What is the Story on Email Responses?

How many of your emails are being read? Are you getting the responses you want? Would you like to get better responses?

With all the spam email it is more and more important to use some simple procedures when communicating by email. More of your emails will be returned, opened, and you will get the response you want.

• Subject Line: To get your email opened be sure the subject line include “Opening” information. In the subject line we need to answer the readers question, “Why should I open this?”

Recently I applied for a new business account from a new bank. The banker at this branch was introduced to me by her formal first name, Elizabeth. She used her nickname, Beth, on her email address. Her email address did not make reference to the bank name. The subject line said, “account information”. I deleted her first email communication. Had she included the name of her bank with “account information” I would have opened the email. (For other reasons I did not open the account with this bank. Looking back on this experience I cannot help but wonder if it were not for sloppy procedures in other areas as well as email, I might be doing business with this bank today.)

Professionals always use the name of their company as part of their email address. Therefore always use your name @ the NAME OF YOUR COMPANY or some derivative of your company name. As for my email it is.

• Content: The content should be to the point, covering one topic.

Many of us, especially those of us who are older than 30, use email in place of the quill pen (OK ballpoint). We use email to replace the postman. 

I encourage you to cover one subject per email. Even when I have a communication with the same person, which cover two topics, I always send two emails. I use as few words as possible to make my point. When I think that the topic needs more than a couple of lines to make my point, I suggest that we arrange a telephone appointment

• Signature: The signature should include your contact information, website and email addresses.

Much of my day is spent marketing my services. Most of my email is in support of that marketing effort. I spend a lot of time thinking about how to get people to open my emails.

I encourage you to track your results. I am looking for responses. 

Recently I sent out an email to 85 speakers in the San Diego, Riverside, and Orange County area. My goal was to tell them what I wanted to do to help them this year. In turn I wanted to let them know what I want to do for my speaking opportunities this year. What I did was create a subject line “I resolve to do a better job referring speakers this year”. In it I gave them a short seven questions to answer. Below their seven questions I answered those questions the way I would answer them if someone were asking me. (I answered all seven questions with 31 words total.) I received more than 20 responses. What did that do?

1. It now allows me to be a better resource to a group that now will also refer me. 
2. I gave them what I want to do so when they hear of an opportunity that does not fit them, they will refer me.
3. I am creating a win/win for the reader as well as myself, understanding the concept of give to receive to give again. 
4. I now can to each of the respondents a service for FREE giving them what they want.

So far, in less than two weeks, I have:

• Attended two speaking events in front of my target market. 
• I will meet with a potential client.
• Have a new advocate who is lining me up for a speaking opportunities.
• Attended one additional networking meeting by invitation.
• Introduced to 10 new potential clients.
• Invited to attend a new networking seminar.

All just from one email that was positioned correctly!

Gerry Rose runs INTEGRITY Networking Solutions in Oceanside, CA. He works with realtors who want to attract the right prospects and their affinity partners who want to generate more referrals. More than 10,000 businesses have been presented the INTEGRITY Networking Solutions system in San Diego, Riverside, and Orange Counties.

Gerry’s stimulating presentation Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals is ideally suited for small business owners, home-based businesses, and independent professionals who want clearer direction and want to attract more prospects, develop dynamic systems, and strengthen their companies’ accountability. Gerry does one on one consulting, conducts a range of keynote speeches from thirty minutes to full-day education workshops.

His books, Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals, 101 Tips to Attract Prospects, 101 Tips to Generate Referrals and Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals, Giving Your Clients What They WANT, So You Get What You WANT are currently available. Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals, Using Your Time, Energy, and Creativity to Create Value, will be available in 2006.

Gerry has more than 20 years’ experience directing business owners how to grow their businesses. He is a networking dynamo. Those who know him will assure you that he does a great job of bringing people together—which is why he started IntegritY.

Involved with networking organizations since 1984, Gerry is an Accomplished Toastmaster, a member of Toastmaster International, and has chaired numerous chambers of commerce and non-profit organizations.

To contact INTEGRITY Networking Solutions for availability and information, call (888) 584-7073. You can contact Gerry by mail at 2103 Wedgewood Drive, Suite 100, Oceanside, CA 92056. Fax to (760) 439-5043; e-mail to. For more information, go to www.integritysd.com or www.powerpartnersinrealestate.com.

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