Top Ten Genius E-mail Tips

Many people prefer to be approached by e-mail rather than take phone calls, especially since they can read and review e-mails whenever and wherever they like. Yet, with millions of e-mails exchanged every day, your e-mails need to be well-crafted to get through, get attention and stand above the virtual crowd.

Here are some of the best ways to make the most of your e-mails to prospective customers:

1. Compelling Subject Lines.

   Ask yourself, "Would I open this e-mail?" Try short, upbeat and pertinent. Also, a well-crafted subject line helps dodge spam filters. Common "hype" words such as "awesome deal" or "buy now are usually blocked" It's best to use a short subject line that accurately reflects what you're going to discuss in the body of the message. In Gmail and some other e-mail tools, the first few words of the e-mail are listed, so you may want to repeat or rephrase the subject line as a headline inside your e-mail.

2. Personalize it both ways.

   Include your full name, title and all relevant contact information, perhaps in a "business card" format at the bottom of the e-mail. Besides using their name, make sure you remind prospects how you know them, even if that's limited to saying "thank you for stopping by our booth at the trade show" for leads obtained via company events. If you've communicated with the prospect previously and recall a comment or an interest expressed, be sure to refer to it.

3. Strike the Correct Tone.

   Don't put anything too personal or unprofessional in your e-mail, as you never know who will end up seeing it. Strike a balance between friendly and formal that avoids embarrassing anyone (especially you!) and makes it comfortable for your prospects to forward your message to others in their organizations.

4. Less is more.

   Longer text will tend to seem rambling, while a shorter amount of text will seem focused and more useful. A shorter message implies you know your business well and you understand time is limited and valuable. A good rule of thumb is to include two to three paragraphs of text and one or two links to pages on your web site.

5. Limit gimmicks and graphics.

   So many filters dispose of images, streaming video and other features, it's hard to know if they even make it through, much less if they are compatible with prospects' applications. Remember that links to your website are just as useful and avoid overkill.

6. Use P.S.

   Do you find yourself scrolling down to read this first? Many people will, and even if they take their time to get there, it's often the best place to make or reinforce your most important point. It's also ideal for a "call to action," a time-limited offer or any other special news.

7. Take it easy on attachments.

   See tip # 5 above. Many times, there's a stricter size limit on e-mails than you may guess, or attachments are disabled or incompatible with prospects' software. Consider using a few links instead, perhaps to a relevant information page on your website and to pages with a special offer or exciting news.

8. Check your spelling.

   Remember the adage, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression!" Besides being unexpectedly silly, such as "located in Mimi, Florida," mistakes slow readers down and distract from your message.

9. Save and Review.

   Wouldn't it be wonderful to come across as calm, cool and collected in your correspondence? While it's an obvious mistake to send an angry e-mail, it's also important not to get giddy, over-eager or way too cute. "Preview and Save" and read it later as if you were receiving the e-mail, or ask someone else for feedback. Tone is a critical part of any written communication, so use it to your advantage.

10. Last but definitely not least, provide an "unsubscribe" option.

    Be sure to give your prospect the option of "unsubscribing" from your e-mails (or telling you over the phone they're not interested.) The primary benefit of SalesGenius is to let you determine which prospects are most interested, so you can focus your efforts on meeting their needs and not call on people who will view your call or e-mail as an annoyance. Please be sure to include your company's "opt-out" information or use the tool provided in SaleGenius.