Anytime a customer writes you an email, it is a gift. An enormous gift. And the sad thing is, most companies just throw it away.
Think about the type of person who sends feedback email to companies: This person cares enough about you and your company to form an opinion about you. They are also vocal enough to want share their opinion with others once they have formed it.
In other words, anyone who sends you an email is a prime candidate to become a passionate user. One of those all important customers who will tell everyone else they know about you, if only you can get them to become passionate enough about your product or service.
What’s more, by sending you an email, this person has given you an opportunity to change them from an interested opinionated person into a passionate user. All you need to do is write them back.
People become passionate about something when they form a personal connection with it somehow. And, there is no better way to form a personal connection with a person than to become friends with them. It’s amazing but true: a simple, personal, authentic note from someone at your company is often all it takes to convince someone that you are “good people” and worth their time.
So if simply writing back can do so much for your business, why do so throw this tremendous opportunity away?
It’s quite simple, really: many companies view email as a support cost rather than a sales tool. It’s easy to understand this attitude when you think about the hundreds of emails even a small business can receive everyday. Complaint, questions, comments. It’s hard to imagine sometimes how all of this work can really help close a sale.
To really get the most out of your customer email, you have to begin by thinking about it as part of your marketing, not your support costs. Like any other marketing program, you have to be prepared to invest a little time and money into it. Most importantly, you have to develop a system to help you get through it.
For starters, you can get some technology to help you. Mailroom is designed for this very thing. Mailroom makes it easy for your entire group to share your incoming customer email. It can also save you time by suggesting replies based on your past responses.
Even with technology, though, your email will always need a little human touch. Be sure to budget ample time for someone on your team to devote to answering your email. Better yet, have everyone pitch in so no one has to answer too many emails. Not only will that keep everyone in your business closer to your customers, it will keep allow each email to get the time it deserves.
However you do it, remember: if you want to create passionate users, you can start simply by answering your email. Make it a priority. Treat your email like a sales tool. You will be amazed at how many of those people you connect with will return the favor by bringing many more customers to your door.
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