I don’t know about you, but the amount of email I receive each day is reaching as one would say a breaking point. It seems I’m not the only one. I’ve shared this observation with many and they seem to be experiencing the same symptoms as I am. There are those emails I asked for and those that I didn’t. But still they are coming to my inbox in droves.
SPAM is Not the Problem – It’s when Email Marketing Misses the Mark
I never mind receiving communication from someone trying to introduce me to a product and/or service they think can help me. So it’s not that I’m receiving email but it’s the fact that I feel overloaded and not engaged that I find interesting.
Email is a highly cost effective way to communicate with potential buyers so many firms are using this communication to do just that – communicate with potential buyers. Additionally, many potential buyers feel very comfortable communicating through email. So the match between why companies are sending emails and why company contacts are receiving emails makes sense.
Tips for Sellers and Buyers for Better B2B Email Marketing
So if overload is here to stay (it may or may not be but time will tell), then how do sellers and buyers better manage that process to get the right messages, to the right people at the right time, so everyone feels fulfilled not overwhelmed?
Here are a few thoughts that come to mind:
Sellers:
- Respect what buyers are telling you when they receive your email messages.
- Find out why, in a human way. Ask.
- Listen to what you are being told.
- Don’t let your buyers’ comments fall on deaf ears. The buyer is the boss.
- If you don’t have the authority to implement the email recipient’s suggestion, pass it on to someone who can evaluate the input and act.
Buyers:
- Help sellers get better. It’s like a relationship; if you don’t communicate it cannot improve.
- If they ask, tell them why you want or don’t want their email – no matter how valid or invalid you think your suggestion is.
- Don’t stop there; tell the seller how they can improve and what you did like.
- Help them help you or leave you alone.
- Be gracious. No one is perfect. What greater compliment is there, than when someone really cares about what you think?
B2B Email Marketing Done Right has its Rewards
We see the words communicate, collaborate, build relationships everywhere we look today. What a great concept, so easy to implement, so human, so productive for all. Keep in mind how rewarding it can be. All this from a simple email overload experience.