If there’s one thing you should learn and take to heart when it comes to increasing profits in your business, it’s that email marketing works. If you use email marketing you’ll make more sales and make more money. It’s that simple. But (and it’s a big but) email marketing works only if you do it and do it regularly.
Here’s what I mean.
Let’s take that “only if you do it” statement. It stands to reason that if you don’t do something it doesn’t work, because it doesn’t get the chance to work. As the great ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky once so succinctly put it: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
And yet you’d be surprised at how many business-owners think just knowing a technique automatically brings the same results as actually using the technique, when obviously it isn’t. So it isn’t any use just knowing email marketing works. You really do have to write those emails and get them out there.
Next, that “doing it regularly” thing. This is what really puts the brakes on for many people. I can already hear the chorus of excuses as to why you shouldn’t mail your list regularly, and in the points below I’ll show you why the people who believe that are misinformed at best and plain wrong at worst — and are almost certainly missing an opportunity to make more money.
So here are three reasons why you should email, email regularly, and how doing so can bring you greater profits:
- Reason One. Unless you’re selling something on special offer, or it’s something bought on a regular basis, it’s likely your product or service has a fairly long sales cycle. By that I mean it’s a product people buy only every few months, or even every few years. And this means it’s no use following-up with a prospect for a few days or weeks after their initial enquiry and then forgetting them, because the chances are they won’t be ready to buy for a while yet. That’s why regular emails work so well. You’re always there — at the top of consciousness — and when they’re ready to buy, the chances are they’ll think of you.
It’s like the fact McDonald’s has a restaurant in every town. No matter where or when you find yourself hungry — and assuming you like McDonald’s — there’s almost always a Ronald’s place just around the corner.
Even better, if your product does have a short sales cycle — something people buy regularly — sending regular emails keep you in the prospect’s mind just the same, and they’re much more likely to keep on coming to you for their regular delivery rather than go to a competitor.
So, sales cycle long or short, with regular emails you just can’t lose. - Reason Two. When you send regular emails you become more than someone people buy stuff from. You become a part of their daily lives. Now, it might seem spooky or weird to think of your business becoming a part of someone’s life, but that’s a powerful thing to be when it comes to making more sales.
When you mail regularly you become like a person’s favourite radio show or TV programme, something they just can’t miss without a feeling of something gone awry in their life. Or you become like a favourite newspaper columnist they love to read. In a way, it’s all to do with consistency, and the force of habit. Your prospects get used to seeing your name drop into their inbox all the time, and begin to expect it, and even look forward to it.
In the end, it’s about being top-of-consciousness again. When your prospects come to look forward to your emails, and they’re ready to buy, who do you think they’re going to buy from? The guy they never hear from or you? The question answers itself. - Reason Three. One email a month doesn’t give you much chance to say much, but when you email regularly you get a chance to show your personality, which enables you to build a relationship with your prospects. And in marketing and business, relationships are everything. We do business with those we know, like, and trust, and when people get to know you through your emails, they grow to know you, and do business with you.
Writing regularly also enables you to show your prospects how much you know, which means you become the expert in your field. And guess who people go to when they want expert advice? That’s right — you, the expert.
So there you have them, the three main reasons — and very good reasons they are too — why you should email regularly.
And now just a few words covering the common objections about not being a writer and being unable to write regularly. Well, here’s the good news. You don’t need to be a “writer” at all, because all you really need to do is write your emails as though you’re writing to a friend.
The great thing about this is that you don’t have to worry about being “professional”, but also it means your personality will shine through and, as we saw in Reason Three, that can only be a good thing.
And as for the objection about not having enough to write about, all you have to do is talk about what’s going on in your daily life, which can include things like where you went on the weekend, where you went on holiday, a TV programme you watched, a news story you read, a restaurant you visited. If you can link this to something you’re selling or a promotion you’re running, all well and good. If you can’t, just use the old “Oh by the way…” and just mention what you’re selling at the end.
It may sound too simple, but it works.
The other question you probably have is: “How often should I email my list”. There’s no hard and fast rule, but if you’re selling to consumers, at least four times a week is a good thing to aim for, though every day is better. If you’re selling to businesses, aim for at least three times a week, though every weekday is worth aiming for.
And if you’re worried about your prospects feeling bombarded by emails, don’t be worried in the slightest.
Why? Because even if you send an email every day, many of your prospects will read just two or three of them.
CHRIS CARDELL’S KEY TAKEAWAYS
Moreover, if you make your emails interesting — stuff about your life as outlined above and not hard-sell pitches — your prospects will be glad to hear from you, and buy from you when they’re ready. And that does one thing only — adds profits to your bottom line.
Please share here your thoughts on this article about Chris Cardell, share it on social media and express your views. To learn more about Chris Cardell visit his website chriscardell.com or Chris Cardell’s Media Company, Cardell Media Ltd. There is also an interesting video interview with Chris Cardell. His next life changing event is The Sovereignty Summit with Chris and Dan Kennedy on 29th – 30th of September 2015.
