Are These Emails Automated or Real?

Marketing automation tools are awesome. If you use them right, they can really help you connect with your clients on another level. The problem is that not everyone out there is using their tools the way they was meant to be used. Some people are still slapping the old “Dear Valued Customer” on their emails or inserting sales pitches directly into the subject line. From our experience, nothing turns a potential client off more than in your face marketing and generic content.

Today we want to talk to you about making your emails more personable, and thus more likely to be read.

Merge Fields

First of all, let’s all get on the same page and start using merge fields. Many of the marketing automation software out there even makes this easy for you – If you are an Ontraport/Agency Revolution user for example, all you have to do after logging into your DIO and opening up a new email is to scroll on down to the “Mail Merge” section where you can pick out which contact information you would like to use to address your clients. ALWAYS personalize your emails.

Write Original Content

This should be a given, but jeez, have you seen some of the form emails that go around out there? You start in reading the first sentence and have already clicked “delete” before you even get half way through. And if you do that, then you can bet your customers do to.

So when you start working on your next date sequence or step sequence, try to work in some fresh content. Instead of “Dear Sir, It has come to our attention that you are underinsured for your auto insurance…” try something more along the lines of “Dear [First Name], We’ve just finished reviewing your [Type of Insurance] insurance policy for the year and thought we’d let you know…”

The key here is that it doesn’t have to be so formal and stuffy, it can be personable and even friendly. Instead of a computer telling someone something, your emails should sound like a human being actually wrote them. That means you can use a conversational tone.

Try using emails you have sent in the past or even have a professional writer help you create your automated email responses. I find some of the best emails are easy to read and tend to be short and to the point.

Watch Your Subject Lines

We’ve already alluded to it, but don’t put your sales pitch directly into your subject line. Just don’t.

Speaking of Sequences…

Speaking of date and step sequences, let’s just take a moment to remember that no one likes hearing their phone ding at 3 o’clock in the morning. When you are sending out an automated email be sure that your are sending it out during working hours. We all know you’re not really thinking about my auto insurance in the middle of the night.

 

 

 

 

Photo – © dacianlogan – Fotolia.com