What Not to Do When Selling by Email

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What Not to Do When Selling by Email

Written by Andy Preston

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Turn Selling Around

{mosimage}The heart of the new approach to selling is an intense focus on the prosperity of your customers. This is a radical departure from what most salespeople and selling organizations do. The entire psychological orientation is shifted 180 degrees. No longer do you measure your own success first. Instead, you measure success by how well your customers are doing with your help.

When I’m working with Salespeople and Business Owners, often how busy they are dictates them taking the ‘quickest route’ to completing something – even if it’s a critical sales activity!

However, the ‘quickest route’ habit can often cause us problems! Particularly as technology has advanced and email is a popular communication method for many. However, this often results in people resorting to email communication – at the expense of their own sales figures! Have a look at the examples of common email sales mistakes below, and see if any ring true for you……

Email Sales Mistake Number 1 – Using It To ‘Follow Up’

Now I know some of you could give me individual examples of how doing this has brought you some business on the odd occasion, but I’m talking here about not relying on ‘luck’.

Let’s look at this from a ‘new business’ perspective. You’ve spoken with (or met with) a client previously, you’ve started to develop rapport, but they’ve probably got an existing supplier, or existing way of doing things. So you didn’t pick up their business from your initial call or appointment.

Your boss has potentially been putting pressure on you about your sales figures or your sales pipeline. So you decide you need to ‘follow up’ with a few people, this particular prospect included. So what do you do next? Pick up the phone and call them, establish their current situation and needs and potentially see how you may be able to add value to what they’re trying to achieve over the next few months? Close for another appointment, attempt to dislodge the existing supplier (or existing process) and pick up their business? Or send an email?

If you find yourself in the ‘email’ category, then stop it! Right now!

Email Sales Mistake Number 2 - Just 'Adding' People To A Mailing List

Another great idea from the marketing department. Sending an email newsletter or similar to keep people 'informed' of your products and services. The funny thing is, how many newsletters do you get that you don't read, or you don't read in full? I bet it's quite a few. If you don't know the sender well, you probably don't read it at all. Sometimes even when you know the sender well you still don't read it!

Don't sit back and think that just because someone is on your generic email list that that's helping you 'sell' to that person. In most cases it isn't. The responsibility to move that person through your sales pipeline is still yours!

Email Sales Mistake Number 3 - Sending Mainly 'Flyers' By Email

Please tell me you don't do this? Even worse if the email is titled 'offer of the month' or similar! If the person hasn't used you before, you're relying on 'luck' for the person to buy from you. And the more competitive your marketplace and the higher the price of what you sell, the less likely people are to buy!

Plus as mentioned in my last point above, it's hardly 'personal' communication to that prospect, is it? Is this really the professional sales job you were employed to do? If this is the best you can do in terms of 'sales persuasion', you're in trouble!

Email Sales Mistake Number 4 - Responding To New Sales Enquiries Via Email

Let's think about this one. You or your company have expended time, money and effort in producing the incoming sales lead. Whether it's come from a previous phone call by you or a colleague, networking, advertising or over the internet, you've managed to get a precious incoming sales lead.

The next question is, what are you going to do about it? Pick up the phone and find an excuse to start a dialogue to understand their needs in more detail, position a 'next step' in the sales process and look for some commitment from that person. Or just send a quick email giving some information and leaving them to 'wander' on their own, with no idea how motivated they are to purchase, their timescales, or what other options they're considering?

Looks like you've missed your chance again, doesn't it? In most cases if they come back to you, it's because when they enquired with your competition, they did a worse job than you did (hard to believe I know, but it could be true). Is this really the best way of dealing with that precious incoming sales lead do you think?!!

Email Sales Mistake Number 5 - Sending Proposals Or Quotes By Email

Now it's time for my personal favorite! Sending proposals or quotes by email. You've had the meeting with a potential client (or at least an in-depth telephone conversation)......you agree to send details of what was discussed......then you put it in an email. Really?!! Now you're in trouble.

Why on earth didn't you position your offering when you were face to face with the client? When you could read their body language and reactions to your offering (and your price) best....when you could judge whether you had got the proposal right or not?......when you had the best chance of getting them to say 'yes'?

Even if you needed time to put the details together, why on earth didn't you organize a second meeting to discuss it in more detail? Crazy! You're giving other salespeople a better chance to win that business over you - why on earth would you want to do that?!!

Andy Preston
		About the author:
		Andy Preston is the founder of the highly acclaimed Sales Training and Coaching Company Outstanding Results, providing help, guidance and support to in-house sales teams of both large and small organizations throughout the UK and Europe. .