Anatomy of a Great Sales E-mail
I received the above e-mail after inquiring about a property on Realtor.com. Although the challenges of buying real estate right now are well-documented, there are still transactions happening, and I was struck by how, in a succinct note, the agent was able to:
· provide information about the listing
· provide context for the sale in light of the current market conditions
· make clear the benefits of working with this agent, and
· ask me for my business.
As someone with experience selling and prospecting, and who admires well thought-out business communication, I had to take note. Let’s take a look at what was so good:
1. Provide Context. Immediately, the agent provided context for this message, making it clear that it’s a “warm” call, not a cold call. The agent immediately told me the context for the message, and this should always be up front, in response to the omni-present question: “Why would I take my time to read this message?”
2. Underscore the challenge that you know your prospect faces. Use facts and data to show empathy and knowledge, compel action, and reflect a sense of urgency.
3. Clarify how you can help solve the problem. Access to more detailed listing information, access to properties before they go on the market, a knowledgeable local resource to serve as prospective buyers’ eyes and ears.
4. Ask for the sale. Always, always provide a call to action. Give the prospect something to do if interested.
There are a hundred ways this (or any) prospecting process could go wrong, but the execution of this simple e-mail went right. It reflects organization, clear thinking, market insight, empathy, an understanding of the value offered, and a bias toward action. Bravo!
