If you’ve ever approached a cold prospect, you know this to be true: people HATE being sold. They know a disingenuous tone and pushy pitch from miles away—before you even get the chance to introduce yourself and your service or product. If you were a telemarketer, they would hang up on you; if you were a traveling salesman, they’d slam the door in your face.
Thankfully, email gives you the opportunity to sell on their time. Rather than interrupt their day with a phone call or meeting, you can engage them on their own terms, and they will come to you if they are interested—and if you did your job well.
Writing persuasive and engaging email copy without sounding like a sales pitch is an art form. So the question remains: how do you sell without blatantly selling?
Stop talking, start listening.
People love to talk about themselves. Take advantage of this by asking questions that invite your prospect to open up about themselves and their business. From these replies, you not only begin to build a relationship, but you also glean important details about their business and how your organization could solve their problems.
Provide an “aha” moment.
In your emails, you’ll want to help prospects see their business from a new perspective. This can be done by asking questions that challenge prospects to think differently about their business problems. In this case, rather than you outwardly providing a solution, prospects will begin to see on their own that they need your expertise.
Build relationships.
Each email should focus on your prospect’s needs, not solely on your product. While this can be a difficult middle ground to find, as long as you’ve engaged your prospects with valuable information, they won’t mind reading your emails (as long as they aren’t too salesy).
Be genuine and knowledgeable.
More than anything, your prospects want to be treated like a person, not a blank check. Be genuine when you communicate with them by email—show your value in the advice you give or the collateral you send them.
Because, in the end, people buy from people they like. Stay relaxed and engaging, ask lots of questions, and learn to build a relationship with prospects. With these tips, you can master the art of selling without selling.
Take me home!
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