America’s No.1 sales authority Jeffrey Gitomer recently wrote a widely syndicated article about an email he received from me, writes Robert Clay of Marketing Wizdom.
He told me after he received it that he really liked it and would be writing about it in a future book. I had no idea he’d actually written about it until a lovely lady who works for a bank in Iowa contacted me out of the blue citing an article he’d written.
I don’t consider myself to be a copywriter, so it was of course a very nice ego boost. But more importantly, the article makes some excellent points that are worth passing on about what made Jeffrey “click” on the link in email. Jeffrey kindly agreed that I could reproduce the post here, and here’s what he wrote:
I got an unsolicited email this morning that gave me no choice but to read it. My interest had to do with the subject line, the headline, the design of the content, and the copy.
The subject line was: Jeffrey, How to go from market penetration to domination. Ok, I clicked to open:
Then the headline: What one thing determines your success in business, more than any other single factor? Ok, I read it. The very tastefully designed letter said:
Hello Jeffrey,
This is Robert Clay.
If you were asked what one thing determines your success in business more than any other single factor, what would you answer?
Perhaps you’d say it was down to the quality of your product or service, or your people, or trust, or competitive prices, or availability, or profitability, or the number of customers who return to do business with you again.
These are the responses I get all the time. While they’re all good answers, the biggest factor that determines your success in the marketplace is one that is hardly ever written or spoken about … and in ten years not one person, out of the thousands I’ve asked, has been able to tell me what it is.
Perhaps you’ve heard me speaking on the subject in the past, or read about it in my book. The point is, once you know that one factor that makes a world of difference, you can take a few simple steps to move your business from market penetration to market domination.
Just look at Google who now have 85% of the global search engine market; and Apple, now the world’s most valuable technology company, who dominate the market for music players, smartphones, computers priced over £600, and now tablet computers too.
When times are tough you REALLY need to work smart. You need to do what Google, Apple and others have done. You need to know that one factor that can change everything for you.
That factor is explained in my book on Page 10. And you’re welcome to download a copy with my compliments, with absolutely no obligation. Just click here, enter your name and email address, click the confirm link on the email you receive and you’ll be taken to a page where you can download the book immediately.
If you enjoy the book, let me know. If what you learn leads to the transformation of your business, as it has for some, then be sure to let me know!
Click here to get your copy of my book, with my compliments.
Warmest Wishes,
Robert Clay
Marketing Wizdom Ltd
Ok, I clicked, subscribed and downloaded the free book, and immediately went to page 10 to find the answer… Eh, not so fast. That’s not what this lesson is about. The point of this article is for you to see what Robert Clay’s writing was about, what got me to “click,” and most important: how can you use these same elements in your communications – both as email cold calls, and email follow-ups.
The object of an email is NOT to get it opened and read. The object of an email is to get RESPONSE. Positive response.
Here are the “buttons” Robert Clay pushed to make me “click here” to get the free report and the answer to his headline question:
- He asked me provocative questions.
- He made me curious.
- The letter had value-driven engagement.
- The message had perceived value to me as a reader.
- The letter had a free “hook” offer that promised “value-first.”
- The letter had NO offer or obligation to buy anything.
- Clay offered new information.
- Clay offered success information.
- The letter offered something about or for ME!
- The letter had the lure of an “answer” about something I want.
- The letter met a now-need that I have (timing of the message). I want to know this, or have this, NOW.
The reason I’m sharing this information is not to prove a point, or even to provide an “AHA.” I’m giving you this information and challenging you to take a close look at the way you send emails, and the way they are responded to (or not).
Now that you have seen what makes me click, why not study what makes your customers and prospective customers click. What’s their button? What answers are they looking for? Where’s your value?
Or are you just “checking in” or “touching base,” making a feeble (and obvious) attempt at trolling for dollars.
In today’s world you have no choice but to be seen, known, and perceived as a person of value if you want to differentiate yourself, make the sale, and build the relationship.
Every sales oriented email you send should answer the question, “Where’s the value?”
If you want the answer to the question of what one thing determines your success in business, more than any other single factor? Go to www.gitomer.com and enter the word CLAY in the GitBit box.
Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The New York Times best sellers The Sales Bible, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Black Book of Connections, and The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude. All of his books have been number one best sellers on Amazon.com, including Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Patterson Principles of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching!, and The Little Teal Book of Trust. Jeffrey’s books have sold millions of copies worldwide.
President of Charlotte, North Carolina based Buy Gitomer, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts Internet training programs on selling and customer service at www.trainone.com. He can be reached at (+1) 704-333-1112 or e-mail to salesman@gitomer.com.
What do you do to achieve a high response from your emails? What’s your response to Jeffrey’s challenge to the way you write emails? Do you have any other tips to share? Please share your thoughts below.
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Very nice article, Robert. I spent a whole afternoon yesterday discussing these very principals with former colleagues during a long overdue get together.
It’s interesting to see that kind of response from unsolicited email, something I am not a fan of. But, reading your actual content does make sense, in the fact that you are offering a cost-free exchange of information in return for feedback.
I find this type of topic fascinating. It challenges my inbuilt rule set, and I like that.
Thank you
Darren.
Darren Lunn´s last [type] ..FileMaker Pro Naming Convention Basics- For Beginners
Glad the article was useful for you Darren. And good to see you’re a fellow FileMaker user. I have used it continuously since version 2, years and years ago. It has been indispensable to me over the years.
Although the email was unsolicited, it only went out to people to whom I was already connected, albeit not via a double opt-in process. I maintain a separate double opt-in list who receive regular tips from me. The people who would have received this email were either people who had attended talks I had given, current and past clients, industry colleagues or people with whom I network either face to face or online, so not total strangers. The purpose of the email was to get some of my non-double-opted-in contacts to double-opt-in, if you see what I’m saying.
People who have double opted in are much more likely to open the emails, find them of value, and want to build a lasting relationship. Indeed the opening rate of my double opt-in emails stands at around 77% as opposed to an average expectation of 22.5%. My aim is to add as much value as I can in the emails that follow, and I get several comments a week back from recipients who really appreciate receiving them. I also don’t try to send stuff out as frequently as some people. There are those who advocate daily blogs and/or daily emails. I think that can be overkill, so I do about two a month. I judge that to be enough to maintain contact and top of mind awareness, but not enough to overdo it, and most recipients seem to agree.
Glad you like the article, Darren.
Great post, Robert. Congratulations on your success. No surprise, given your success in so many areas of your life.
Best,
Jamie Turner
The 60 Second Marketer
Robert,
Huge congrats on cracking through & connecting with Jeffrey – you’re easily on par with him, so it’s not that big of a shock to those who respect your work. Nonetheless – definitely worth celebrating!
Keep up the amazing stuff you’re doing and thank you for sharing this post!
Wow Eric. That’s praise indeed. Thank you!
Hi Robert,
I would only like to sate one point. You sure made me click and download that copy of the book. This itself is the biggest motivator, a consequence of effective email writing technique.
Love it. Thanks for sharing the info.
I received also those kinds of emails and I was tempted to click it because the email look so true and very convincing. As though that they really wanted to help and you can benefit from it. But now I am more careful on those email especially before I was victim by giving my gmail password because a fake google employee said that they will need to close my account after 24 hours. Sad
Kirsty Lavier´s last [type] ..Split Tests on Shopping Carts and Content Management Systems
Yes however well written it is, I agree you need to be careful. There are plenty of unscrupulous “marketing” people out there who will say anything and claim anything in order to entice you to give your permission to receive their spammy emails. You have to look beyond the superficial to see if they’re what they really claim to be.
Hi Robert and Jeffrey
What a great read and lesson learnt. Before I could write this comment the first thing I did was go and get that ebook! Looking forward to read it.
I totally agree with the point that what you really want to accomplish is action and response not just someone opening it, flicking through it and then leaving it like that.
Following the steps from “provocative questions” to “NOW need” are a great path to follow. I am writing lots of emails, with some having only minor success. So this is just a brilliant resource for me to try out new things in order to bring my response rate up.
Many thanks again for this great post – let me throw it into my Buffer right away
Thank you Leo. Hope the ebook proves helpful. It is based on a wildly popular 2-hour seminar I delivered for some years. I thought Jeffrey’s points were excellent. I didn’t particularly have that list in mind when I wrote the email but cam see how they all apply. Love your Buffer product by the way. Really helpful.
Great stuff. The second “button” referred to in Jeremy’s post is most important, I think: The email made him curious.
The reason I follow Robert Clay on twitter is because he writes in an engaging way, a way that entices me to read on every time. This is such an important skill in the information age, when so many posts / tweets / emails are generic, uninteresting and bland. Yet they keep on coming in greater number, day after day.
Well written content always stands out, and Robert Clay’s content IS well written.
P.S. It goes without saying the eBook is well worth reading.
Tim Meehan´s last [type] ..Social Media Marketing for Small Business
Thanks for the vote of confidence Tim, it is very much appreciated.
Am I the only person who thinks this email is too long? I would have switched off by the first paragraph. Surely the best way to do an unsolicited email is to get straight to the point and give them a link which provides more info?
Hi Daniel, I’m sure some will agree with you. But lots wouldn’t either. It all depends whether you could achieve the same result with a much briefer email. So if you would like to come up with some copy, I will be happy to test it for you.