Blog

How to Streamline Your Sales Through Email Automation

Posted by Ashley Love

May 19, 2016


  • With platforms like MailChimp, Constant Contact, ConvertKit, etc. there is a massive upward trend toward streamlining your sales process through email marketing automation.  By automating your email marketing, you can take users through the buyer journey and engage with them when you’re ready to make the pitch at the end of the email sequence.


 

How many emails do I send?

Think of this process much like dating. You would not ask someone to be exclusive with you after one date, right? Email marketing is essentially the same idea. Once a person signs up for your list, you should not send an email with a hard pitch initially. Instead, take the people on your list on about 9-12 dates before you make your pitch, I mean send them 9-12 emails. These 9-12 emails should be spread out over time. This does not mean you send an email a day and then make your pitch. This email sequence should take about two months to complete.

What goes into the email?

Content is king. The content you are offering this list is what is ultimately going to convert them into paying clients. Your initial email should come by way as a “thank you” with the offer they were promised when they signed up for your list. A few hours later, note this is the only time your new potential lead will receive two emails in one day, introduce yourself and your business. Let this new lead in on your “why”. Why do you do what you do? People purchase because they like the message and the person telling that message. Make this email a good one.

A few days later, more than 5 days but less than 8, send another email with another free offer. This can be a checklist, a short e-book, a whitepaper, something that gives the reader value. You’ve now provided this lead with two pieces of value that can enhance your business. The whole goal is to give this potential lead something that will improve their situation, even if it’s a small increase or a temporary fix. Trust me; they will remember what you have done for them.

The next email to go out is an invitation to check out your blog. Highlight some of your favorite or most valuable posts. Include what the topic of the post is and a direct link to the post. This gives the potential lead the opportunity to learn more about your business and invites them to explore the website again.

About a week later, share with your list the benefit of working with you, just one benefit. People have signed up for your list because they believe something you have to offer will help them. Now is the time to give them one measurable benefit of working with you.

About 5 days later, send a testimonial that speaks to the aforementioned benefit. This is a simple way to talk about your business without having to talk about yourself. Let others do the talking for you.

A week after this email has gone out, send a case study. Unless your ideal client is looking for something very technical, share a success story with them. Include a testimonial from said client.

After a week, offer another benefit of working with you. At this point it has been a month and a half. You are establishing trust with this contact. Share another benefit of working with your company that may be a little less obvious. If you work in marketing, a benefit of that for the client is less stress, something people are not directly thinking of when they hire a marketing firm. That marketing firm is taking away the stress of content creation and content management. A huge weight is lifted off of your client’s shoulders.

This is your last email before you make a pitch. After a few days, send an email including another success story and testimonial. Let this testimonial speak to that indirect benefit you mentioned before.  Keep it impactful because it is going to be the last thing they see before you make a pitch.

At this juncture, you have been sending emails to your potential clients for almost two months. They know you. If they have not already purchased your services, this is the time to make your offer. Offer a free consultation. Remember those free offers that got this potential lead in your database in the first place? Offer them a consultation to answer any questions about those free offers. Find out how the offers have worked for them. Make sure it is simple for the lead to book this consultation.



Making the pitch

As you may have realized, this consultation will be the first time you have had to actually engage with this lead. However, the lead knows and trusts you already. By spending a few hours setting up an email automation system, you have taken hours of work from your sales team. Now, they can focus on making a pitch to those who have successfully completed your email sequence. The sales team is not going to need to establish trust because it has already been completed.  They can now complete a 30 minute consultation and make their pitch toward the end. Creating this triggered, drip type of email campaign you have been nurturing your lead all along. The benefit is that you haven’t had to put in hours doing so. The email automation you set up has done it for you.

 


New Call-to-action

Topics: Email Marketing

Blog comments

TMD_LOGO_338x149_(web)_(1)The Marketing Department Malvern, PA is a full service Marketing Agency serving Malvern, Main Line, King of Prussia, Wayne, Paoli, Berwyn, Chester County and Montgomery County, PA areas.