The length of the sales cycle depends on the products or services you sell. If you are selling a product that your customer is quite familiar with the sales cycle can be quite short. But for many of us, especially where we are providing a service, it can take months before the decision to buy is made.
The time from initial meeting to purchase could be 3, 6 or even 12 months or more. There will be a variety for reasons for this from the timing not being right to your prospect wanting to get to know you and be confident that you are going to deliver what they want.
So, it is really important that we keep in contact during this period, building up our credibility and nurturing the relationship so that when the timing is right we are remembered and the first person they turn to.
Here are 5 reasons why email marketing is a great way to keep in contact and build relationships.
E is for Efficiency
Keeping in contact with customers and prospects can be hugely draining on your time. An email marketing system makes this process much more efficient.Automation allows you to set up a series of emails that could, for example, be set to go out once a week for the next two months.
You can create a form that appears on your website to let visitors sign up to your newsletter or blog. This will automatically add them to your emailing list and you can set automated emails to welcome them and perhaps send them the most recent newsletter to keep them going.
Scheduling allows you to create an email that is timed to go when the recipients are most likely to read it. You could be on holiday and you are still keeping in touch with your contacts!
M is for Money
Email marketing is extremely cost effective compared to many other forms of marketing. As long has you have a strategy and a plan it can provide an excellent return on your marketing budget.
A is for Attractive
An email sent from an email marketing system can look professional with branding and include images and links. It can also be personalised to include the recipient’s name.
The content should be kept short, interesting and relevant. This could be a teaser paragraph with a Read more… link to your website where more detail can be provided. Having read the blog the visitors are on your website to see more about your business and how you can help them.
By adding the social media sharing buttons such as Facebook and Twitter the reach of your email can expand, attracting more interested and potential customers to you.
I is for Intelligence
An email marketing system provides valuable information about the results of your email campaign. You can see how many people have opened it. Probably the most important information it provides is who has clicked through to your website. These are potentially your warm leads and should be targeted with a further email or telephone call.
Results from previous email campaigns can be used to improve future campaigns.
L is for Loyalty
By keeping in regular contact in this way you have been able to build your credibility by demonstrating your expertise within the content of the emails.
You’re also keeping your business and your name in front of your prospect so that when the time is right you’re the first and only person they call!
Finally
This is a brief overview into email marketing. If you would like to explore how implementing an email marketing strategy could benefit your business please contact me on 07565 382803 or email me at nicola@attractivemarketing.biz.
Here’s to your success!
