Another lesson learned via my email in-box:
This morning I received an email from a contact that just moved to a new business opportunity. So far, so good - he was taking advantage of a change in his situation to connect with his contacts and let them know about his new job. But the email was actually a turn-off - and a missed opportunity. Why? Rather than using the opportunity to provide value to his contacts and to send a more personal message that focused on how his new job could help me and/or my clients, his email was impersonal and focused on how great his new company was. It's a classic example of misplaced emphasis.
Don't forget the 'golden rule' of marketing - "what's in it for me?"
My contact forgot the 'golden rule' of marketing - your audience, whether the audience is a prospect, client or strategic alliance, is always asking the question "What's in it for me?" If you can't answer that question, and answer it quickly, your efforts are going to be wasted.
In order to be effective, the email didn't necessarily have to be a 'personal' message to each person in his address book - it just had to look like it was. Unfortunately, this email missed the opportunity to connect and began instead with the story of his new company:
XYZ Company was formed to provide superior service and state of the art ... services to the business community...We [work with] trust and estate, corporate, real estate attorneys as well as all other types of service professional[s]. Since XYZ Company’s opening in 200x, we have grown to $xx million in assets. As we move into our [xx] year of operations, we are excited about our prospects and the delivery of more new innovative products to our customers.
Get your audience interested - tell them why they should care
The beginning of the email is awkward because there's no introduction - I'd never heard of XYZ company, and the last time I was in touch with this contact, he was with another business. My attention was immediately lost because I had to figure out what he was talking about and why. He didn't give me any reason to care about XYZ Company or its millions in assets - but I might care about my contact and be interested to know that he'd changed jobs. It would have been much more effective to begin something like this:
"I'm writing to let you know that I've made an exciting professional change, and I am now the [title] at XYZ Company."
Not only would this introduction provide a context for the rest of the email, but once I've been told specifically that my contact had switched jobs, I might care more about the company. And it's even more likely that I'll care if he gives me a reason to think the company and his affiliation with it could help me and/or my clients.
Relate your services to the benefits to your audience
Although the email did go on to describe some of the services provided by this company, by that time, I had already stopped reading (until I decided to do this post). Even re-reading the email, the services were named, but not described sufficiently to establish their value to me or my clients.
My contact could easily have indicated that the company works with lawyers and other professionals and that a, b, and c services are especially suited to professionals -- and why. These descriptions don't have to be long, but they should be enough to generate interest. Instead, the email simply stated that his company uses the 'latest technology' and then listed, one after another, three different technology services, all in one sentence.
Create a good 'call to action'
The email ended with a vague 'invitation' to, "Please let me know how we can be of service to you." A more specific call to action would have been much more effective. A personal meeting is always the best way to connect with prospects, clients and strategic alliances. Assuming that this was a mass email sent to all of his contacts, perhaps including a suggestion to get together to discuss his new opportunity (which, to be effective, would have to include some follow up on his part to ensure that a meeting actually occurs) would have been too much. But he could have directed me to a website, report, etc. that would provide further information about his company's products and services and how they might help me and my clients.
The email could even have ended with a specific invitation to call him to learn more about how the services he described could benefit me or my clients. While this doesn't seem that much different than saying "let me know how I can be of service," studies have shown that a call to action that suggests a specific action such as making a phone call, sending an email, or scheduling an appointment are much more effective.
Show, don't tell
Buzzwords like "superior service" and "state of the art" services and "innovative products" don't really mean anything to your audience. They're claims that are made by everyone. After all, nobody says that they founded their company to provide sub-standard products and mediocre services. But just because you say it's so doesn't make it so.
Saying that you provide 'superior service' may be counter-productive. Your marketing message will be much stronger if you can demonstrate superior service or innovative products by describing those products and services, using examples, case studies, testimonials or otherwise describe your services in such a way that your reader concludes that those services and products are 'superior' or 'innovative.'
If you want to learn more about creating marketing messages that are more effective, check out my audio series, "How to Grow Your Law Practice on a Shoestring Budget," specifically audio #5, Creating Effective Marketing Materials, or email me to find out how I can help you.
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