8 Emails that Help Build Rapport

A good email is a powerful tool in the hands of a qualified salesperson. Used properly, email can bring in thousands of dollars of revenue. Used incorrectly, emails can sink a business or career faster than an oil tanker off the coast.

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Two years ago, when I only had a couple of hundred people on my email list, I was sending over 1000 emails per month. Today, I'm sure that number is well over 10,000, and I know some businesses that send 100s of thousands of emails every single month.

But, as they say, what counts is quality, not quantity. And I mostly agree.

While I'm sure we agree that the quality of your emails is more important than the quantity you send, there's still a lot of question about what makes up a “quality” email. A lot of people have asked me,

What types of emails should I send to my subscribers?

And, since that question has come up several times, and because I've wondered the same thing myself, I thought I share some of the types of emails I've sent that have gotten great responses.

If you want to get better results with your email campaigns, check out these other posts I've written on the topic:

• Better Emails, Better Results
• 7 Ways to Promote Your Event
• How to Get Better Results with Your Email Marketing Campaigns
• 6 Reasons You Shouldn’t Automatically Add People to Your Email List
• How to Get Your Emails Into the Inbox
• EP63: Why the Experts Say, “The Money Is In the Email List!” w/ Ben Krueger

Well, apparently email marketing is a hot topic here, as it should be, because people still ask me for help with it, and the emails we send can have a powerful impact on our ability to communicate with our clients and communities.

If you send emails as part of your role within your company, here are a few types of emails you should send to build rapport with the people on the receiving end. Whether you're an entrepreneur or a salesman new to a territory, these emails will help your clients get to know, like and trust you, and, ultimately, more open to buying from you.

So stop selling, use these connection-building emails, and start building a real business!

8 Types of Emails You Should Send to Build Report

Before we go too far, I want to recommend two tools that will help you tremendously. The first is Grammarly, and the second is ActiveCampaign.

Grammarly has both a free option for using in your web browser and a paid option you can install on your computer for offline use. Grammarly picks up spelling and grammatical errors before we send our emails, so we don't look inept or hurt our credibility. Read my full review of Grammarly here.

After trying several email marketing services for my online business, I found ActiveCampaign. After thorough testing and two years, and tens of thousands of emails sent, I highly recommend ActiveCampaign. They're one of the best values for your money and have some of the best tracking features of any software currently available. Plus, they'll even test your emails against their spam scoring tool before you send them! Start a free trial here.

The “Who” Email

No, we're not talking about the band. When it comes to buying and selling, we all want to know who we're talking to, hearing from, or who we're going to be working with.

In your “Who” email, tell people who you are. Share your interests, give some insight into your family and what you do for entertainment.

Sharing personal information may seem weird to you at first, but I promise, sharing about who you are will bring in more sales and help you grow your business. Before your customers can like and trust you, they have to know you, and that begins with knowing who you are.

The “What” Email

Sales people often assume their prospects know what they're trying to sell. Sales people also assume that clients are aware of every product or service available to them. In both cases, the sales people would be wrong.

Letting people know what you do and what you have to offer is the first steps to growing your business, and a lot of salespeople fail at this.

I did.

While on a mastermind call a few months ago, I asked my clients if they were aware that I also did 1×1 coaching. Only half of the people said yes. WHAT!? I'd failed to let my clients know about the other services I offered and what else I could do for them.

The “What” emails can be further divided into two subsets:

What You Do

Don't just tell your subscribers and list of clients what you sell. That information should be on your website somewhere.

Share your approach to problems. Talk about how you help your clients. Don't just sell products, share what makes you different from other sales people and your competitors.

Pro Tip: Don't just share what you do well. Let people in on your weaknesses (like I did here), and they'll like you that much more because they know they can trust you.

What Clients Can Expect

When entrepreneurs and business owners sign up for my email list, I send them a list what they can expect from me.

When people join one of my mastermind groups, one of the first things I send them is a “Welcome Packet.” And, in that packet is a section for expectations – both what I expect from them and what they can expect from me.

The “When” Email

As with the “What” emails, the “When” emails can cover a variety of things as well, so get creative.

Send an email letting people know when you're open for walk-ups. Send an email to tell people when you got started or when you began your business. Tell people when they can expect your emails, or when you're going to celebrate your 20th business anniversary.

The “Where” Email

One of the emails I send my community is a “where I'll be” email. I love getting to meet my clients in person, but it's rare that I get to. So, by letting them know where I'll be and when, we can get together for dinner, drinks, or a meetup.

You could also send a “Where” email to let people know where you'll deliver or ship your products. Tell them where you're going to hold your next event or where other companies have featured you.

The “Why” Email

I studied psychology in college because I wanted to know why people behaved the way they do. Children always want to know why things happen a certain way. Understanding why things happen is human nature, and when you can supply an answer, you're giving people something they need.

Let your clients in on the secret and tell them why you got into your line of work. Share why you started your business or why you chose to do this instead of that.

If you broke your previous sales record, you could talk about what you did and why you did things differently this time. If you canceled a product line or service, talk about why. If you partnered with another business or invested in new research, sharing why would be a great way to build rapport.

The “How” Email

In my book Exit Strategy, I share the story about visiting the Tabasco factory in Louisiana. While on the factory tour, I learned how they pick the peppers (and why not all peppers are chosen), and how they make their world-famous Tabasco sauce. Here I am 10+ years later, and I still remember.

How you do business is what sets you apart from your competition. How you approach problems, how you develop solutions, and how you treat people are all things that make you unique.

The “Update” Email

The first time I wrote an “Update” email and sent it to my list was back in 2013. I was sitting in a coffee shop and feeling fairly frustrated. The night before, I'd watched a Shark Tank rerun and a comment Mark Cuban made wasn't sitting well with me.

So, I emailed my subscribers about it.

I shared what was going on, what Cuban said, and why I didn't feel like his advice was all that great for people in my position. The open and reply rates to that email were significantly higher than any other email I'd written before.

When people know you're trying to connect with them and show your humanity, you'll stand out from every other salesperson vying for their time and who just wants to sell, sell, sell. As long as you tie your “update” back to your overall business, it won't be out-of-place and recipients won't see your email as a distraction.

The “Proof” Email

You can talk about how great you are and how amazing your products are, but at some point, you need to show some proof. Of course, YOU think you're great, but when someone else says it, you actually become great.

Your “Proof” email could be a case study illustrating how a client implemented your product or service and had great results. Your “Proof” email could be a testimonial video featuring a client who is similar to the prospect you're trying to sign. “Proof” emails can also point to any awards you've received and how you'd like to implement the wonderful solution for your prospects.

Summary

Get creative with your emails. Don't try to sell all the time.

You can use these ideas or do what one of my clients, Jon Stolpe, did, and write emails around your five senses. Jon wrote an email about things he saw that reminded him of his father and the legacy he left, and then Jon tied the email back into one of the services. It was AWESOME, and a great way to implement these strategies.