewhat hard to believe given the economic and unemployment situation currently where there is so much talent just waiting to be hired. The employees, according to the author, don't fail for lack of skills but rather for lack of attitude. In fact, an astounding 89% of the time, employees fail for attitudinal reasons, and only 11% of the time because of skill. The author presents further fascinating details in the book in regard to why new employees fail. Mark Murphy, a leadership strategist, goes on to say that the world of hiring has radically changed – just as many other things in business have changed since the recession of 2008. Forward thinking companies are now hiring people with the right skills plus the right attitude. Mr. Murphy cites an example of hiring a technically gifted engineer. But what if the new hire doesn't fit the company culture? What if there is poor team or group chemistry? What if the individual doesn't do well with change? What if there is a lack of risk taking or innovative, creative thinking? Or what if there is too much? You can test for skills but it is much harder to recognize attitude. Yet attitude needs to be the number one focus during the hiring process. All it takes sometimes is one employee with the wrong attitude, as it states on the inside cover of the book, to cause years of drama and chaos for other employees and customers. The book refers to this type of employee as a talented terror. You've met this employee before, haven't you? How To Hire For Attitude The book outlines in detail how to source and identify great talent to hire with attitude. For example the book talks about the five biggest reasons why new hires fail:
This book will change the way you think about, approach and conduct interviews during the hiring process. It works for hiring janitorial staff and receptionists to titles at the very top tier of an organization. It is costly and time consuming to invest in new employees. Why not take steps to insure the best candidate really does get hired? Does Your Company Have "Brown Shorts?" Successful companies, such as Southwest Airlines, hire for attitude. And successful employees live these attitudes every day. Yet every company has different criteria for what is considered a great attitude. That's what makes every organization, including yours, unique. "Brown Shorts" refers to a Southwest interviewer who asked a group of pilot interviewees to wear the company's summer uniform which included brown Bermuda shorts rather than long formal pants that you typically see on pilots. Surprisingly, many of the potential pilot hires declined wearing the shorts – which immediately signaled that these candidates were possibly not a good fit with the Southwest company culture. Anyone who has ever flown on a Southwest flight knows that you can be professional and still have fun while working. Before conducting your next employee interview, consider developing a list of what makes your company culture unique and different – in other words, your company's "Brown Shorts." Hiring For Attitude is one of those must read books for CEOs, presidents and business owners. It was sent to me for review because of the nature of my work and business experience. This is the type of business book you will reach for and refer to time and time again – every time you prepare for an interview with a job candidate. Suddenly, "I like your attitude" will take on a whole new meaning. From Small Business Trends |
To start this book review I want to present some observations about hiring I have seen over and over again throughout my years in business. In fact, just days before sitting down to write this review, I became aware of an employee situation at a growing, successful company that fits perfectly with the premise of this book.| You are subscribed to email updates from Small Business News, Tips, Advice - Small Business Trends To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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