No one can deny that outbound emails are an essential part of the sales process. It is a great way to reach leads and prospects, as well as an opportunity to educate them on your product/service and build credibility with your brand. One thing we know for sure: it doesn’t matter how good you are at what you do if no one opens or clicks on your email.
That’s why today we’re going to be discussing four unconventional tactics that will help improve your conversion rates when sending outbound emails.
One thing we know for sure: it doesn’t matter how good you are at what you do if no one opens or clicks on your email.
That’s why today we’re going to be discussing four unconventional tactics that will help improve your conversion rates when sending outbound emails.
1) Add funny and relatable images to your email
Have you ever received an email that is just paragraph after paragraph of text?
If you’re like most people, the answer is probably yes and it’s boring. The fact is, people are more likely to read an email that not only is short, sweet, and concise but has images and/or graphics in it. And if those images are funny or relatable, all the better!
Studies show us that emails with images in them can be more likely to be opened than those without. If you want your email to stand out, use some humor and keep it short! An example of how to use images effectively is in the follow-up to a non-responses potential customer. It could be a picture of the famous crying Jordan meme with the words “why didn’t you reply?” This will grab attention and not only that, it makes them feel guilty.
If people like your emails and find them funny, they also might want to share them with their friends or colleagues. This is a great way for you to get more exposure as well as build brand awareness outside of just your target market! At this point in time, we know that our subscribers are also your target market.
For example, let’s say that you’re sending out an email with a funny image of the popular show “The Office”. If someone who works at another company sees this and shares it with their entire office, then that’s exposure for your brand to people who might not have ever heard of you before! This is something we like to call “secondary reach” and it’s a great way to get more leads without having to do any extra work.
Humor and relatable images are a great way to increase the open rates of your outbound emails, and can even lead to more meetings. Don’t be scared to be bold and get creative because the worst that can happen is your subscriber just doesn’t open it.
2) The effectiveness of PS
Most people use traditional sign-offs such as “Sincerely” or not sign off at all.
This is a huge missed opportunity.
The PS section of your email is usually the last thing that they read and it can be used to add one more little nudge for them to reply back. Another benefit of a clever PS is that it can be shared with other people or saved to their drafts.
The possibilities are endless here but just remember that this section of your email should not be taken lightly. Keep it short and use it to your advantage. Some senders have reported higher conversions because of a PS. This means that if you want people to take action after reading your email, using a clever and attention-grabbing PS is a great way to do it!
Examples of how to do this effectively:
- PS I loved your (the last post on social)” It really moved me (+ meeting suggestion)
- PS I loved your blog post on (enter blog)!
- PS I hope this email made your day a little brighter
- PS I remember you saying you love the Dolphins, I too hope they make the playoffs this year
An effective way we’ve found while employing this tactic is by using emojis. For example, you can send something like this to your prospect. This creates an added sense of warmth and friendliness, which can be a great way to break the ice.
One of the most underutilized aspects of an email is the PS section. Don’t just be typical and boring, use this opportunity to give them one last little nudge or even ask for a meeting time that works best for you. Use complements in the PS to show that you’re interested in them and their time. And ask fun questions about their interests or hobbies.
3) Have a little negative input
The majority of emails are just flattering compliments and information overload, this gets repetitive and boring by playing into the same old routine. It is important to keep your prospects on their toes and this can be done with a little negative input.
We all know that negativity can be a risky sales strategy, and SDRs are often hesitant to embrace it. But you should never underestimate the power of an honest opinion with just enough spice.
The right amount will invigorate your customer base even more than if everything had been unicorns and rainbows: this is because people love hearing what others think about their products or services – they want second opinions after all! Implementing this strategy it also makes you very relatable. Below are just some of the ways you can do this in the right way.
- Address your customers’ concerns, this will make them feel that you’re listening to them
- Talk about the competition, but in a way that makes your product look better by comparison
- Make fun of yourself or your company culture
- Make constructive criticism about their product or service but always offer it as a solution
Negative input is risky but it can be an effective way to stand out from the other bland emails. It’s important to do it in the right way, just make sure it’s all in good spirit.
4) Include interactive games
Email is a great way to engage with prospects because it’s one of the only mediums that doesn’t require you to be on their time. This can be through games in your emails, which are fun and interactive.
This tactic can increase open rates because it allows prospects to feel like they are in control of the situation, which can be empowering for those who get a lot of cold emails or have had bad experiences with SDRs.
Another great benefit of playing games is it builds relationships, you can build massive rapport with your prospects by talking about things they enjoy and care about. You can also joke about the results of the game and make fun of yourself.
There are many different types of games you can use here but all should follow some kind of theme so that your email doesn’t look like a child’s game. Below are some examples of games you can use in your email:
- Trivia questions
- Decision-making games
- Puzzles
- Personality Quizzes
- Scavenger Hunts
- Give them options like in polls
You can also include prizes for the people who answer correctly, this will make them more likely to participate.
Games are a great way to keep prospects engaged in your email, it allows them to feel like they’re in control and build massive rapport. Make sure you talk about things they care about and enjoy! Joke around with the results of the game and make fun of yourself.
People love having mundane tasks that they can do in their spare time.
Conclusion
The key to getting your customer’s attention is curiosity. If you can pique their interest with an email, they are more likely to open it and learn about the product or service that could help them.
Curiosity and humor might be one of the best-kept secrets in outbound sales today!
Be sure to use these techniques for outbound emails so you can get better open and response rates from prospects who don’t know yet how valuable your company really is.