Are you teaching people to ignore your business and talking their yes into a no? Focusing on the way your marketing impacts your market is important, so after receiving an email this morning, I had to share the impact it had on me, the target market and buyer who said, “yes.”
Let’s start with my first reaction to the email.
- The email “from” name was generic and could have been from any of the hundreds of companies that send out endless amounts of emails. There was nothing to remind me I signed up to get info or a name that distinguished them from anyone else.
- The subject/title of the email was: “Who’s it for?” It didn’t state what “it” is. Still, no indication I signed up for info.
- My first reaction was to open the email, scroll to the bottom, and look for the unsubscribe link.
It wasn’t until I happened to notice the person’s name, from whom I wanted to get info, that I stopped to read the email and not immediately unsubscribe. The name was not prominently placed, my eyes happened to catch it on the way to the unsubscribe button.
4 things that turn “yes” into “no”
- It came from the marketing team of one of the best marketers in the world.
- The email was about a marketing seminar I had already said yes to.
- Demonstrating why my yes was a wrong choice.
- Being in my inbox served no purpose.
In all fairness to the person who’s work I admire, I seriously doubt this person who’s name I happened to notice buried in the content of the page, had anything to do with this marketing email sequence piece, but the team should know better.
I signed up to be informed when the seminar was open to registration. I’ve already indicated I am interested and want to be notified. I’ve already been convinced it’s for me.
Since nobody can sign up until registration opens next month, there was nothing for the email recipient to do but click one of the text links in the email and see the same information that got me to sign up to be notified in the first place.
When someone says “yes” stop selling. Do this instead.
In sales and marketing, when someone says “yes” stop selling to keep the “yes”. Just stop talking.
So why was I being bothered with an email in my inbox the day after I said yes? An ambiguous one at that. It served no purpose. There was no excitement building or new information to share.
What would have been a better option was for them to segment their marketing campaigns. For someone, like me, who’s already said, “yes, let me know when I can give you my money,” don’t send me anything until I can!
Once the segment that said yes has received the “Registration is Open (you can give us your money now)” email and they haven’t signed up, then send them an email to remind them about what’s in it for them.
“Chore Marketing” and talking your way out of a sale.
I already said yes, what more could they get? They got a no. What they did was what I call “Chore Marketing” and talking their way out of a sale.
“Chore Marketing” is when the sender gives you a task to do. Not a call to action “to do” or guiding the target of the marketing piece to interact with the business in some way. No, no, no…. Chore Marketing makes the recipient have to do the work the marketing didn’t do (and is their job). It’s adding a task to my day that doesn’t help me, my business, or my clients.
In this case, my tasks were:
- Try to figure out who sent the email.
- What it is about (is registration open?).
- Is there some new information I need to know about?
- Where is the unsubscribe button?
Don’t overestimate your choice of taglines and memorability. People get dozens of emails per day. If you’re not obvious who you are and what it’s about upfront, you’re Chore Marketing me, getting deleted and/or marked as spam.
What they did was talked me out of saying “yes” and having them teach me how to be a “Chore Marketer.” If that’s the kind of marketing they do, the answer to their email subject/title “Who’s it for?” is obviously not me. I don’t want to and do my best to never annoy my clients; current, past, or future, with pointless emails or “touches” and “Chore Marketing.”
How do I know about talking your way out of a sale? Well, I’ve done it, many times. I learned the hard way.
Your role is to teach your audience they can trust you not to spam them and when you do reach out to them in any form, it’s to give them something of value. So, before you send out that marketing email, make sure it serves a purpose for the reader. If not, you’re just noise distracting them from their real work. You’ve taught them to ignore you.
Segment your marketing, always add value, never do “Chore Marketing”, and always keep they buyers YES!
