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When email marketing campaigns are executed poorly, it can leave companies wondering if they are worth the financial and time investment.

However, email campaigns that are carefully planned, tested and executed are well worth the time and effort:

  • 59 percent of business-to-business marketers cite email as their most effective channel in terms of revenue generation. (1)
  • Email is the third most influential source of information for business-to-business audiences, right behind colleague recommendations and industry-specific thought leaders. (2)
  • Email marketing efforts generate $38 for every $1 spent, for an impressive return on investment (ROI) of 3,800%. (3)

So, why do some companies struggle with failed email marketing campaigns? And what are the solutions to these challenges?

They Send Unsolicited Emails

Sending emails to recipients who have not opted into receiving them is rarely effective. It is the email version of cold calling; it’s disruptive, and in some cases, can be illegal. Emails sent to unsolicited contacts are almost guaranteed to remain unopened and relegated to the trash folder. Furthermore, marketers must follow the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act when sending all emails. Companies that do not adhere to this legislation will end up with emails labeled as spam and may be subjected to fines and legal consequences.

Developing a quality list of contacts improves the chances that they will open and click through emails. Ultimately, it offers significant potential for generating leads through email campaigns. Building these lists will take a bit of time, but the ROI is well worth it.

The Recipients Do Not Know the Sender

Most people’s inboxes are overflowing with emails. For this reason, their trigger finger is lightning fast when it comes to deleting messages. In fact, the average person deletes 48 percent of their emails, a process that takes seconds to do. (4) The odds of an email message ending up in the trash folder soar when the recipient is not familiar with the sender. They are not going to waste time reading information from a person or brand they do not know.

The solution?  90 percent of top-performing sellers use social selling as their number one sales strategy. (5) They give themselves a significant advantage by developing a relationship with each contact before sending them a single email. This strategy has its roots in traditional networking, which is still a powerful sales tool.

There Is No Existing Relationship

 When it comes to sales, most of the sales process is done online. This includes the buyer’s journey and purchases. Why? Researching online is not only more convenient, but it is also the place where the average person spends most of their time these days.

This is the reason why building relationships with prospects online, using platforms such as networking groups and social media networks, is essential. Doing so will involve making connections, quantifying opportunities, etc. but will be much more effective and help avoid futile sales attempts. In this sense, relationship building saves time by generating desired results the first time around. 65 percent of salespeople who use social selling fill their pipeline. (5)

Establishing a reputation as an industry subject matter expert is an excellent starting point for carving out relationships with target audiences. Trust is one of the building blocks of relationships. Thought leaders are regarded as trusted authorities in their industry.

Lack of the Right Information at the Right Time

61 percent of consumers say the best sales experiences come from salespeople who provide relevant information. (6) If one of these elements is missing, prospects do not have a reason to click through.

Clearly demonstrating the value of products or services, on the other hand, gives prospects the motivation to not only open emails but also follow through the entire buyer’s journey to becoming customers. Conveying value is accomplished by showing prospects the benefits they will receive by choosing that company’s products or services over their competitors.

Drip email marketing campaigns operate on the “right information, at the right time” premise. Every email message takes its cue from each prospect’s actions and triggers the messages relevant to where they are in the buyer’s journey and their current needs.

Giving up on Prospects

What is the number one reason why salespeople fail? They quit! 92 percent of salespeople give up after the fourth contact because they are impatient and/or have not done their due diligence. This is a shame, as 80 percent of sales are made after the fifth contact takes place. (7)

Once a business has conducted enough research to know its target audience, marketers should remain persistent. The adage about another door opening when one closes applies here. There is always more than one way to convert a prospect into a lead, and that lead into a customer. Brands should get creative with their email marketing campaigns until they find a way to reach those contacts who fit their ideal customer profile.

Lack of Personalization in Email Copy

 Personalizing an email is not as simple as inserting tags for the person’s first name in the salutation. In fact, this is a lazy version of personalization and an ineffective one, at that. It is also never a good idea to jam pack a large amount of information into the initial email that new subscribers receive. This email should be an introduction; its purpose is not to close the sale.

So, what does a well-executed personalized email look like? It should include the following elements.

  1. An indication that the sender was referred to the recipient and by whom (if this is the case)
  2. The reason why the sender is contacting the recipient, for example: how they can help solve the recipient’s problem
  3. A brief mention as to how the sender worked with a similar company, in the same or a similar industry, and the positive outcome of this endeavor
  4. A request to speak with the recipient and a few words about how the sender believes they could help them
  5. A link to the recipient’s calendar to quickly book a day and time to speak (Pro-tip:  com is a great tool to assist with this!)

It is all too easy for companies to dismiss email marketing as a valuable tool if their campaigns do not generate results. However, by implementing the solutions above and having a bit of patience, organizations can benefit significantly from email marketing.

Uncertain times call for creative thinking. Contact Gavel International to be inspired with solutions that connect and engage your people.
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SOURCES:

 

1 http://content.myemma.com/blog/9-sizzling-marketing-stats-from-this-summer

2 http://www.imaginepub.com/23-things-you-didn-t-know-about-b2b-content-marketing

3 https://cdn.emailmonday.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/National-client-email-2015-DMA.pdf

4 https://fortune.com/2012/10/08/stop-checking-your-email-now/#:~:text=Unsubscribe.,an%20average%20of%203.2%20seconds.

5 https://reply.io/101-social-selling-stats/#:~:text=Their%202016%20%22State%20of%20Sales,relationships%20with%20customers%20and%20prospects.

6 https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/sales-statistics

7 https://blog.close.com/39-shocking-stats-that-will-change-the-way-you-sell/

Eloisa Mendez
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