Is eMail Still a Good Sales Effectiveness Tool?

Is eMail Still a GoodSales Effectiveness Tool?

By Jim Brodo, SVP Marketing August 6, 2013

Copyright © 2013 Richardson. All rights reserved.

Is eMail Still a Good a Sales Effectiveness Tool?

Has the influx of new and more personal technologies put email on life support as a sales effectiveness tool?

Let’s look at two examples that suggest email may well be on the way out for:• Developing new clients • Building relationships with existing

clients.

http://blogs.richardson.com/2013/09/16/email-life-support-sales-effectiveness-tool/



Over a two-week span, I counted every email I received. • Well over 2,300 emails• 64%, or 1,472 emails, I was being sold or marketed to:

Content marketing campaigns Automated follow-ups to campaigns Sales people prospecting me Sales people following-up to their follow-up.

• Project those numbers over a 52-week year 38,000 emails Over 100 emails every day of the year—focused on

selling me something

New Client Acquisition – The issues



• Capturing share of mind with prospects via email has become extremely difficult.• Trend reports on email opens and click throughs all say different things; there’s no

consensus. • Some say open rates are up, other’s say they are down. • In conversations with my fellow senior-level marketing peers, open rates are down.

My own marketing campaigns have seen steadily declining open rates over the past couple of years, From 27% to 23%, now hovering at around 12%.

• Like direct mail a few years ago, email created a cost-effective mass communications tool for marketers that has become totally oversaturated

• Marketing automation tools ripped down barriers even further• There is now is a significant increase in reliance on email by sales and marketing

for prospecting and lead nurturing• The flood of emails has made it significantly harder to gain the attention of

prospects –

New Client Acquisition – Further Troubles with eMail



• In my blog post, Some Do’s and Don’ts for Better Lead Nurturing and Follow Up, I discuss a multi-channel Follow-up Communication Plan.

In the client-acquisition phase, you can no longer rely on a single modality to help you drive early-stage opportunities.

You have to develop content marketing campaigns, leverage social media, and, most important, get out from the safety of email to network face-to-face, ask for referrals

• Oh yeah – pick up the phone and talk to someone

New Client Acquisition – What Can We Do?

http://blogs.richardson.com/?s=Do%E2%80%99s+and+Don%E2%80%99ts+for+Better+Lead+Nurturing+



• I am staunch believer and advocate of the fact that relationships drive sales. I see many sales people falling into the trap of relying on email to build and maintain relationships. But how well can that work given the sheer volume of email we all get?

EXAMPLE • I was out to dinner with a friend a few weeks ago when he told me about

losing one of his biggest clients. The client told the rep that he was not communicating with him. My friend looked at me and said, “I don’t get that. I sent him five emails and he never replied me. I don’t know what he is talking about that I don’t communicate.” • Hmmmm – seems to be an issue here

Building Client Relationships – The Issues



When you think about your closest relationships, how do you communicate with them today? • Is it by email?

How many emails have you sent your wife, partner, or kids lately? If you sent your spouse five emails and did not get a reply, would you

really think everything was OK in the relationship? • Today, we have a vast number of tools to reach out with.

We can text, tweet, phone, or use any number of social media messaging platforms, including audio and video.

• Can you remember the last time I sent an email to one my closest friends or family.

Building Client Relationships – Further Troubles with eMail



Change things up. • Texting is a very personal communications medium and some clients may find

it intrusive.

• But why not ask them if they mind if you text them?

• In fact, why not go one step further and actually ask them how they prefer you to communicate with them?

• Some clients may only want email, but your closer relationships may just be open to texting and more personal forms of communications.

Building Client Relationships – What Can We Do



Email will not be going away anytime soon.

• It has become too ingrained in the way we work, operate, and communicate.

• It’s important to note that email has lost a lot of the shiny, new technology effect and is becoming less important as a sales effectiveness tool.

That means you have to step up your game and find the best ways to communicate with your clients and prospects.

• It may take a little more time, but you’ll be much more effective if you can adapt a variety of strategies and tactics to identify, maintain, and build client relationships.

Building Client Relationships – Quick Summary


Thank You

• Thank you for viewing this slideshare. • If you have any feedback or comments, or would like to learn

more about the award winning sales training products and services offered by Richardson, please email me at [email protected].

• Did I actually just say eMail? – You can also connect with me at:

• LinkedIN - www.linkedin.com/in/jimbrodo/• Follow me on Twitter - @Richardsonsales• Join our blog – http://blogs.richardson.com • Call us at 215-940-9255• Or contact me directly through our website http://www.richardson.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jimbrodo/

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Is eMail Still a Good Sales Effectiveness Tool?

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