It’s spring, and it’s the perfect time to think about growing new things, especially here in the sunny South. Wait – it’s not sunny where you are today? Wait a day, and the temperature will swing 20 degrees. Then it will be perfect weather for starting your garden.
If you’ve ever sown seeds, you know that most of the seeds you put in the ground don’t produce anything. Emails are lot like that. Even though corporations often assign 2-5 emails to each employee, you can still fail to reach them. One day you’re emailing a client, then the next day their server has rejected you. Or it bounces because their mailbox is full. Or your prospect has moved on to another job. Or the recipient’s spam filter is on high alert, and no amount of technology can get you through.
That’s why you sprinkle several seeds in each thumbprint of dirt.
The more emails you have, the better your odds of landing in someone’s mailbox, and – even better – convincing them to open it.
Where do you shop for emails? That’s a difficult question to answer, unfortunately! They aren’t as available as seeds are in garden shops. The best way to get them is by referral, but it’s difficult to collect 5-10,000 emails in an efficient manner.
When looking for an email broker, ask these questions:
- When was the email last verified?
- How was it verified?
- How many other companies have you provided this list to?
- Does the record also provide traditional contact info: address, phone, etc.?
- How is the list segmented?
- How many of these emails will bounce if I put them into another email platform?
Answers you want to hear are:
- It will not be verified until you choose the demographics of your prospect universe.
- An actual email was received by the contact’s server to verify it.
- We have not provided this list to anyone else. It is built to your specified demographics.
- Yes, you receive all traditional information along with the email.
- The list can be segmented by electronic behaviors, industry, geography or titles. Depends on your message.
- An average of 20% of the list will bounce when you put it in another system.Shop for quality emails “seeds”, propagate them properly, nurture them, and you’ll have a bountiful summer!
