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 cold email messages need to appear 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.
Why clients reject 'value'
Do you really believe customers are waiting for your value to land in their inbox? Consider abandoning this belief.
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 ask for a meeting? What if striving to deliver value is the problem?
Increasingly, clients open emails based on curiosity about what’s inside the email—not anticipation of value they’ll receive.
Cold sales outreach is not marketing. It's different. There is no expectation of value. In fact, there's an increasing annoyance to being bombarded with what sellers think is valuable. (but is often not!)
Bottom line: "Give value" or "make deposits first" has the wrong goal in mind. Earning a meeting.
Instead, you need to earn a conversation and allow a meeting to be chosen by the customer. Or not.
Compelling a customer to meet—by smothering them with value and without their having established a need to—is an outdated, ineffective practice.
Do this instead
Instead, learn a method to help the customer feel a need to start developing the desire to meet.
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 you've sent a message provoking their curiosity.
Not because you offered clear, compelling value.
This is sales, not marketing. STOP writing like a marketer. Start earning more response. Update your belief system.
Stand out & provoke curiosity
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. NOTE: This is a practice, not a template!
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. Disrupting the pattern (clients are used to seeing) is the key. Her message is...
- Short (stands out),
- showing she's done homework on the prospect (relevancy) and
- asks a question that avoids making prospects feel vulnerable to a pitch when responding. (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."
Not a template!
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 conversation-starting outreach Academy or tune in to a series of our Sales Copywriting Workshops.
Or watch us re-write under-performing messages, online, in a small group workshop.
For the most ambitious we're offering a live, online Sales Copywriting Master Class + Coaching.
Update your belief system
This isn't my opinion. Our colleagues and students are earning more meetings by not asking for them. By not smothering customers with value -- marketing style.
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 tired 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. Update your belief system to a sales context.
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.
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 the Academy.
What's your experience? I'm open to your criticisms of ours in comments below.
Jeff Molander
Sales Enablement Coach
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