It seems every week now someone is sending me a good example of how not to do something. Last week, it was how not to use LinkedIn to get business. This week, it was how not to use email to connect with potential buyers of your company's services. I got an email from a music production company rep. It's pretty standard for sales reps to try and reach out to potential customers and get together when they are traveling to another city. This is not how you do it though.
To start off with, I live in Detroit. The music rep was traveling to L.A. I got an email with the subject line: "Gonna be in L.A. Tues-Thurs this week." Normally, I probably would have just disregarded it, since it didn't pertain to me. But, I have the preview pane set on my office email so I can see the first few lines of copy in an email. The first line of copy got me to open the email. For the wrong reasons.
His opening line in the email said "(Disregard if you're not in L.A.)" Really? Being an Executive Creative Director, I get a lot of junk email from a lot of production companies clogging up my email. And you're going to flat out tell me "I'm too lazy or inept to go through my list and cull the companies that are in L.A. to deliver this message to."
The tone of the rest of the email was nice. Friendly, casual, no pressure. I'm going to be in town, would love to grab a cup of coffee and chat while I'm there type of messaging. That is the right way to approach it. But he negated all that by simply not taking a few minutes to segment his list. He's basically telling all of us, including the ones in L.A. "I really don't know you and I'm not going to take the time to get to know you and your individual needs. I'm going to treat you and your business like a mass production project."
One little thing wrong. But it can destroy your chances with a potential customer. We live in a hyper-connected, transparent world. It's a world where products need to be more and more personalized. This one little thing in a sales email flies in the face of all that. And while it may not lose him any business, it surely won't gain him any either.
What do you think? Am I being to hard on the guy or did he really blow it?
Mike McClure, Not in L.A. & Not Buying Music Services Soon
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No I agree with you Mike. It’s all about making the customer feel like he/she has your full attention. This email dose not do that. It would make me feel like those junk mails I get that are addressed to “John Smith or OCCUPANT”. Like you said, it may not lose him business, but it definitely would not get mine.
Thanks, Adonis. That’s a good analogy for how I feel about it.
Mike
Mr. or Mrs. McCloor –
Your post on (insert topic here) was very (insert adjective). Please take some time to post comments on my blog to return the favor (insert blog address here).
🙂 I can’t handle generic communication like that. One thing that really bothers me is the auto-responder on Twitter. If you really want to thank me for following you, take 4 seconds and write it yourself. If you’re too big of a company to respond to each follower individually, don’t respond at all…I’m probably just following you for news and product updates, not to have a relationship.
Haha. Nicely done, Luftig. Couldn’t have said it better myself!
Mike
I really don’t know you and I’m not going to take the time to get to know you and your individual needs. I’m going to treat you and your business like a mass production project.