What Not to Include in an E-mail

I received an e-mail today from Renewal by Andersen.  The subject line was “5 Reasons Why You Should Replace Your Windows This Year.”  That’s a good subject line, I thought.  It pulled me in with a number, five.  Numbers in a subject line and a title pique interest.  It promised to give me reasons why I should act.  It was to the point.   All of this prompted me to look at the e-mail.

I was very disappointed.

The e-mail did not give me what the subject line promised.  In order to get the five reasons, I had to click on a highlighted line at the top of the e-mail.  What did it say?  Yes, you guessed it!  It stated, “5 Reasons Why You Should Replace Your Windows This Year.”  I wouldn’t click on that for two reasons.  First, I already felt annoyed that I had to take another step to find the reasons.  Why did I have to go to that effort?  Whatever Andersen’s reasoning, I was not going to do it.  Second, I do not click on links in messages that come from unknown senders.  How do I know this is actually Andersen or a hacker pretending to be Andersen? 

Below the link to the five reasons was another hyperlinked line, “Renewal by Andersen - Window Replacement.”  Since I do not click on these highlights, I have no idea to what that links. 

The main part of the e-mail was a picture of a guy in a uniform and a hat standing in front of a window with a window box filled with colorful flowers underneath it.  He was holding another window.  I assumed he was intended to portray a person who installs windows.  However, I have never seen one dressed in clothes that look like they just came off the rack at the dry cleaners.  Underneath his picture in text was printed “Low maintenance windows that won’t crack, pit, erode, or rot.  Introducing Fibrex composite replacement windows” on two lines.  Below that in a large orange box was “Request Your Quote Today!” 

To this, the marketer in me wondered, Why do businesspeople think that pictures and graphics are effective in e-mails?  My guess is that they think the picture will carry the message.  That’s not true in an e-mail.  Words are more effective.  This e-mail would have gotten more response if it had actually given in words what the subject line stated:  5 Reasons Why You Should Replace Your Windows This Year.  Instead, it gave me an ad. 

People don’t want ads in e-mails.  They want information.

Businesspeople make a huge mistake using e-mail and online marketing as traditional one-way advertising.  These are opportunities to develop relationships, engage your recipients, and have a conversation.  Don’t talk at them like you are running a print ad, television or radio commercial, or a direct mail piece.  Offer information.  Explain “What’s in it for the recipients” to get replacement windows and how Andersen Windows will solve their problems.  Suggest they respond to your e-mail.  Talk like you are face-to-face with the recipients. 

Don’t ask for a quote before doing that.  In selling that would be like my introducing myself and immediately asking for the order.  “Hi, I’m Elizabeth.  Those windows will be $3,000.”

Use e-mail and online marketing with the customer in mind.  Make your e-mail a two-way communication.   

This week's marketing trivia challenge is What e-mail subject line has piqued your interest?  E-mail me your answer.

A Critical Mistake

I received an e-mail this week from a company with whom I do business regularly.  The intent of the e-mail was to explain how to use a new system the company recently installed.  Unfortunately, I did not receive the message.  When I opened the e-mail, I saw one long tan box with the outlines of three boxes stacked sequentially inside.  I could read the headers.  At the top of the e-mail, I was offered the opportunity to “View the e-mail as a Web page” or “E-mail us.”  A phone number was listed as well as location information.  At the bottom of the e-mail, the firm listed its mission statement which was squeezed horizontally and unreadable.

This e-mail contained a critical mistake.  It was sent in an HTML format.  The person who designed it assumed that all recipients could receive HTML only e-mails.  If they could not, the person assumed that adding the opportunity to “View the e-mail as a Web page” would suffice to handle those who did not receive these e-mails. 

I don’t think it will.  I know that I will not take the time to go an extra step to receive the information the company was sending.  Having to take that step is annoying.  I am already irritated that I must adapt to a new system because they company made changes.  I don’t understand why it made the changes.  The fact that the company made these changes and hasn’t told me “What’s in it for me” that they did adds to my irritation.

The situation appears to be something I must take time to learn and change my habits to adjust to it.  The thought of that annoys me.  Not understanding why increases my annoyance.  This HTML only e-mail made me feel even more in the dark.  How difficult is this whole process going to be? I wondered.  

If you want your e--mail messages to be received and read by your intended recipients, do not send them in HTML only format.  At least send them in text and HTML format.  While graphics look appealing and supposedly reinforce your brand, neither is true if the recipient can’t receive your message.  Send your message in a way that can quickly and easily be consumed.  Be concise and to the point.  Don’t use empty, hyped phrases.  Give the guts of the information and do it fast. 

E-mails are not advertising.  E-mails are communications with individuals.  Create them and send them like you are talking with a customer.

This week's marketing trivia challenge is  What e-mails have you received that did not quickly give you the message?  E-mail me your answer.

Helping Your Customers Buy

A Lowe’s commercial recently grabbed my attention.  It opened with a sales person asking a customer, “How much garland did you use to decorate your home last Christmas?”

One couple attempted to add it up.  He started, “Around the fireplace…”

The commercial cut to another guy who readily admitted, “I have no idea.”

The scene dissolved back to the husband of the first couple who continued, “Going up the stairs..” 

The wife added, “Spools and spools…”

Then the commercial switched to a third lady who confessed, “We don’t know how much garland.”

To which the sales person replied, “Don’t worry.  MyLowe’s tracks all your past purchases so that you can have that same great look again this year.”

At the end of the commercial these words were written on the screen:  We scan.  MyLowe’s remembers.  Your life gets easier.  Sign up in your Lowe’s store today.

Lowe’s has set up a program which tracks the amount of garland a customer bought last year so that he can buy the same this year.  This makes the customer’s life easier because he does not need to figure it out, either mentally or physically.  By offering to make the customer’s life easier, Lowe’s gives the customer a reason to set up the My Lowe’s account.  I’m sure that somewhere in the fine print of the account, Lowe’s gets the customer’s permission to send e-mails to that customer, too. 

In doing this, Lowe’s has truly served the customer by making his life easier.  Lowe’s has helped the customer without giving a discount.  Today, customers are more interested in being helped than in getting a discount.  Saving information on a customer’s purchases so that you can help him out in the future makes life easy for the customer.  Customers love easy. 

The amount of garland or the color of paint are excellent examples of this.  Another good example is important dates.  If your customer buys from you every year for an important recurring date such as a birthday or an anniversary, collecting that date information is helpful to your customer.  Use the information you collected to contact the customer in advance of the date and make it easy for the customer to take care of sending a gift or reserving a table. 

Every business can do this.

All you need to do is set up a database and create a system whereby you collect this information.  That system can be as simple as entering the information each time a customer buys all the way to the sophisticated electronic system that Lowe’s has established.  Regardless of how you keep up the database, realize that today databases are critical to serving your customers and keeping in touch with them. 

All businesses, no matter what size, should have and maintain a database on their customers.  It spells profitable sales.

An Exciting Outcome

I am still reeling from the exciting outcome one of my customers experienced a couple of weeks ago.  Encore Clothing moved to another location a few blocks down the same street.  In order for the move to go smoothly, the store closed for six days starting at the close of business on the Tuesday before Labor Day weekend.  The store reopened the following Tuesday immediately after Labor Day.

Having been in retail, I know that the Tuesday after Labor Day is typically a very slow day, especially for clothing sales.  Everyone is recovering from the holiday weekend, getting back to work, and adjusting to a major change with the end of summer and beginning of the school year.  This is not the day many marketing people would choose to make a big splash for a new location.  Take all that into consideration and mull over the results of Encore’s Tuesday-after-Labor-Day opening. 

Customers were waiting at the door for the store to open.  The store was busy from open to close.  The sales were triple a normal day’s business.

All of this was accomplished at no cost.

All of this occurred without offering discounts, coupons, or a percentage off the price.

All of this happened without using traditional advertising.

During the days that Encore was closed, store personnel were not besieged by inquiring phone calls from customers wondering what was happening with the store.

How did Encore achieve these results?  Management employed an e-mail campaign to those customers who had signed up to receive e-mails from Encore.  This was not a list that was created overnight.  Encore has been amassing this list for years by offering customers the opportunity to sign up for it.  These e-mails belonged to Encore’s profitable customers. 

Management used this list to keep customers informed of what was happening at Encore, including the move.  A new e-mail campaign was launched a couple months prior to the move.  The purpose of the campaign was to stimulate sales by piquing customers’ interest in new arrivals at Encore.  This worked amazingly well, both for sales and customer involvement. 

That excites me.  I am enthused about marketing that is profitable and part of a well-thought-out system to which customers respond.  Although no cost might be the first point which gets most business people’s attention, the results get mine.  When you can triple sales and involve customers, your marketing is profitable.  Customer involvement drives down costs.  Couple that with a well-thought-out marketing system, and you achieve profitable marketing.  

Why?

As I was enjoying a barbeque at Dairy Queen the other day, I noticed a bumper-sticker-sized sign on the door. “Like Us on Facebook. Eau Claire. DQ”

Really? I thought. Why? What’s in it for me to do that? What’s in it for anyone to do that?

Similar to many merchants who are on Facebook, the management at this Dairy Queen was following the suggestion to encourage customers to “Like us on Facebook.” Management dutifully copied the text that was recommended, printed a sign, and posted it where customers could see it. Perhaps this was actually a bumper sticker that was handed out, too. Of that I’m not certain.

I do know that management did not take the time to think through this “Like” request. If they had, they would have answered the question. They would have given customers, and others, a reason to “Like” the Eau Claire Dairy Queen. They would have told me what was in it for me to do so.

That could have been something free such as a cone. It could have been an opportunity to be alerted to specials. It could have been the chance to get Facebook-only deals.

Any of these and more would answer the “What’s in it for me” question.

I am reminded of business people who put an e-mail sign-up list at the checkout counters or on their Web sites. Many are disappointed that the sign-up is low. “Why don’t more customers sign up for my e-mails?” they ask.

“Did you give them a reason to do so?” I usually reply.

That often prompts silence followed by a question. “What do you mean?”

“People get inundated with so much spam and e-mail today that they don’t want to sign up for more without good reason. They also don’t want their e-mails sold or shared with others. You must tell them why you want their e-mails, what you will do with them, and, most importantly, what’s in it for them to give you their e-mails.”

“I never thought of that. I just have a statement at the top of the page to sign up. I don’t tell them any of that.”

“If you want to improve your sign-up,” I reply, “tell them what’s in it for them. Tell them that you don’t share or sell their e-mail. Give them a good reason to leave their e-mails.

“Then follow through and use their e-mails to give them what you said that you would. Live up to your promise. Make it worth their time to open and read your e-mails. You will have fewer unsubscribes and more success with your e-mails if you do.”

The same principle applies to Facebook and social media.

Often we forget that everyone is time-starved today. In order to get Facebook fans or e-mails of time-starved individuals, you must do more than get their attention. You must give them a reason to act. Before you invite customers and others to sign up as a Facebook fan or on your e-mail list, make certain that you have answered “What’s in it for me.”

Otherwise, their response will be Why?

An Invitation from Ernie

As I pulled the last cookie from the Sandies package, I noticed a small plastic sleeve underneath. “Hmm.. What’s this?” I halfway said out loud.

Ripping open the sleeve, I found a folded tan piece of paper inside addressed “To All Cookie Lovers” with a return address of Ernie Keebler, The Hollow Tree, and a “Treemail” stamp. Intrigued, I unfolded the tri-folded paper to read this message:

Greetings,
Thank you for choosing our cookies. We hope you enjoy every bite!

We’ve recently created a new way to stay in touch with our human friends called “Treemail” messages. We’d love to occasionally share news, recipes, and even ways to save. All you have to do is sign up at Keebler.com.

We make our cookies with care, passion, and Elfin ingenuity. I hope they make your day just a little bit sweeter.

Warmest wishes,
Ernie Keebler

I was impressed. First of all, as a marketer, I appreciated the writing of the message which reflected the elfin personality. It was fun! After all, how many companies can offer “Treemail” messages? Whether you are a kid or an adult, that type of message makes you smile.

Further, the message was written as a personal thank you. Even though this was mass-produced and included in every cookie package, I felt that Ernie was speaking directly to me and truly cared that I enjoyed every bite. Notice that he also took the opportunity to let me know that they made their cookies with “care, passion, and Elfin ingenuity,” which reinforced the persona again.

What impressed me the most, however, was the offer. Ernie wanted me to receive “Treemail” messages or e-mails. In return for giving my e-mail, he told me exactly what I would get and why I should do it. I will get information, news, and recipes. In addition, I could save money. That is a good reason; it’s an excellent answer to “What’s in it for me?”

Not answering that question is the biggest mistake businesses make when asking for e-mails. They don’t give customers a reason to sign up. They also don’t tell what customers will receive by giving an e-mail or becoming a fan on Facebook. The lack of “What’s in it for me?” is a big reason why customers don’t offer an e-mail.

Take a look at your requests for customers’ e-mails. Are you letting them know “What’s in it for me?”