The word “email” is not ready to disappear from our vocabularies just yet. Some may think that emails have become obsolete because of all the other digital means people use to connect these days, however, the truth is that emails remain one of the most efficient post-sale follow-up techniques to build a strong base of loyal customers. And even though composing an email might seem simple, you should work on making them more professional.
Loyal customers are the backbone of every successful organization, and when you realize that emails can help you make repeat customers, you’ll understand their significance and potential. Here are a few methods to improve your email game.
1. Keep it organized and simple
How your customers are going to perceive your enterprise depends on the way you format your emails. You want to keep them organized and simple. For example, when listing important things, use bullet points, which will allow your customers to scan the email and determine its purpose in a matter of seconds. Keep in mind that most people today read emails from their phones, so if they are on the move and your email is too long, they might decide to postpone or ignore it (it’s more likely that they’ll just forget about it). If you’re expecting a quick mail response, try not to confuse your customers by asking too many questions. Introduce yourself, be clear about your offers, and state your intention in the subject line.
2. Create templates for frequently-used responses
No matter what type of work your business does, there are questions that your customers will frequently ask. You can lose a lot of precious time by responding to each one of these questions, especially if you want to make every email you send a unique one. Also, when responding to so many emails, there’s a risk of making a spelling or grammar error that your customers will notice. This is why having a template for this kind of emails is the best idea. Prewritten emails can be tweaked and adjusted in order to be more personal.
3. Always proofread
Even with prewritten emails, a typo can always sneak in. Even though they won’t repel your customers immediately, they can make you look incompetent and unprofessional. One typo in an email can actually go in your favor, because it will show that you’re a real person. Several typos, on the other hand, will contribute to an unprofessional image. Thus, you should always proofread your emails before sending them.
4. Email signature
If you want your customers to get a sense of your professionalism, use a unique signature that includes your title, business name, and additional contact information. They are easy to make and very effective; you can use an email signature generator to make one. You should never underestimate the visual impression a good email signature can make.
5. Respond to emails in a timely manner
One can never know whether responding to every email is going to help generate sales, which can make the whole process daunting. This can get you putting the task off, and once you start doing this, you’ll likely start forgetting to respond to some of the emails, which will eventually make you appear unreliable and irresponsible. To avoid this, set aside at least 15-20 minutes each day to respond to all your emails.
It doesn’t take much to improve your emailing strategy. Once you send an email, it’s no longer private and the recipient may decide to post it somewhere online or show it to their friends as an example of a bad emailing strategy, which can make your marketing efforts plummet down. We hope that these tips will make you understand why you should pay attention to every email you send.
Guest article written by: Dan Radak is a marketing professional with eleven years of experience. He is currently working with a number of companies in the field of digital marketing, closely collaborating with a couple of e-commerce companies. He is also a coauthor on several technology websites and regular contributor to Technivorz.