Tag Archives: conversation

5 Ways to Make Sure Customers Open Your Emails

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Many of us spend a lot of time focused on how the wording in important emails affects the way they are received. From email marketing messages to business inquiries  it’s important to ensure the emails we spend time writing are actually read. In order to have the best chance of getting customers to open and read an email, you’ll need to develop and use these five strategies to get your email seen.

1. Check Your Display Name

Your email display name is the most recognizable thing about your email, and catches the eye immediately when the recipient receives the email. In order to stick out from the message crowd in your crowded inbox, you must ensure your display name is set up correctly.

  • Always use your full name – including your surname.
  • Avoid using generic mailboxes, email addresses or unhelpful ‘From’ names in the sender name field.
  • Include a clear signature so that your recipient can easily check which company you’re emailing from if they don’t recognize your name.

2. Word the Subject Line Wisely

Along with the first paragraph of the email, your subject line is crucial in getting your recipient to act. A properly worded subject line has three purposes:

  • It grabs the reader’s attention within a split second.
  • It describes the action you want the reader to take.
  • It makes the message easier to refer back to, or search for.

When writing your subject line, try to accurately summarize your request and convey the importance of the email’s contents within as few characters as possible. A good way to do this is to ask a question in the subject, or start the email subject line with the action you want the reader to take (for example, ‘Reply needed:…’). You may also wish to refer to the recipient by name to give your email an extra personalized touch.

Many email clients also display the first sentence of the email as a preview. Use that sentence in conjunction with your subject line for maximum impact. Also, avoid using any phrases that could potentially look like spam, or trigger an overzealous spam filter. The more specific your language, the better.

3. Use Smart Scheduling

Researchers have studied the best time to send emails, and have tracked response rates on each day of the week. GetResponse studied 21 million messages and found that engagement was higher between 8-10 AM and 3-4 PM. Messages sent during those periods enjoyed a slightly higher open rate.

However, you don’t need to be an expert to understand the psychology behind this technique: simply focus on sending emails when you’re most likely to get the recipient’s undivided attention.

  • Look for patterns in your recipient’s emailing habits. If they tend to deal with all of their mail in the afternoon, that’s your best bet for a quick reply.
  • Don’t send emails when people are likely to have run out of steam. For example, some experts advise not sending emails on Thursday or Friday afternoon when most people have already started to ‘switch off’ before the weekend. Figures from MarketingGum back this up; they found that messages sent on a Thursday had the lowest open rate, and very few emails were opened on Friday afternoon.
  • There is an exception to the Thursday/ Friday rule. According to the same MarketingGum research, you may get a good response on a Thursday or Friday if the contents of your email relate to a weekend task.
  • You’ll need to take into account any timezone differences in order to get maximum engagement at the right time of day.

4. Don’t Send Any Further Emails… Yet

The key is to make the task of opening, reading and responding to a message as quick and easy as possible. Sometimes you may feel that you missed an important piece of information and need to send a second email to update the recipient. If you can avoid this, it is better to wait until the recipient has replied to your first email. Too many ‘urgent’ emails can dilute the attention given to the conversation. If you insist that every email is urgent, it can confuse the recipient and make it difficult for them to decide which message is most important.

5. Keep Up the Conversation

Once your recipient has responded, return the favor. If their email requires a response, send it as soon as you’re able to. Not only will this reinforce your reputation as a good communicator, it will inspire confidence in your recipient. They’ll know that you’re reliable and quick to respond to their questions – so, in return, they’ll be more likely to respond to yours right away.

Claire Broadley is a creative content writer working for WhoIsHostingThis.com, an independent hosting review website.

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How to Curb the Fear of Cold Calling

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“Hello? Is (insert name) available please?”

For anyone who works in a sales driven job, they know just how daunting it can be at first to face the fear of calling strangers and asking for a sale. Termed ‘cold calling’ in the business world, this is one of the most commonly cited fears for many in the industry, from both new employees, and experienced workers.

But many also have a fear in calling in general and if your office is quite quiet, it can be daunting picking up the phone knowing that everyone is listening.

One of the major issues with phone fear is that it is not often spoken about. Many do not want to admit that they might feel that surge of anxiety when reaching for the phone, or that they spend ten or twenty minutes before each call working up the nerve to dial. For some, it seems that they are alone in this. But that’s not true at all. Phone anxiety is much more common than one would think, and at times all professionals in this field face the same fear. However, many have come up with ways to be able to work through the fear, and end up becoming excellent sales people.

Here are a few tips to help overcome phone fear in the office:

  • Realize that most phone fear stems directly from fear of rejection. No one wants to make a pitch and hear ‘sorry, not interested’ as the response. This is completely natural. Take a deep breath and accept that some people just may not be interested in what you’re trying to sell. It’s nothing personal against you or the company. As soon as you realize that, you can keep moving forward and making cold calls.
  • Work with a style that is comfortable. Some might have been trained by the office pro in their calling approach, which could end up feeling far too aggressive or uncomfortable for many, leaving them sunk before they even pick up the phone. Be natural and conversational.  How can you go about doing this? Start by saying hello and asking how the person doing. Are they having a good day? Do they have any plans for the weekend? Chat briefly about what they’re up to before heading into the sales portion of the call.
  • Think like the customer and realize that they most likely get quite a few calls each day asking for a sale. Be patient and understanding, but also determine what their potential needs, objections and questions might be. This will go a long way in being able to deflect any potential rejections.

By employing these techniques and getting more comfortable with customers, over time the phone fear will start to dissipate until it completely goes away. The only way you will build up your confidence is to practice, practice, practice. By picking up the phone and trying, you can work through the fear – but don’t forget that you are not alone. With the help and support of senior members of the sales team, you’ll soon find yourself cold calling like a pro!

This article is provided by Abbey Telecom, a leading installer of phone systems for small business in the UK, and a friendly family owned firm. For more information on the phone systems installations and maintenance services they provide, please visit their website. 

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Guest Post: How to Improve Your Cold Calling Results

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Your company may be one where routine cold calls contribute to your business and keep new customers coming in. But when it comes to cold calls, your staff probably hears more “no” responses than “yes” when you’d like it to be the reverse. Whether you have an outbound call center or a single employee who focuses on cold calls, these tips can help improve your results.

Before You Start

If your company is one that turns to cold calls, chances are you have at least one person focused on doing just that. The process can easily become tedious for the employee calling out and this can hinder their interactions with other potential customers. Before you even make a call, here are some things to keep in mind.

  • Throw out your script, or at least create one that is easily customizable. Every new person you call is different than the last, so why should the script stay the same? You want to create a relationship and a script can make doing so more difficult.
  • If you can, do a little digging into the business and person you plan to speak with. Saying something different from what you’re pitching is a great way to establish rapport before you transition to the reason for your call. It also provides insight into how you should pitch.
  • Be prepared to leave a voicemail. Be brief, pitch-free, and leave a contact number to be reached at (and repeat it back a second time) and your chances of a return call increase.

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Chit Chat at the Office: Good Idea or Bad Idea?

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Whether your office is big or small there’s a good chance that you encounter daily office chatter. This can take place between people’s desks, in the break room or in the hallways. Although workplace comradery is generally encouraged, how much chatter is too much? What is the line between appropriate discussion and becoming a pair of chatty Kathy’s? Before you strike up conversation, consider the following questions:

Would you want your boss to hear you?

Sure, this seems like a no-brainer, however over time people tend to forget office etiquette 101. You are at the office to earn a living and hopefully produce a stellar work product. Of course, this does not mean that you should conduct yourself as if you have a zipper for a mouth. Conversation is good! However, make sure that you really think through what you are saying. Gossip about other coworkers, complaints about your manager or too much detail about your home life should probably remain in your head. If you wouldn’t want your boss to be a part of the conversation, mum’s the word.

Does this have anything to do with a fellow co-worker?

As just mentioned, co-worker bashing at work is definitely a no-no. Of course, this is the real world and different personality types within the office may clash. However, think back to your high school days. Remember how each clique spent an ungodly amount of time gossiping about the other cliques? Heavens to Betsy don’t revert to that!! An office is synonymous with professionalism.  Wait until you are home to tell your dog Spike about how Mary chews her gum too loudly or that Sam is always late. Finally, if you have a serious problem with a co-worker, speak to your manager. Interoffice gossip will only make the problem worse.

Could your comment be sent over e-mail?

You know that dream where you send something to a co-worker and it is accidentally sent to the entire office?  Terrifying, right? Consider the consequences of a conversation being spread by word of mouth. Think about your office as one giant game of telephone. Per the game, what Sally tells Jim, and what Jim tells Taylor are not going to be the same. Chatter beware! As with the mass e-mail, don’t assume that what is said between you and a co-worker will stay between you and the co-worker. Words can spread like wildfire, and you don’t want to be the one who lights the match.

Does the conversation pass the three minute rule?

Although the office is primarily a place of business, establishing rapport with co-workers is important. You know the saying the family that plays together stays together? The office that gets along moves along. Of course you want to hear about each other’s weekends, children and travel plans. Small talk does not qualify as office chatter. However, try to follow the three minute rule; make sure you can wrap up the conversation around the three minute mark. Yes, three minutes sounds like a short period of time. However, chances are you will probably have several three minute conversations with your co-workers. Try to keep the recaps to a reasonable length. After all, you can always text, tweet or telephone your co-workers after hours and on the weekends to get the extended scoop.

Don’t be afraid to have fun or make friends at the office. Keep in mind the above questions and conduct yourself professionally. This will allow you to make friends while still performing at work, giving you the best of both worlds.

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