Stop 'adding value' when emailing prospects
(do this instead)
Jeff Molander
Sales communications coach & Managing Partner, Communications Edge Inc.
Trainer to brands like:
Offering value—without having earned the chance to provide it—is failing most sellers. Beware.
The case for adding value
"Here's the problem with emails today, they lack value," says Jim Keenan of A Sales Guy Inc.
"If you don't think email needs to offer value, then you are probably one of the perpetrators of horrific emails. Emails must offer value,” he says.
However, our client students, our online Academy members, our sales team and I (myself) are living proof: Cold emails not offering value do earn response.
Look, I know. You may believe email messages need to be seen as credible by prospects. Not always true either. Trying to add value and be seen as credible too soon can sabotage replies.
Jim Keenan, A Sales Guy Inc.
However, Mr. Keenan makes a compelling argument for what many believe to be the number one, Golden cold email best practice.
Your email, he says, must offer value, “Because you're asking for something.” A meeting.
“I'm regularly bombarded with horrific emails, almost always asking for 15 or 30 minutes of my time. These emails offer nothing of value and just clutter my inbox. I delete them as fast as I can,” says Mr. Keenan.
“Why should someone open your email or give you 15 minutes of their time if there is no value in it for them? They shouldn't and they won't.”
But what if your cold email didn’t strive to prove value—at all? What if striving to deliver value is the problem?
What if 95% of what you read online is horse hockey! "Fake news?" This is "fake 'best' practices."
Increasingly, clients open emails based on curiosity about what’s inside the email—not anticipation of value they’ll receive.
This is cold email—not marketing.
Likewise, compelling a customer to meet without having established a need to is an outdated, ineffective practice too.
Do this instead
Want more meetings with decision-makers? Stop requesting them. I dare you. Instead, start provoking discussions, piquing curiosity.
Stop trying to give-give-give, add value and clearly presenting offers. Start trying to provoke. Be un-clear. And super short.
“The offer is what you are offering or giving the reader. Yes! I said giving. If you're not offering the reader anything, why should they open it, read it, respond or even agree to what you're asking for?” asks Mr. Keenan.
Because they’re curious.
They’ve been provoked.
Not because you offered clear, compelling value. This is sales, not marketing. STOP writing like a marketer.
Examples
Effective email and voicemail outreach messages contain:
- research or observation about the prospect (the relevancy piece)
- fewer than 5 sentences (short, able to be read on a smart device & responded to in less than 30 seconds)
- a provocative, non-biased question in place of a call to action (yes, calls to action are also poisonous)
Last week in the Academy we were working with Susan, a seasoned Manpower rep (selling staffing solutions). She has 35 years of experience. But lately, she isn't getting enough conversations started with F500 clients. We've transformed her communications technique.
Here's one of the provocations we developed.
Dave,
Noticing you need an AE in Denver. What would cause you to examine different ways to recruit sales talent?
Regards,
Susan
No pitching. No adding value.
Just a quip from a sales rep who's breaking the mold.
- Short (stands out),
- showing she's done homework on the prospect (relevancy) and
- asks a question that doesn't make the prospect vulnerable to a sales pitch. (it's not a "hook")
Instead, the question asks only to open a discussion about the status quo. This is an advanced mental trigger technique called a "facilitative question."
STOP: Before you run out and try to copy Susan's approach beware. This is one of many options which may (or may NOT) work for you... depending on 5-7 factors.
There are other (often better) options. Especially when creating a series of follow-up messages. This is a practice, NOT a template!
If you're ready to upgrade your communication technique get involved in our online Academy or join us in January for an 8-week intensive workshop.
Here is another example from Alex, who sells IT network threat intelligence software.
James,
Are you open to examining your internal threat intelligence tools? Because suspect you are being prevented from seeing individual processes leading to an alarm.
What would cause you to examine your existing set of tools, James?
My best,
Alex
Again, we see Alex asking a facilitative question... an inward directed, non-biased question.
It's not biased to an answer Alex seeks... so he can sell to James.
This is fact
This is about what works and what does not. Facts. This isn't my opinion. Our colleagues and students are earning more meetings by not asking for them.
It's more effective to provoke curiosity about an issue, idea or claim which may lead to (justify) customers requesting to meet.
It's effective based on our collective experience. Frankly, I'm sick of people talking about adding value when it doesn't work!
Mr. Keenan makes the argument we hear so often.
“To get your buyers and prospects to open your emails you need to craft an email that compels the buyer to open it, (your first ask) read it, (your second ask) then respond (your third ask) and then agree to your request for a meeting or demo or whatever you're ultimately asking for (your fourth ask).”
In a marketing context, yes. Sales is different.
When sales people try to get meetings by providing value, and proving themselves credible, they often fail.
“What's the point of sending a cold email if you're not going to ask for anything,” argues Mr. Keenan. “The key is to make sure the ask is clear; 15-minutes of time and introduction to the CEO agreeing to 30-minute demo, etc. These are clear asks.”
Yes. These are clear. But they are HUGE asks. They are also premature. They presume interest has been established. Finally, these asks are being asked by rank amateur sales people. They don't appreciate what you now do. Separate out from them.
Get. Permission. First. Stop pushing for meetings. Start provoking conversations. We can show you how! Join us in an upcoming workshop or join us in the Academy.
What's your experience? I'm open to your criticisms of ours in comments below.
Jeff Molander
Sales communications coach & Managing partner
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