|
|
 |
7 Ways Email Can End Your Business Relationships Before They Start
Too often, people forget they're anonymous in the internet world. Your friends and colleagues might know you as being a tireless worker, a great friend and loving parent, but I don't know that. To me, you're just a font. You're a font in an email, or in a forum post. If you give me access to your website, then you're whatever impression the website creates. But largely, you're anonymous. So if you want to establish trust in your internet business dealings, make it your goal to paint a professional image via email. I'm a copywriter, so I'm constantly combing the web for possible clients and cohorts. Recently I've encountered some internet personalities who have left me scratching my head in puzzlement. Might we have had a fruitful business relationship? I'll never know, because within days of crossing paths, they managed to display one of the "Scary Seven" - that is, the seven quickest ways to scare people away by email. Let's review them now. Scare Tactic 1. Send an email from a cryptic address. There's nothing that says 'unprofessional' like an email inquiry from "Binky24" or "Shanaynay_7". Email addresses like this strike me as being one of two things: 1. someone young and foolish, or 2. a spammer. I understand if you don't have a website up and running yet; after all, as a writer, many people contact me to help them get their businesses started. But at the very least, reveal your first and last name. Provide contact information, and a brief background. If no one knows who you are, it's not likely they'll do business with you. Scare Tactic 2. Send an email that contains virtually no information. Yesterday I responded to a post on Craigslist that requested an editor. In my email, I gave my name, contact info, a little background information and directed the potential client to my website. I asked a few questions about their needs. In response, I got one line, and a very uninformative one at that. Do you see why I don't plan to contact this person again? Scare Tactic 3. Send too many emails! Want to make people think you have absolutely zero going on? Then send someone a barrage of email after having just met. I recently got an onslaught of emails from a potential client - NINE in total, over the course of a day. YIKES! This is a busy world. People don't have time to pore through your information. Organize your thoughts, and send in ONE email- maybe two, max. Scare Tactic 4. Send emails of a personal nature. Never, EVER send email jokes or personal anecdotes to someone you plan on doing business with over the internet. I don't care how promising the initial phone conversation was or how "friendly" they seem. This behavior screams unprofessional, and can even be a bit disturbing. Many marketers swap information, and this is fine. But it should be done in moderation. There's a fine line between helpful information exchange and email harassment. Don't cross it. Scare Tactic 5. Send out a group email, and forget to blind copy. I recently signed on to work for a company that contracts out writers. I liked the spirit in which business was being conducted and the site owner's honest approach. But there is such a thing as too much honesty. The first project came through via email - and I could see the name of EVERY writer who was competing with me for work! Not only does this have trouble written all over it, but no one wants their email address shared. A Privacy Policy is the hallmark of a real business. Implement one, and assure people their information is safe with your company. Scare Tactic 6. Send an email that you haven't proofread. We're all in a hurry, it's true. But haste makes waste! If you request information on "barbecue girls," you might just get some unexpected feedback! Double-checking your message can ensure that the recipient can respond properly. Ultimately, you'll get an answer to the question you asked - and not one you didn't. Scare Tactic 7. Send an email that's either too enthusiastic, or too austere. People are people - and I've encountered personalities from both ends of the spectrum. Those who are "SO EXCITED to make your acquaintance that they CAN'T STOP SHOUTING!!!!!!" and those who apparently are so wrapped up in themselves that they can't spare a courteous hello. My advice: take the middle ground. Keep it friendly yet professional, and don't go to extremes in your correspondence. Don't want to frighten people away with your email? Then avoid the "Scary Seven!" Above all, discuss the who, what, when, where, how and why of your message, and be sure to include any information that will help your future colleague get to know you better - a website link, some articles you've written, your resume, etc. Don't be overly pushy on email, and avoid over- or under-communicating. In time, you'll get the feel for the type of emails people respond to. And once that happens, you're on your way to cultivating fruitful internet business relationships! Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved. Dina Giolitto is a New-Jersey based Copywriting Consultant with nine years' industry experience. Her current focus is web content and web marketing for a multitude of products and services although the bulk of her experience lies in retail for big-name companies like Toys"R"Us. Visit http://www.wordfeeder.com for rates and samples.
MORE RESOURCES:
Email-Marketing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Do You Build Or Buy? (Tips On Leadgeneration) Every marketer needs leads, they are the lifeblood of your online business. However not every marketer knows how to effectively "work" their leads. Save Time By Creating Email Signature Templates If you're like me, there are certain types of email that you send out regularly that follow a set form (client follow up notes, meeting notes, email article submission, etc). These can be irritating to have to recreate from scratch every time, but the tried and true method of creating a seperate document-file template, then sending that out as an attachment, may not always be appropriate. 10 Persuasive Triggers To Plug Into Your Ad 1. Most people want to win over others. Is Your Autoresponder Truly Promoting Your Company? Getting other people to promote your web site is one of the most popular Internet marketing methods around, today. Affiliate relationships are all the rave with people who have web sites. Taking Care of Busines... E-mail In this digital day and age, communicating through email is getting more and more important. This is of course also true for customer service and help desks. Harnessing the Power of Email Marketing Given the inherent problems with traditional marketing techniques, it`s important to master the BASIC STRATEGIES FOR INTEGRATING EMAIL into your overall campaign.As I`ve just shown you, sending out an EMAIL CAN BE MUCH CHEAPER than other marketing methods. Build Credibility With an Email Course When you are an expert, you sometimes forget that others don't know as much as you do. Not only do you understand your topic at a higher level, but you also know what's important for a novice to know. Using Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) For Email Privacy Need for PrivacyPeople have become hypersensitive about their privacy during the last few years. They now expect that their details will be used only for the purposes for which they have been provided and not shared by original trustees. 4 Steps To 1,000.. 2,000..3,000 Subscribers In Days! Everyone who has been marketing online for sometime already know the value of an email list. An email list, filled with targeted subscribers who opt in, is the most valuable asset for anyone with an online business. A Lesson In Email: The Money Is In The List... With The Back-End Sales Firstly, back-end sales is eMail Marketing at its best, so for this to work you need to already have a list of customers that have bought from you before.The reason for this is because Back-end sales, are the ultimate way to realize the true 'life-time value' of your customers/list. The Lowdown: How To Create And Send HTML Email I am frequently asked how to create and send HTML email, usually with regard to how to broadcast it to a mailing list. This article presents the various options available to you. Build or Buy--Should You Build Your Own Opt-in Email List? The easiest way to acquire an email list for your ezine or email marketing is just to buy one. They're not too expensive, and they provide you with a long list of names and email addresses. 4 Time-Saving E-Mail Tips! E-Mail is still the most widely used Internet tool available today. Virtually everyone who has Internet access has an email account, and for the Internet Marketer this opens up a huge possibility for more business. Dear Ms. Subscriber - Please Dont Unsubscribe Don't be insulted. Don't take it as a personal rejection. How To Use a Message Sequence to Increase Your Sales If there's one thing I've learnt in over 3 years of web marketing, it is this: you *must* follow up with your visitors.The statistics are very clear about this: the 1st contact produces 2% of sales, the 5th to12th contacts produce 80% of sales. An E-mail Promotion Internet Marketing Strategy Works E-mail promotion Internet marketing can help your home-based business expand and attract customers that are interested in goods and services like yours. Once you have determined who is your target market, drawing them into your circle of customers requires some effort. Writing Effective Emails Sometimes email messages can get quite long, especially when you quote much of the material that has been sent in previous emails. Also, emails often get long if you have a lot to say or you need to give a comprehensive overview of a particular business situation. How to Build Your Mailing List 1. USE POP-UPS Pop-ups are one of the most common methods you can use to capture email addresses and build your email list quickly and with ease. What Is An Email Signature And What Do I Do With It? You hear it all the time.. Track Customer Response With an Autoresponder Service Another powerful reason for making the switch from using the unlimited autoresponders that come free with your web hosting account to paying a monthly fee for an autoresponder service is tracking capability.The autoresponders that come with your web host don't have built-in tracking capabilities.
|
|
Home | Marketing eCourse | Online Marketing Kit | Web Hosting | Links | ClickBank Portal Advertising Information | Blogging & RSS | Branding Information | Copywriting | Traffic Building Email Marketing | Ezine Publishing | Site Promotion | PPC Advertising | E-Books |
| Copywrite © 2006 www.AdAdvantageSuccess.com All Rights Reserved. |
