At this point in your business, you’ve probably already built an email list. You’ve successfully gotten people to sign up for your newsletter, now it’s time to focus on those subscribers and make sure you give them what they signed up for.
Unconverted leads are assets that most people are not paying enough attention to. We’ll help you turn those leads into loyal customers by teaching you something called the 9-word email.
Why are unconverted leads valuable?
In order to sustainably build your business, you need to look beyond just fresh leads. A company that does enterprise inquiries conducted a survey, asking people if they bought a product they previously asked about. What they found was one, more than half of the number of people who bought the product right away ended up buying the product within 18 months after asking about it. Second, 15% of the people buying in that 18-month period did it in the first 90 days. This means 85% of the leads you generate today will have value in 90 days or more. You need to take advantage of that time frame.
Enter the 9-word email
The 9-word email at its most basic is designed to engage your customer in a dialogue. In nine words or less, you ask them a yes-or-no question that suggests your knowledge of their buying habits. For example:
Are you still looking for schools in Sydney?
Are you still looking for apartments in Melbourne?
Are you still interested in learning French?
Are you still looking for flights to Hawaii?
The word ‘still’ shows that you are aware they were interested in what you were offering at one point and it adds history and a personal touch. You know them and you’re checking in on them.
And the email stops there. It’s important to not continue and add an offer to these questions because this would end the potential for dialogue. By engaging your customers in a dialogue, you automatically identify which ones want to start a dialogue. That saves time compared to having to convince them to start a dialogue with you.
How to create your email
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Your subject line
The first step in creating your 9-word email is to make sure your customers open and read it. This starts with the subject line. Now, you’ve probably been taught that an eye-catching subject line is always the way to getting that click. But since everyone is doing that, it’s actually become easier for customers to spot promotional emails and automatically move them to the trash folder. So in the case of our 9-word email, it’s best to make your subject line sound as neutral as possible. Not too excited, but just a general “Hey, how’s it going?” But in order to still catch your customer’s attention, add their name. “Hey, Mike, let’s catch up.”
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Your 9 words
Remember that your main goal is to get your customers to reply and engage in a dialogue. Ask a question and frame it in a way that reminds them of what they were previously looking for.
Are you still interested in…
Are you still looking for…
Are you still finding a…
Without waiting for a response, it’s best to be prepared and map-out a possible exchange. Be ready with a response that provides value to your customers, something that helps them figure out what they are looking for and then provide that again after another response.
You’re probably wondering, how do you automate all that? And the answer is, you don’t. You are actually engaging with your customers, building relationships in the long run. If you’re too busy to engage with each and every customer, hire an assistant, but make sure the words are still yours.
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Your super signature
After all that, sometimes customers still won’t respond right away. That’s all right, just let them know you’re still there, ready to engage. Reach out at least once a week until they are ready to take action. One way to do this is with a ‘super signature’. It’s what you add after your signature that will motivate and educate your customers. Start by saying “Here’s 3-4 ways we can help.”
If you’re in real estate, provide schedules of open houses and invite them to join. Provide workshops for first time buyers. Offer free home loan reports.
If you’re writing a book, offer a free smaller ebook download. Host a live webinar. Provide tips related to the subject of your book.
If you’re selling a product, provide delivery information. Offer discounts and promos on their second purchase.
Having these offers handy shows your customers you are prepared to help and give them what they want. In the long term, this allows them to know you better and build trust, eventually becoming loyal fans.
Try these steps and let us know how it worked for you. If you’re interested in other ways to market your business, we offer free strategy sessions!
