Please explain this to me about Email Prospecting...(B2B)

[Canadoz]

Email prospecting seems to generate some very mixed viewpoints.

Some people say email prospecting does not work for them. You have to pick up the phone.

While others say that email prospecting works great for them.

The thing I don't understand is that even if your prospect does respond back. It's very easy for them to say.
"Thanks we're fine. We using X, Y, Z already"

Email gives one very little chance of winning back their attention. Because your prospect can simply just not reply to your email. And then if you, start phoning
up the prospect after they're not interested, that could be seen as really pushy. So can any B2B salespeople here explain how are email deals kept alive when it's to easy for a client to email back a brush-off reply?

 

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[Itizn]

Disclaimer: I have no success with email prospecting (and have admittedly invested little energy and time into it)

But from the success cases I've reviewed, having a compelling subject line and first line is half the battle, as it determines actually getting the email opened.

Then, a case-study or relevant reason (which includes a "soft" ask/cta @ the end of the email) for them to engage is the next key component, as that determines whether they choose to respond.

And finally a follow-up sequence is necessary, as a lot of time b2b companies are bombarded with email campaigns, and almost intentionally wait for follow-ups, to ensure they are dealing with serious and committed organizations/individuals.

 

[Kevin88660]

Email prospecting seems to generate some very mixed viewpoints.

Some people say email prospecting does not work for them. You have to pick up the phone.

While others say that email prospecting works great for them.

The thing I don't understand is that even if your prospect does respond back. It's very easy for them to say.
"Thanks we're fine. We using X, Y, Z already"

Email gives one very little chance of winning back their attention. Because your prospect can simply just not reply to your email. And then if you, start phoning
up the prospect after they're not interested, that could be seen as really pushy. So can any B2B salespeople here explain how are email deals kept alive when it's to easy for a client to email back a brush-off reply?

Never tried email prospecting before. But done enough door to door, cold calling, warm calling, social media prospecting and so on.

It isn't mainly the mode of communication. It is the offer itself.

Your prospects can always ignore you and will most of the time ignore you. They can do that to messages, phone calls, and even during face to face they will tell you "give me your name card" but not offering their contacts in return.

My experience is whatever you do, make sure you leave you digital records and traces when the lead know how to find you when the time comes. My concern is email is that they end up deleted and emptied from thrash bin, and three months later they change their mind and wanted to speak to you, they don't know where to find you.

So my philosophy is always end with text messages.

They can always find you conveniently when they want to. With that assured then you can run laws of large number efficiently.

The goal is not to not let your lead ignore you. The more you are thinking "how I can trap their attention and not let them get away" the more your leads are going to run away from you as fast as possible. Time is valuable to everyone and everyone wants to focus on their own agenda, not wasting time in an awkward situation how to politely ask someone to "F off" without telling them to F off literally.

 

[Miketing]

It isn't mainly the mode of communication. It is the offer itself.

Pretty much this.

You can't just look at it as black and white. "email prospecting is good" or "email prospecting is bad".

Your product-market fit and offer are going to affect your results much more than the channel which you're reaching out to people on.

If you have something which your audience really wants, then you don't have to worry about whether you're going to catch their attention or not. You may get the occasional rejection, but you'll have so many yeses that you won't even care.

If you're getting "brush-off replies" all the time, then it's probably not a case of cold email vs. cold calling, it's a matter of your offer, the demand in the market, your social proof, and understanding of the audience.

As well as that, some markets are going to respond better to calls vs. emails and vice versa. It depends on who you're targeting.

Is there a specific scenario you're looking for help with @Canadoz? Then we can actually help rather than just saying "email bad", "no, email good".

 

[Kung Fu Steve]

We do both.

Email > Call > Email > Call > Voicemail > Email > Call... until they tell us to go to hell or book.

The nice thing about emailing first is it's an icebreaker.

"Hey John, I sent you an e-mail yesterday just wanted to try and catch you on this. I know there's never a great time to talk but is this a halfway decent moment? haha!"

Even if they never look at the e-mail, there's a REASON why you're calling them. "I'm calling you because of the e-mail I sent you. Did you happen to see it? No problem. My inbox is crazy these days, too."

I think it's absolutely silly to just do one or the other.

If you're really after their business, go after it. Don't pussyfoot around and occasionally send an email hoping they respond.

 

[Canadoz]

Is there a specific scenario you're looking for help with @Canadoz? Then we can actually help rather than just saying "email bad", "no, email good".

I don't know! Problem is I've never worked in a sales environment.

I have no "feel" for sales cadences. I totally get writing short emails and writing emails with insights. But email seems to be plagued by no-responses. If you phone up asking if they got the email - well it's obviously a salescall. And their gatekeeper just says there "in a meeting". Very frustrating.

Using tracking software my emails do get looked sometimes 2 or 3 times which is great but I can't seem to break through this barrier of them "just looking". Pre-covid it was great, if I had a mildly interested client. I would phone - with the excuse I would drop by quickly for a meet. I would hop in my car and drive to the client and do face-to-face which worked well. But I just think Zoom is just not the same - I can't seem to click with people over Zoom compared to face-to-face.

 

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[Kung Fu Steve]

I don't know! Problem is I've never worked in a sales environment.

I have no "feel" for sales cadences. I totally get writing short emails and writing emails with insights. But email seems to be plagued by no-responses. If you phone up asking if they got the email - well it's obviously a salescall. And their gatekeeper just says there "in a meeting". Very frustrating.

You've got to get good at getting past the gatekeeper. What's your response to "they're in a meeting?"

Using tracking software my emails do get looked sometimes 2 or 3 times which is great but I can't seem to break through this barrier of them "just looking". Pre-covid it was great, if I had a mildly interested client. I would phone - with the excuse I would drop by quickly for a meet. I would hop in my car and drive to the client and do face-to-face which worked well. But I just think Zoom is just not the same - I can't seem to click with people over Zoom compared to face-to-face.

Dude if they've opened your email multiple times clearly you're doing something right!!

Call them!

Yeah the zoom thing has been a challenge but you'd better get used to it because it's not going away anytime soon. It's only going to intensify

 

[Miketing]

Using tracking software my emails do get looked sometimes 2 or 3 times which is great but I can't seem to break through this barrier of them "just looking".

So the problem is likely one of the three:
1. They're not that interested in what you're offering - what is your offer and who are you targeting? Is there a proven fit?
2. They don't believe you can deliver - do you have social proof? Case studies?
3. You're not reaching enough people - how many emails have you sent? How many per day?

 

[Canadoz]

So the problem is likely one of the three:
1. They're not that interested in what you're offering - what is your offer and who are you targeting? Is there a proven fit?
2. They don't believe you can deliver - do you have social proof? Case studies?
3. You're not reaching enough people - how many emails have you sent? How many per day?

Thanks for those relevant and thought provoking questions.

1) it's end-user training for information security - how not to get hacked basically! Target has been accountancy firms, professional trade associations and some of the small government bodies.
2) Here's the problem. I have no social proof. I was so delighted to get my first clients. I never dedicated time to collect testimonials. There are no case studies either. Yes, I know there should be!
3) This is not my main business. Therefore, I have only been sending out only about 15 mailing packs a month following up some by email. Some followed up by phone. I find the whole process extremely time consuming. And, at this stage unfulfilling because a lack of results.

 

[Miketing]

1) it's end-user training for information security - how not to get hacked basically! Target has been accountancy firms, professional trade associations and some of the small government bodies.

Definitely value in it then. Just a matter of finding the people who have a need for it and then showing them that you can help. Maybe there's a way that you can provide some initial value over email - maybe something from your mailing packs?

2) Here's the problem. I have no social proof. I was so delighted to get my first clients. I never dedicated time to collect testimonials. There are no case studies either. Yes, I know there should be!

You could still go back and reach out to your clients for testimonials. Not exactly necessary though, you can just mention the fact that you've helped similar businesses with this before.

3) This is not my main business. Therefore, I have only been sending out only about 15 mailing packs a month following up some by email. Some followed up by phone. I find the whole process extremely time consuming. And, at this stage unfulfilling because a lack of results.

If you really want to find out if cold email is going to work for this, you're going to need to send a whole lot more. After building a prospect list, you can just load them into a sending tool and it'll do it automatically for you.

What if instead of sending out 15 mailing packs per month, you were to send out emails to 15 new prospects per day?

 

[Canadoz]

What if instead of sending out 15 mailing packs per month, you were to send out emails to 15 new prospects per day?

Yes, I think upping the rate of targeted marketing exposure is the only way. 15 mailing packs a month does not really prove anything.

Thank you Miketing- I really appreciate the third-party view on this issue.

 

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