Have you ever thought about how email marketing is like therapy in digital marketing? The purpose of both is to discover issues and strive to meet the needs of the customer.
Put the Customer First
Just like a therapist, good email marketing is built on trust. A sound relationship alleviates the reader’s distrust. When your message is valuable it comforts the skeptical customer.
Think of your welcome email as a first visit with a therapist. Don’t focus on your goal to sell them something. The goals of the reader need to have your complete attention.
Pay attention to what caused your reader to opt-in to your list. If it is not obvious, ask them flat out. Any information you can gather is valuable data you can use later in the sales process. It also gives guidance to future email campaigns.
Do a lot of “listening” to your metrics. Whether or not an email is opened says a lot about what was sent. Be transparent and direct with your emails. Never sneak in sales lingo before the customer is ready.
Uncover Customer Doubt and Fear
Many people are overwhelmed by the unknown. They go to the internet and sign up to get more information. They don’t want to make a purchase and feel like they made the wrong choice. However, many are far from ready to make a purchase. Meet them where they are in the sales process.
Determine why the prospect has an interest in your business. Then provide great information that soother their fears. A simple list of free tips can go a long way.
Devise a Plan to Ease their Concerns
In therapist terms, think of this as a treatment plan. The plan is not designed to be a one-time fix. It nurtures the lead through the process so that they can become an informed buyer.
Ditch the idea of persuasion. Instead, think of your actions as motivation toward an informed decision. Trust your reader will make the purchase when they are ready. Avoid being “salesey” and they will trust you.
Plan Components:
Workflows outlined in your CRM are like a treatment plan.
Segment different buyer personas into separate lists who all have similar needs, fears and doubts.
Think of a buyer persona as a client profile in therapy. Once you know what works you will have the information at your fingertips needed to treat the next client.
Let the Prospect Know You’ve Been in their Shoes
As humans, we all have doubt and fear when considering new things. In his book titled “To Sell is Human”, Daniel Pink reveals that the human connection is powerful in the sales environment. Let your prospective customer see your weakness in your emails to develop a deeper trust.
Let your reader know that they are not alone. Share testimonials of people who had fears and doubts. The fact that they are comfortable with what you offer goes a long way toward easing doubts. A video testimonial does wonders for establishing the trust factor.