by Will Rotondi
Email is certainly convenient to use. It’s also quick to fill up with a lot of garbage you simply want to sift through and delete.
Now imagine what it’s like for your prospects, who aren’t only getting material from sources they’ve subscribed to – they’re also getting material from you, asking them for new business, hoping that they’ll choose your message to reply to and not one of your competitors’. So don’t be surprised that, if they do respond to you, they’re a little more than blunt about it.
More than likely, their reaction isn’t just because they’ve got a lot of email to prioritize, but because they’re worried about their data. There’s a lot of concern these days about protecting company information from hacking, and if situations like Equifax are any indication, you could put a lot of it in danger if you aren’t up to snuff on the best cybersecurity practices. That includes clicking on links from sources you don’t know. From a prospect’s perspective, that can be the last email you sent them.
This is why it’s so important that you educate them on who you are, what you do, and why you’re valuable. Don’t make your outreach a sales pitch. Too many spam messages have taken the same approach, and it’s easier for your prospects to raise their alert levels when they see that John Smith at ABC Company has a stellar deal to share with them.
So, just remember – your prospects don’t know you yet. Send them informative material that shows you’re not a threat to them, and you’re more likely to hear back.
