Stop pushing: Assess first

Don't attach PDFs or any literature to your cold email. Just don't do it. Ever. Stop pushing. Start pulling. 

Beyond being pushy, most business email servers view email attachments as security risks. Result: Your email may not get delivered. Because you sent it with an attachment. You will never know since the email will not bounce back.

But there's more.

“A PDF should never be able to explain the value or merits of your product within a specific context as well as you can. So why send a deck and let a static document do the selling instead of you?” asks Scott Britton, Co-founder of Troops.

Key words here are “within a specific context.”

Context & relevance

Our job as sales people is to apply content (PDF attachments, links) within context. So if you have a case, white paper, report, infographic... whatever... effective use means applying it in context of the “buying journey.”

This requires your assessment of a buyer's context—first. Everything else is just pushing information at someone who doesn't want it. How can I say that? Easy. All day long your prospects are bombarded with content. Via email and on LinkedIn.

All information they didn't ask for. Do they need it? Yes. Might their job or income depend on knowing about it? Yes. But it's THEIR decision to want it.

Your job is to help them want it. And the best way to get them to ask for it is to not push it.

Your content should not out-sell you

If your marketing content can out-sell you... frankly... you suck. 

Remember: The psychology is proven. Think about your own behavior. You value more what you ask for—less what people offer you. Right? So think about it. You will have more success helping the right customers develop an urge to ask for the PDF. Even better, they may ask YOU for the information.

This is the most important reason to not include your PDF—no matter what it contains.

“If they’re not into (motivated by) your offering after reviewing your deck, there is literally no reason to hop on a call with you,” says Mr. Britton.

Need I say more?

As Scott says, “Don’t take yourself out of play, own the sale.”

Because if you rely on that PDF... well... you are all but giving up. You are also just like 95% of sales people out there. You're not at the top of your game. Heck, you're not even in the dang game!

The goal is to talk—about their goals, fears or burning desires. Then assess if they're interested in qualifying you; at which time you can offer a case.

Need some help with this part? Join us for a live, online workshop.

Be confident. Don't rush to show. Stop pushing. Get them hooked on a provocation. Once your prospect has asked you for what's in your PDF they've opened the door. Otherwise you're just busting through the door saying, "hey, read this!"

Just like every other sellers is!

Think of it like a first date: The more you promote what you want the less you'll get it. The more you allow them to respond and discuss—the more you'll get it.

How to get in the conversation: An example

Quick example from a client I'm working with. The goal of their first touch email is to get into conversation about potential clients' trade shows. They provide a wide array of products & services to marketing professionals who invest in trade shows.

But many sellers on their team feel urges to get-in-the-game right now. And I get that. But they are wanting to rush the conversation by including case study PDFs ... on their first touch.

We developed a provocative approach ... asking the potential client, “Are you open to a different way of attracting decision-makers to your booth? I have an idea for you.”

Rather than asking for a meeting, or if they're interested in talking about an upcoming trade show, we conclude the email with, “How are you currently earning meeting commitments from prospects prior to the event?”

Because this is the conversation we want to be in! This is the “slow go” type of approach I'm referring to ... and you can learn. Ask for the discussion—not for the meeting or qualification (reading your PDF).

But many sellers on my client's team felt an urge to add:

“I can send you the case study / testimonial of our client who increased their qualified traffic by 90%.”

Do you see how this pushes rather than pulls? It promotes. Instead, consider attracting that conversation to you. Tempt the prospect to ask you for the case.

Why do we rush the conversation? Because you feel you should. Why? Because you're worried—what you've said in the email is not going to be enough.

Be confident. Don't attach PDFs or any literature to your cold email. Come and let me show you other options. Provocations.

A PDF should never be able to explain the value or merits of your product within a specific context as well as you can.

What is your experience? I'm open to hearing it.

Good luck!

With your success in mind,