Pop Question: What is the goal of an automated email blast software campaign?
Lots of answers may quickly come to mind and most of them would have to do with conversions, sales and increased revenue. That mindset can blow you off track of the most effective use of marketing automation.
None of those things are the essential role of an effective email blast software. Replace the three goals in the previous paragraph with these: education, trust and conversation. Now – we’re communicating on a level that respects the perspective of the sales lead.
To maximize the value of every email you send, the sales lead will expect your perspective to mirror their need to get things from you without any commitment to you. If your goal is to sell more and make more money, they will detect your selfish motives and run the other way.
What Your Sales Lead Needs
Do you have any idea why prospects respond to your newsletters, campaigns and other marketing (trade shows, fliers, mailers, cold calls, etc.) and become a sales lead? If not, it’s time to do some homework. Here are some ways to learn the answer:
- Analyze the data in your online CRM to determine which sources of sales lead get a response. Also determine the sales lead to conversion ratio of each lead source. Your CRM software has measurement capability to give you that information. Review the reports to determine what made them respond to your appeal.
- Create a persona of your very best clients. This ideal client, already doing business with you, will offer clues to why people become sales leads.
- ASK – Current clients are more likely to answer why they first responded to your marketing message, but skilled salespeople will often get new sales leads to share insight about what triggered a response.
What Future Customers Want to Hear
Again, your online CRM is a rich source of data. Metrics in your database will quickly show what education is valuable to the reader. Set up your email automation in two parts. The email is short, sweet and entices the recipient to click on a useful content piece.
When the reader clicks through, it tells you two things. First, you know that they believe you have something interesting to share. Second, they tell your salesperson to get on the phone and start getting to know the sales lead…ask questions…record the response…and listen very carefully.
Customer-Focused Conversations
Email blast software is a proven tool for ongoing communication with sales leads. You can initiate an ongoing opportunity to educate while boosting the prospect’s trust and rapport with your company. It also gives you the chance to lead the sales lead through your sales process and increase sales. Although increased revenue is the end result, you profit best when your focus comes from the sales leads prospective.
That is one reason why conversation is critical. Email blast software or email campaigns are rarely about sending emails that trigger people to push the “Buy Button”. Particularly in the B2B environment, the email’s purpose is much more subtle and respects the decision maker.
Salespeople need to be part of the marketing mix. Ultimately people buy from people. The ultimate goal of an effective email campaign is to nurture the lead enough that a sales conversation can be experienced.
In the end, email blast software is about saving the professional sales person time and energy. It allows more engaging conversation than could be accomplished without your customer-focused, educational and leadership demonstrated with a good email campaign.