Using Email to Sell

Getting to “NO” is better than nothing.

Sure getting to YES is the best (if it’s a genuine yes) but the worst is a NO that people won’t tell you. Instead they string you along – ask for more info, tell you they need to check with their boss, or just don’t take your calls. If it’s really a NO you want to hear as soon as possible so you can focus your time and energy on others who are at a different place in the buying cycle.
My wife just found that people who won’t tell you no on the phone (or won’t return your calls) will tell you by email.

She was following up with people who had stopped by the Video Rental Services booth at a trade show and said they were interested! This is key. So when she called, she left a voice mail. In the voice mail she said she’d be sending an email with the same info if that was easier for them. Then she send an email mentioning that this was the one she referred to in the voicemail.

When she’s done this before without the accompanying email, no one called back to say they were no longer interested. But with the email several did.

Takeaways:

• Follow up a voicemail with an email (mention each in the other) – gives the customer more choice.
• If it’s going to be no, you want to hear it sooner rather than later.

UPDATE: In the continuing effort to provide my readers with the most accurate info (not to mention marital harmony) I asked my wife if this post was a good reflection of what she told me.  Her response:

Yes it is accurate. I find that more people respond to the email + voicemail than to just an email also. The combination seems to get the request some validity.