Email Action

Check your email right now. How many do you have sitting in your Inbox from salespeople and marketers trying to get your business? And what separates the ones you open versus the ones that get sent to your Junk Mail Abyss? Let’s face it; none of us have enough hours in the day so we are forced to make hard decisions about where each minute goes. And our sales prospects feel the same. So the art of creating sales email that creates curiosity and urgency is a talent that you need to have if you are going to regularly find new prospects… as well as get current ones to act. So when writing that email, think about what it would have to say for YOU to be eager to open it.

So what is the difference between an email that gets opened and one that doesn’t? First, people open, read and act on emails that they can respond to quickly. Which means you need to make every word count. They also are immediately skeptical, regardless of how great your solution is.

Below are some tips that will get your email opened, read and acted on more often:

1.    Have an Objective: A good email objective is what you want the reader TO DO as a result of reading it. It is NOT to deliver information. Think about the action you want at the end…before you start typing.

2.    Create a subject line that creates curiosity. Treat it like the title of a book but don’t get too “cutesy.” For example, if you recently sold a product or service that benefited a current customer in a big way, and have little doubt it can do the same for your prospect, try something like:

  • Family Practice Clinic Increase Monthly revenue by 22%.
  • Kansas City Hospital saves 10 lives in 2010
  • Dr. Jones Believes I Can Help

3.    Start with a testimonial in the body- People believe the opinions of peers using your solution more than the person selling it. Make the testimonial match the subject line. For example:

  • “Since ABC Medical introduced some of the latest medical technology to our lab, not only are our patients happier, we have been able to increase our monthly revenue by 22%.” –Associated Internal Medicine
  • “Two years ago we switched our facility to ABC Medical’s EMR solution. We believe that we are saving as many as 10 lives a year as a result of how it helps us better communicate among departments.” –Dr. Jones- St. Joseph Hospital
  • “I recommend ABC Medical to all of my colleagues. No company better understands how to diagnose our issues and provide answers to our patient management challenges.”- Dr. Brown

4.    State the Problem- Before you start telling your prospect in general terms what your company or solution does, you first have to “add a little salt to the wound.” Tell them some of the common problems that similar decision-makers have faced. For example:

  • We have identified a common problem in many Internal Medicine practices. Many are unaware of the latest diagnostic testing technologies in the marketplace that can increase test revenue by as much as 20% or more while increasing patient care.

5.    Tell them briefly what your company does. But keep it brief and casual. If it sounds like it came off a corporate brochure they will tune you out.

  • At ABC Medical, we seek out the premier diagnostic testing devices in the medical industry, break down the financial and patient care benefits of each, then help identify the perfect technologies for the perfect practices.

6.    Tell them the BIG BENEFIT- And get to the point. Also make it as specific as possible.

  • By matching physicians like you with premier testing technologies, we not only believe we can make medical practices more profitable, but we also believe we can help save lives.

7.    Ask for something, then give something

  • “If you think it’s worth a few minutes, I can make myself available for a quick phone call or visit, and do a quick assessment of your practice. Right now I have Monday at 1:00 or Tuesday at 9:00 open if you’re interested in a “practice check-up.” (Notice the words, “make myself available.” It says you are a busy professional in high demand!)
  • In the meantime, I am attaching a recently published article by Dr. Keith Borglum entitled “How to Improve the Financial Position of Your Practice. Some great tips in there! Thanks a ton!

After writing your email, read it with the eye of a customer. Would it make you curious, interested and eager to respond? If it did, go ahead and press that SEND button. And the next time you check your INBOX, avoid all those lame sales emails sent to you, and go right to the ones from prospect’s who are dying to hear more about your value.

Brian is author of the book, 20 Days to the Top-How the PRECISE Selling Formula Will Make You Your Company’s Top Sales Performer in 20 Days or Less. To sign up for free sales training modules on getting to the top, go to www.precisesellingonline.com. Or drop Brian an email at bsullivan@preciseselling.com.