I am definitely not a fan of cold-calling. Â But, when necessary, I certainly understand the need and make recommendations all the time on how to do it in a smart, thoughtful way. Â Today I received not one, but three cold-calling emails from a woman, we’ll call her Lynda. Â Lynda sent me the exact same message three times addressed to different people. Â We’ve all had software glitches, but still. That seems rather silly. Â Then, her message was badly written – sentence structure was off, grammar wasn’t correct, and there were spelling errors. Â The best part? Â She’s a competitor! Â So this woman reached out to me to offer me the same services I offer others and did it extremely poorly! Â Okay, great for the ego I will tell you, but depressing for the industry.
So what’s the point? Â First, PLEASE review your mailing lists and see who you are sending messages. Â And have a “why” you are sending them a message. Â Have someone on a list but don’t know why? Â Off they do. Â If they miss your messages, they will call. Â It is even better if the person knows how they got on your list in the first place. Â If you’ve had a conversation or met at a trade show (AND INFORMATION WAS REQUESTED), have that note somewhere easy to find so you know why they are on the list. Â One thing I’ve started doing is when I meet someone at a yearly event, after sending my “nice to have met you” emails I put a calendar reminder in around the time we would sign up again. Â That way I can send them a note and ask if I will see them at the show again. Â Makes a person really feel special!
Next, have your messages proof-read. Â There is very little that is more distracting than a bad sales message. Â I can’t tell you how often people will get caught up in how something is written vs. what it says.
Finally, understand the tools you are using. Â If it is something new, contact a few close associates and test it on them first. Â Include yourself in any batch item sent so you can see what happens. Â That way if there is a problem, you’ll be able to send a correction right away. Â Most people can understand technical difficulties but when there is no explanation, they assume you don’t know what you are doing.
So be thoughtful about your contacts and messages. Â Without that, you give the absolute wrong impression.
Leave a Reply