There’s an old saying, one I’m sure you’ve heard: The customer is always right. You could just stop reading there and go on your way, repeating it like a mantra to yourself as you make your way through the day.
But let’s dig deeper into that idea for a moment. What does “the customer is always right” mean? If it means that every individual customer needs to be appeased at all costs, then I believe this notion deserves to die a fiery death in a dumpster behind the Olive Garden on Route 9.
But if it means that your business should put genuine effort into serving the unique needs of its customers then yes, my friends. The customer is always right. One way to serve these unique needs is by reaching out to your customers on an individual level with well-timed emails.
Emails that show you’re paying attention, emails not just about selling products but about building relationships over time, and maybe most importantly of all: emails written with real empathy and care for their readers’ humanity.
So don’t take this article as a guide for writing sales copy; take it as a guide for treating other people well without being boring or insincere or self-centered or anything else you might worry about when crafting an email that isn’t just being sent from one robot to another.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Being a great marketer doesn’t require being a jerk. |
| 2. Email marketing can be effective without resorting to negativity. |
| 3. Positive and respectful communication can lead to better results. |
| 4. Building genuine relationships with customers is key. |
| 5. Honesty, empathy, and professionalism can enhance marketing success. |
1. The “We’ve Missed You” Email
You’re probably familiar with this email. It’s one of the most popular out there, and for good reason: it works. The “We’ve missed you” email is sent to customers or clients who haven’t used the product or service in a while, whether they’re on a trial, have canceled their subscription, or just haven’t logged into it lately.
The goal of this type of message is to re-engage your users and encourage them to come back to your product/service. If they do return, great; even better if they tell others about it (e.g., sharing on social media).
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2. The “Can We Connect?” Email
There are a lot of reasons to connect with people you don’t know, and one of them is that marketing is easier when you have friends. But we’re not talking about being friends with your customers here we’re talking about *connecting* with them.
Connecting doesn’t mean trying to get something from someone else as much as it means offering something in return for what they’re giving you.
And if someone has given you their time by reading your emails and considering them worthy enough of their attention, it’s fair game to ask if there’s somewhere else where the conversation could continue.
Here are some ways to make these connections happen:
- Include links in your emails that take recipients directly back into an online space where they can continue learning about whatever topic you just covered (like a blog post or webinar).
- Ask questions at the end of each email that requires a response from readers so they feel like part of the conversation rather than just passive observers (and also so they’ll remember how much they enjoy interacting with you).
3. The “Wanted To Talk To You” Email
The “Wanted to talk to you” email is a great way to reach out to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. This is the kind of email that feels more intimate and personal than a simple “hey, what’s up?” message.
You may remember someone from college a friend or classmate who you haven’t talked to since graduation day. Maybe it’s been 20 years since then? In this case, your email could read something like this:
“Hey [name],
I know we haven’t talked in ages, but I just wanted to reach out because I’m moving back home next weekend and have some time off from work! Do you think it would be possible for us to meet up? Let me know if August 2 works for you and we’ll figure out the details from there”
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4. The “It’s Been A Long Time” Email
This is a great way to reconnect with someone you haven’t talked to in a while, like an old colleague or former classmate. It’s also a good way to get someone’s attention if they don’t know who you are but could be interested in what you’re offering.
How it works: You can use this approach when you want your recipient to know that it’s been a while since they’ve seen or heard from you, without feeling like they have no idea why they should care about receiving an email from someone they barely remember at all (or maybe not at all).
This email should be short and sweet just enough information so the recipient knows who sent it and why he/she received it, plus an offer for more info.
5. The “How’s Your Workload?” Email
One of the most effective emails you can send is one that simply asks how someone’s life is going. And it’s especially powerful if it’s an email you’ve never sent before.
When someone stops by your desk or sends you an email, ask them how their workload is going. If they mention something about needing help with a project or task, offer to help out, and then send them this email right after.
6. The “I’m Interested In Your Product” Email
The most useful email you can send is one that says something along the lines of, “I’m interested in your product and would like to learn more about it.
This email should be short and sweet, personalized to each recipient’s name when possible, and relevant to the person you’re sending it to as well as their role at the company. (i.e., a marketing manager might write back with questions about how they can help), and sent only if you have reason to believe they’ll respond.
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7. The “I Think You Might Be Interested In Our Product” Email
When you’re reaching out to someone new, it’s easy to feel like you need to come on strong, but that can backfire. If you come off as too aggressive or desperate, your recipient will become defensive and won’t want anything else to do with you.
A much better approach is the “I think you might be interested in our product” email a simple message that introduces yourself and asks if they might want more information about your company or product.
This kind of email will show that you know what they do and how it relates to yours; it’ll also show that they matter enough for them to spend time on your pitch instead of just sending them straight into trash folder hell.*
In short: Be friendly! Even if all available evidence suggests this person should sign up with your service right now (and there’s no guarantee they ever will), take some time before hitting send on any correspondence.
8. The “We’re Growing Our Team” Email
This email is perfect if you have a new position available and you want to get the word out. It’s polite but gives the reader a reason to respond (and feel good about it).
If your company is growing, or if you are looking for people with specific skills, this type of email could be really helpful for your business.
This is also a good way to ask people for referrals or introductions: “We’d love it if anyone knows anyone in these fields.”
9. The “I Just Did This Here, And I Thought Of You” Email
This is another one that can be executed very simply, but the results are often powerful. This type of email is great for:
- Keeping the relationship going by sharing an interesting article or resource that you know your contact will find relevant
- Showing them some recognition for their work (especially if they aren’t in your immediate team)
- Sharing something cool you found on the internet or in life in general
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10. The “I Want To Get Together For Coffee Sometime” Email
You have a meeting request with a potential client, and you’d like to meet for coffee. You could be lazy about it and just say “coffee?” or “let’s grab a drink.” Or even worse: nothing at all. But why would someone accept an invitation if the other person hasn’t provided any information about when, where, or what?
Here are four things that will make your emails more likely to get a response:
- Be polite and don’t forget to use their name in your email (it’s amazing how many people don’t). Don’t send one-line emails either; they can come across as rude.
- Give specifics about when and where you’re thinking of meeting up. If possible, include details on how you’ll check in with each other once the date has passed (texting photos of your meal is always helpful). This might seem awkward at first but over time it becomes second nature when communicating with clients and colleagues alike!
11. The “Thank You!” Email
Thanking people is one of the best ways to show them that you appreciate their time, help, and support. It’s also a great way to remind them of who you are and what your company does and it helps build long-term relationships with your customers.
Here’s an example: Hi [name], Thank you for taking the time to meet with me yesterday! I have already started putting into practice some of the ideas that we discussed, and I’m excited about how they’re going to improve my business in the coming months.
I wanted to let you know that if there’s anything else I can do for you or any questions that come up as I implement these new changes, please feel free to reach out anytime!
12. The “We’d Like To Honor What You Did” Email
Another way to be a great marketer is to send an email to the person who did something great.
This is one of my favorite emails because it’s very easy and doesn’t require much effort. If you find someone who has done something noteworthy, or if you know that they have been looking for a job, send them an email thanking them for their work and suggesting they should apply for a job at your company.
Be specific about what you want to talk about in this message don’t leave it open-ended!
13. The “‘we Should Have Told You This Sooner'” Email
This is the trickiest email to get right because it’s all about knowing what not to do. Here’s a sample:
- I’m sorry that we gave you incorrect information.
- We should have told you this sooner.
- This was our mistake, not yours please don’t be angry or frustrated with yourself for making the wrong decision based on our bad intel! We’re glad we can tell you now and help fix things as soon as possible.
14. The “‘we Found Something That Made Us Think Of You'” Email
This is the most personal of all the emails on this list, and it’s an absolute goldmine for marketers, no matter what industry you’re in. It’s essentially a personalized ad that only works because someone took the time to send it straight to your inbox and if you’re able to execute it correctly, chances are that person will be very interested in what you have to say.
While “most personal” can mean many things, this type of email usually falls into one of two categories: either it’s a direct response from an automated campaign (like an e-book download), or its personalization is based on some previous interaction (like filling out an online survey).
Either way, it comes down to having a business relationship with someone before reaching out with an offer they’ll find useful enough to act upon and while these types of offers aren’t always appropriate for every company or product line, they’re still worth considering as part of your overall marketing strategy.
15. Work At The Same Company As You'” Email
Many people are afraid to send this email because they think it makes them look desperate. But the truth is that most people work in some sort of network, and if you don’t ask for help from your contacts at some point, then you’re probably not doing what you need to do.
This email should be used sparingly (only when you truly have no other way of getting information or advice), but when used correctly, it can be invaluable. For example:
- I worked with Bob on the Google account last summer; I’m currently working on a similar project at my company and was hoping that he could give me some tips/tricks on how we could improve our strategy. Do you think he’d be open to talking? If so, I’d love his input.
- After reading your blog post about x topic last week, I wanted to reach out and ask what was going through your mind when creating this content piece? I’m working on a similar project right now and would love any feedback/advice that might help guide my piece!
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Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you’ve discovered a few new ways to connect with customers and colleagues through email. There’s nothing wrong with sending a cold email, but these are some fun alternatives that have worked well for these companies (and yes, for me).
Remember that it’s easy to delete an unwanted message but it’s hard to ignore one that seems genuinely interested in your career. Let us know in the comments below if there are any other great techniques we missed here.
Further Reading
Common Email Marketing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them: Learn about the most common mistakes in email marketing campaigns and discover practical tips to avoid them, improving your email marketing strategy.
Overcoming the 5 Most Common Objections During Prospecting: Explore effective techniques to address and overcome common objections that arise during the prospecting process, helping you navigate and succeed in sales conversations.
Effective Email Subject Lines for Sales Prospecting: Discover impactful email subject lines specifically tailored for sales prospecting, enhancing your chances of grabbing recipients’ attention and increasing email open rates.
People Also Ask
How Do I Know If My Email Is Spammy?
If it’s a message that you’ve sent to someone in the past and they haven’t responded, don’t send it again. If you’re using an autoresponder to send the same message over and over again.
Make sure that it has a different subject line each time so that people don’t get confused. And if your email looks like spam?. Delete it! You can always try again next time.
I Think My Email Is Too Long What Should I Do?
People hate reading long emails. We get it! So take some time to edit down your content to ensure that everything is concise and easily digestible. Be sure to keep things short and sweet (no pun intended).
What If I’m Sending Out A Newsletter? What Should I Include In There?
A newsletter can be a great way to keep your audience up-to-date on what’s going on with your business or organization. Make sure you include things like new products or services available, upcoming events, and even user testimonials from happy customers!
How Do I Know If My Marketing Strategy Is Working?
The most important thing to remember is that there’s no such thing as a magic bullet for marketing.
When it comes to figuring out if your strategy is working, you want to focus on measuring your customer lifetime value (CLV) over time which means looking at how much each customer spends throughout their relationship with your company.
Does It Matter What Type Of Content I Use?
Yes! While there aren’t any hard-and-fast rules about what types of content work best for specific industries, there are some general guidelines that can help guide you:
Video: Videos have high engagement rates especially when they’re visual and shareable. But beware! They can be expensive to produce and require time-intensive editing, so make sure they’re worth it before investing in them.
Blog posts: Blog posts are great because they give readers a way to engage with companies without having to jump through hoops (like buying something).
How Can I Make Sure My Emails Don’t Land In The Spam Folder?
There are a few things you can do to make sure your emails don’t land in the spam folder. First, be sure to include an unsubscribe link in your message. This way, if someone doesn’t want to receive your messages anymore, they can easily opt-out.
Second, try using a different email address for each campaign so that you don’t send emails from the same address every time it’s more likely that people will recognize and trust this new email address.
Finally, use words like “newsletter” or “update” instead of “email.” This way, it’ll be clear what kind of content is being sent out and might help get people to open it (and not just delete it!).
What Is An Email Sequence, And How Do You Create One?
An email sequence is a series of emails that you send to a customer over time. The purpose of this is to build a relationship with them and to keep them engaged in your brand. If you already have a list of customers, you can create an email campaign to re-engage with them.
If you don’t have one yet, consider building one by creating an account on MailChimp or Constant Contact and sending people who opt-in for emails from your brand emails about upcoming events or promotions.
How Can I Create An Effective Subject Line For My Emails?
Make sure it’s short but descriptive. For example, “Your order has shipped” instead of “Order shipped.” Don’t use all caps, either it looks unprofessional and gets ignored by most people’s email filters (which means they never see it).
Also, try not to put too much text in the subject line you want people to open the email so they can see what’s inside!
Why Should I Be Nice To People Even If They’re Not Nice To Me?
Think about it like this: You never know who knows the right person, or who might end up being a friend of a friend. Being nice makes you more approachable, and anyone can use new friends!
But What If I’m Just Not Good At Being Nice?
If you practice, you’ll get better! And remember that it’s not all about being nice it’s about being kind. If someone requires help and you’re able to provide it, that’s pretty kind.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.