The Anatomy of a Perfect Message:How to Write Emails that Generate More Good Leads

The purpose of email marketing is not “tell & sell.”

FACT

In other words, you can’t just tell prospects you exist and hope they buy from you.

Your challenge: lead your prospects on a journey up “conversion mountain,” where they could fall off at any

point.

Boring opening line...

Message that doesn’t speak to them...

Don’t know what they’re supposed to do...

Nothing in it for them...

Your job: help your prospects reach the top (a click-through or conversion) by using...

...an opening line that entices your prospect to read further.

...a message that speaks to your readers’ problems and priorities.

…an offer that provides value to your prospects and gives them a reason to act.

…a clear call-to-action that makes clicking through a natural and easy next step.

STEP 1:Start with Your Offer

PROBLEM:

SOLUTION:

Your prospect needs a good reason to act. Your desire to meet is not enough.

Create a compelling offer before you write your message.

Your offer is what your prospect gets in return for acting on your email, and lays the entire foundation for your message. Sell your offer—not your products and services.

CREATE YOUR OFFER WITH 3 QUESTIONS

What specific problem will I help my prospect solve?

What specific action do I want my prospect to take?

What specific benefits will my prospect get in return?

OFFER EXAMPLES

Free knowledge (e-books and white papers)

Events (networking events, webinars)

Media (videos, slideshows)

Interactive Experiences (quizzes, surveys)

Giveaways (samples, limited-time offers, free trials)

The most successful offers help your prospects solve problems or address priorities.

For example, an accounting firm might offer Free QuickBooks Tips, or a business broker might offer

Answers to Common Seller Questions.

Wise Guys Tip

STEP 2:Grab Your Reader from the First Line

PROBLEM:

SOLUTION:

Your prospects are busy. They have limited time and patience. If you don’t grab their attention immediately, you’ll lose them.

Engage your prospect from the very first line of your email.

Be concise. Get to the point. Speak to problems and priorities your prospect cares about. Your prospect will be more likely to take notice and keep reading.

“Did you ever wonder whether you could benefit from an independent, outside Chief Financial Officer to help you manage risks and maximize profits?” (TOO LONG)

“ABC Company is the industry leader in staffing.” (TOO MUCH ABOUT YOU)

“Do you know about the ridiculous industry markup on copiers? Do you know how much extra cash you can save when you avoid it?” (GIMMICKY)

“Who’s your CFO? (Is it you?)”

“Finding good employees is a struggle. Here’s a secret: it can be a lot easier.”

“I wanted to let you in on some bad news (and then some good news) about your copier.”

BETTEROKAY

How to Write a Better Opening Line

Try short, direct questions to grab your prospect’s attention.

(“It’s 2016… where will your new business come from this year?”)

Wise Guys Tip

STEP 3:Lay Out the Problem & Offer a Solution

PROBLEM:

SOLUTION:

Your prospects don’t care about you or your product. They only care about their own problems and priorities.

Use your message to speak to your prospect’s problems and priorities. Avoid detailed descriptions of your product and services.

Start by highlighting the problem or priority your prospects care about. Then explain how your offer can help address it.

SECOND PERSON = ALL ABOUT YOUFIRST PERSON = ALL ABOUT ME

“I’m writing to let you know about our fantastic sales & marketing company.”

“We have over 30 years of experience in our field.”

“We’re the industry leader in quality.”

“Our product has amazing features.”

“You want more prospects, leads, and sales—but national databases are unreliable. Luckily, you have a better option.”

“For over 30 years, companies like yours have used Business Wise to find and connect with their best local prospects.”

“A laser local focus and daily database updates help you make successful connections.”

“Looking to clone your best clients? Click ‘Find Like.’”

Wise Guys Tip

Even when describing your business, speak to your prospects’ point of view.

BAD: “We’ve been the industry leader in X, Y, & Z since 1995.”

BETTER: “For over 20 years, we’ve been helping businesses like yours accomplish X, Y, and Z.”

STEP 4:Make it Easy for Your Prospect to Act

PROBLEM:

SOLUTION:

Your prospects won’t work hard to access your offer. If it’s not clear what you want them to do, they won’t do it.

Make it as easy as possible for your prospect to act on your offer with a clear “call-to-action.”

Your “call-to-action” directs your prospect to click, call, reply, or do something to access your offer.

A SUCCESSFUL CALL-TO-ACTION IS...

Clear (tell your prospect exactly what they’ll get—avoid vague words like “submit”)

Frequent (give your prospect multiple chances to act, including once near the beginning of your message)

Focused (prompt your prospects to take one action only—no irrelevant or distracting links)

Calls-to-action succeed when they stand out visually.

Link an entire line of text (rather than just one or two words) so your call-to-action catches

your reader’s eye.

Wise Guys Tip

STEP 5:Review for Clarity & Empathy

PROBLEM:

SOLUTION:

Enticing your prospect to act on your offer is hard. Every word matters. Messages that are unclear or irrelevant will cause readers to fall off the mountain.

Double and triple check every word of your message.

Is your message clear and simple? Is it empathetic to your prospect’s circumstances, problems, and priorities? If not, revise and rework.

MESSAGE REVIEW CHECKLIST

Is it as clear as possible? (Clarity trumps creativity.)

Is it written to appeal to my prospect’s point of view?

Is it concise (paragraphs no more than ~4 lines and sentences of no more than ~15 words)?

Did I use any unnecessary business jargon that could be replaced with something more conversational?

Did I make it as easy as possible for my prospect to act?

Wise Guys Tip

Feel like your message could be better, but aren’t sure what to do?

Get a fresh take. Let a colleague review your message, or set it aside and revisit it in a couple of days. (Or, let

the Wise Guys take a look and help you out!)

Sally,

I’m curious… is your cold calling script a winner or a dud?

Take a look at these 6 scripts to see what a winner looks like.

(There’s a great one for voicemail.)

Most call scripts are too rigid… or too long… or based on really outdated advice. Successful scripts are focused and flexible. They help you overcome resistance, get to the point, and get your prospects talking.

Most importantly, they put more appointments on your calendar.

See what I mean—grab your 6 scripts here.

Wisely,

Start with Your Offer

Your offer is what your prospect gets in return for

acting on your email—here, it’s 6 cold calling

scripts.

Grab Your Reader

A concise, engaging first line will entice your

prospect to keep reading.

Problem → Solution

Highlight a problem (poor cold calling results), then

explain how your offer can help address it (effective

scripts).

Make it Easy for Your Prospect to Act

Use “calls-to-action” that are clear, frequent, and

focused—and that stand out visually.

Review for Clarity & Empathy

Is your message as clear as possible? Is it empathetic to your prospect? If not,

revise and rework.

© Business Wise Inc. 2016

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Suite 404Addison, TX 75001

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