Have you ever sent an important email…only to hear nothing back? In this day and age of overflowing inboxes, it takes a lot of strategy and effort to get someone’s attention.
We asked these five business moguls and Advisors in The Oracles about how they make their emails stand out:
1. ‘Jab, jab, jab, then send the right hook.’
“Open with a promise, then deliver on it. It’s all about your copy, starting with the subject line. You have to grab my attention.
A Google search will show you examples of attention-grabbing subject lines from my emails. As for the content? Jab, jab, jab, right hook. Don’t just send the ‘right hook’ or the sales email.
Focus more on ‘jabbing’ by sending emails with no other agenda than to build relationships. When you entertain, inform or bring value to your readers, they’re more open to sales when you do come with the right hook.
Finally, stop automating your email copy. You have to empathize with people and build relationships. No bot, auto-reply, or customer relationship management app can do that for you.”
—Gary Vaynerchuk, founder and CEO of VaynerX, New York Times best-selling author of “Crushing It!”
2. ‘Never ask for something unless you really need it.’
“I never ask for a response unless I truly need someone’s help. And when I do, I make the subject line clear and to the point like this: ‘Hi from Kara. Wondering if I could get your help?’ (But try to avoid doing this too often — think of it as a one-time ask per person, maybe twice in your lifetime.)
Here’s an example of how this worked for me: Due to a glitch in Facebook’s payment system, our Facebook ad campaigns kept getting cut off every time we reached a certain number of views and spent a certain amount of money.
Although I know Facebook’s COO, Sheryl Sandberg, I didn’t want to bother her with this; but it was really becoming a problem. So I finally sent her this email: ‘Hi Sheryl, it’s Kara. May I get your help with something urgent?’
She quickly emailed me back asking for details, and the problem was solved in 30 minutes. Facebook was happy, too, because we started spending more money on ads.”
—Kara Goldin, founder and CEO of Hint Inc., creator of The Kara Network, a digital resource for entrepreneurs, and host of the“Unstoppable” podcast; follow Kara on Instagram
3. ‘Know your audience.’
“To get someone’s attention in an email, you must think like them. We train our employees to understand different customer personality types so we can give them memorable experiences. You can leverage the same practice when sending emails.
- If you’re emailing a ‘director’ who likes to get straight to the point, send an email that mirrors that. Don’t give long-winded explanations or mention the local sports team.
- If you’re emailing a ‘socializer’ who appreciates off-topic dialogue, leverage apps like Vidyard, for instance, to send a personalized video email. Ask about their pet and get as descriptive as you wish.
- If you’re emailing a ‘passive’ type who is reserved and doesn’t exhibit a lot of character (at first), play it safe and find a balance between what you would send a ‘director’ and ‘socializer.'”
—Michel Falcon, entrepreneur, keynote speaker and author of “People-First Culture”; connect with Michel on LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook
4. ‘Include a hook, story and offer.’
“With the rise of social media and other forms of communication, email can be neglected and isn’t always given the attention it deserves. But email has been one of the most important parts of my real estate business from the beginning and still is today. I use several principles to get responses, which I learned from the author Russell Brunson.
Every email needs to include a hook, story and offer. The hook is the subject line, which must be compelling enough to get the person to open it. You are competing with hundreds of emails in their inbox, so your subject line must get them to open yours.
The story transitions from the hook to the offer and sets the stage for whatever you’re asking. In the offer, be direct about what you want them to do and why it will benefit them. Don’t get offended if you don’t get a response. Instead, be persistent and try again.”
—Daniel Lesniak, founder of Orange Line Living, broker at the Keri Shull Team, co-founder of real estate coaching business HyperFast Agent and author of “The HyperLocal, HyperFast Real Estate Agent”
5. ‘Provide value and connect on a personal level.’
“I send emails with purpose and intent. I usually want the other person to take some kind of action, so I ensure my email says something worthwhile in a succinct way.
Most of my clients are incredibly busy people with full inboxes, so my goal is to respect their time and serve their needs. To do that, I create a relationship that honors this simple message: Always provide value before asking for anything.
Once I’ve earned their trust, I honor their time by keeping my emails friendly, short, and to the point. I don’t engage in negative correspondence. If there’s an issue, I pick up the phone. Talking to someone is more productive than letting them stew over misunderstood words or intentions.
Another secret is a personalized subject line that will grab their attention. I ask a question or use keywords like their location or industry terms. Everyone just wants to feel special, so anything that connects on a personal level will be well received.”
—Gail Corder Fischer, executive vice chairman of Fischer & Company, a leading global corporate real estate firm that provides consulting, brokerage and technology solutions
This article was originally published on CNBC.
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