As sales professionals when we craft an email, our goal is to get a response. Whether it is an automated cadence or a well-crafted email, this metric is part of how we are incented, it's kind of a big one. But why so often do we hear crickets after 2,3 or even 4 follow-up attempts? In my practice, I see most outreach is seller-focused, we want to meet them and share updates on our produce/service, our boss is in town, and WIFM is playing in our buyers' ears, What's in it for me? The reason I know these, I did some of them earlier in my career as well.
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Look at Things From the OPP, Other Person's Perspective:
Tap into our buyer's minds, understand their role, how are they measured, influenced, and make a decision, what KPIs are they measured by? and what are their personal motivations? When we can see things through their lens we become more buyer focused. Get closer to what their true day-to-day looks like, even if we have never done their job.

When we get into this headspace, our message becomes buyer-focused, empathetic, non-threatening and disarms them as they feel we understand them and are looking to help them vs selling them something, big difference.

Also, using buyer language is important, take excerpts from past customer exchanges and use them with new prospects, show them we understand their world and can help them. This gives them the sense we are "one of them".
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Craft A Concise, Tailored and Relevant Email
Buyers can smell a mass-produced templated email with no effort miles away, there is no quicker way to destroy our brand and annoy our prospect than, to put in the work. If we use a template fill in the blanks with relevant, timely insights about their industry, company, role etc. If you allow Chat GPT to write it for you, it will show.

Show them you have taken the time to do some homework, quote an article they wrote, and support it with the impact it had on you after reading it, people want to know their work matters. Did you hear them on a podcast, enjoy their talk, recent webinar?

Can we offer to share an article with, a relevant piece of information based? Perhaps these insights may be helpful for them, and be of service to others. Look at our word count, keep it brief and start with value, avoid "I hope you are keeping well" - this takes up prime real estate. More than 60% of people open email on their mobile. We scan r emails over 11 seconds, this will surely end in a delete.

Avoid a hard-left sales pitch with a link to your calendar, it is too early, they don't know you and we have not provided any value yet. Offer a non-threatening CTI, "Call to Interest " Are you interested in learning more?  Is this top of mind? Is this on your radar?" Offering a Yes/ No question makes it easy for them to respond. Especially If they don't know you.
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Adopt a Multi-Channel Approach
If you started with email, change it up. Follow up with a phone call, leave a voicemail, no more than 30 seconds, a video message, handwritten letter. If leaving a voicemail, let them know, there is no need to phone back. Point to the next step, you will phone back tomorrow, expect an email with the subject line, 45-second video etc.

Our job is to set expectations, nobody likes surprises. You will be mailing them, emailing them something, phoning them another day to discuss X. Increase your chance of a response by letting them know your intent and next step.

Use video as part of our follow-up. Share a document, Q & A, and proposal and walk them through it. Educate them, that video is the next thing to being in person, it trumps a PDF any day. This builds trust quickly. They start to get a feel of what you are about, this is a differentiator, allowing your authentic self-shine through. Also, they can share it internally for greater reach.
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If you know you can help them and have helped others like them, persistence is key. If they are not responding to you after multiple attempts, consider a few things:
- Do they fit your ideal customer profile?
- Is your message focused, targeted, and timely?
- Does this email only make sense for your buyer or is it too generic?
- Is the timing off, what stage are they at in the buyer's journey?
- At some point, you can take your foot off the gas, put them in the NRN, not right now pile and add them to a nurture campaign.
- Can you find a mutual connection to refer you?

Buyers seek partners, someone who knows their world, som understands their problems and has credibility in solving them for others like them. It takes intention, research, and persistence to achieve this.

I encourage you to put these 3 tips into practice and let me know the outcome. It is an iterative approach, avoid changing too many things at once, and it will be difficult to know what is making the difference.