The power of persoanl contact (The In-Depth Benefits of Rapport Building & Personalisation)
| Category: Entrepreneurship | Date: 2001-07-09 |
After selling Real Estate in Australia and Corporate Advertising in London I thought that I had enough personality and persuasiveness to be able to sell almost any proven product to a pre-defined interest group. What I did not contemplate is, upon coming online that I would need to discover something else from within to emanate my personality to my interest group.
We all know that Real Estate is sold most commonly by face to face contact. Sure, there are occasional telephone deals and appointments etc. made by phone but generally one gets to exercise their personality and nature through all media. Let me explain. With face to face contact the following will generally become known in the space of a short amount of time: grammar, appearance, punctuality, tone, dress style, age, sex (male/female not how often), self-image, self-confidence, attitude, permanent injuries, etc. Anything that one can pick up with sight, smell, touch, feel and audibility. All the five senses come into play here. This is a very powerful tool if used correctly.
Then there is selling by the telephone. Here you cant call on all the senses to work for you as you can with face to face selling. Your voice, tone and attitude need to emanate your personality just to get a telephone interview. I was living in London a couple of years ago selling advertising with an engineering publishing firm for a percentage. The job entailed cold calling potential advertisers to both Europe and North America asking for thousands of pounds from just one telephone call.
Ones honesty and integrity must be instantly made known through an effervescent personality so it becomes an informative conversation as opposed to a boring old lecture. I think you know the type of phone call I mean! Sometimes youll get a telephone call from someone with no clue trying to sell you vinyl cladding for your house. You tell him that you live in an apartment and youre only renting but he still keeps chatting at the same tone as if you hadnt said a word. Many of these poor sods are working for an hourly wage instead of a commission. This lack of incentive is evidenced by their apparent disinterest in what theyre doing. Just imagine how interested youd be if they were full of life and grabbed your attention with a good rapport building joke or something to open followed by asking questions that could only be answered yes to whilst radiating personality the whole time!!!
Sure, the telephone is a hard medium to sell through. I remember my statistics were about 1/70. Every 70 times I picked up that phone Id make a sale. Keeping the attitude to maintain the same level of personality through the entire day needed work but as time went on I knew it had to become my strong point.
Now Im online. I believe this to be the hardest method of the three to sell through. Here are some of the reasons why:
* Objections are not given the chance to be countered. * Net Marketing is cheapened by those looking for a quick buck. * Its hard to know who youre talking to online. * Its still new - so real experts are not plentiful. * Many would be purchasers dont take web businesses seriously. * Purchasers can easily click away - never 2B seen again. * Spamming isnt as accepted as it is by post, telephone or fax. (I Dont advocate spamming online. I also dont complain about receiving it to the relevant ISP.)
And a host of other reasons...
Like the method of the telephone the ability to use all your senses is reduced somewhat. Therefore we must capitalise on what we can use to optimise the results from our message. Many of your sales will be made through your writing style online. As I see it there are three ways publishers and salespeople can put their message before their audience via email. Only one of these methods utilises the power of the relationship between the subscriber and the publisher optimally.
The first is the day to day garbage that we generally filter out immediately when we get it; commonly known as spam. It is by far the least effective method of email communication. I have advanced email filters in place that will trash most of it before I even see it. Jim Daniels wrote an article in his excellent BizWeb Gazette last week in relation to "headlines". It seems that most who opt for spamming dont look past earning the first dollar. They are generally littered with ridiculous claims that really do insult the intelligence of any potential target group. Headlines such as "$10,000 - Overnight For Absolutely No Effort" or "I Made $500,000 in Six Months! Ask Me How!"
This form of marketing targets the masses, pisses most people off and is looking simply for the one off sale. There is no relationship building at all on the part of the marketer.
Early last year when I first came online I was none the wiser with spamming. I genuinely thought the whole world would be delighted to hear my offer. So I sent my offer out to 1500, what I thought to be targeted, email addresses. I ended up getting 155 replies. 17 were interested in my offerings. The other 138 were "hate mail". I couldnt believe that first of all not everyone was over the moon with what I had; and secondly (and most importantly) that people could be so mean simply because of an email text message. I was booted off my ISP and had only 17 interested names to show for my work. I needed to start over!
Imagine how much better my response would have been if Id taken the time to target those who are genuinely interested as opposed to the public at large!!!
It was a big lesson. Im glad I did it early on as I learnt first hand the true "non-value" of such an exercise. I honestly felt like JR Ewing as I got continued abuse letters for a week. I almost half expected Krystal to break into my office with a revolver and give me what I (apparently) deserved. Needless to say I never did it again. I then developed what so many before me had advised me to do; this was to start my own "opt-in mailing list".
This is the second option of email marketing. I then decided to begin my own database for direct marketing; thus the birth of "AAvenues 2 Your Success" (or "The Topliving Success Series" as it was until early November, 1998). You are all more than likely familiar with this form of marketing. Delivery is by subscription only! Your own opt-in list allows you to stay in regular contact with your target audience. Your subscribers are virtually inviting you to send them your offer!
Dont get me wrong here - if you simply send a sales letter to your subscribers then theyll just laugh you out onto the street. They will do this by way of mass exodus. Subscribers want information in their field of interest not simply ways they can part with their cash! I mentioned in an email to a potential client last week that in real estate its "location location location" thats important. I believe without a doubt in email marketing this is "value value value". If this value is not adequately provided then subscription cancellations will abound and you wont sell anything.
Ezine marketing to an opt-in list allows you so many options as a Net Marketer. Its paramount to your success! You need to have an ezine in your field! If you arent keeping an opt-in list then start one today. It goes beyond the scope of this article to dig deeper into this topic. Subscribe to the ezines at the following URLs to dig deeper on this sub-topic:
http://topliving.com/ezine_list.htm but most importantly at:
http://topliving.com/thanksnletter.htm
The title of this article is "THE POWER OF PERSONAL CONTACT: (The In-Depth Benefits of Rapport Building & Personalisation)". I want to talk about developing your opt-in list using not just your suave writing ability and powers of copy writing but actually adding a spice that very few marketers have bothered to explore to its potential with email marketing. This is the power of personalisation.
When you receive a letter in the post from a friend you will almost 100% of the time read the letter from beginning to end. Why? Because there is a relationship in existence between the two of you! Everything in this handwritten letter was written personally for you. All you have to do is transpose this sort of personalisation to your subscriber base.
People are looking to get quality information from someone they feel they can trust. Building trust on The Net takes time and needs the right ingredients. Remember, the only one of our five senses that can be fully utilised by email marketing is really sight. Everything is virtual! So, those reading your offerings need to not just be impressed with your finesse and marvellous ability to present your wares professionally and positively but also to feel a connection that you are indeed a friend with their greatest interests at heart. I am now truly starting to see the fruits of my work from adopting this sort of approach.
As you know I send this ezine out to you weekly with your first name in the subject column and also in the first line of the ezine. You will also notice your email address is included in the "to" field unlike most publishers who send their ezine with the name or email address of the mailing list in this field. In a readers-review question I conducted at the tail-end of 1998 I asked all of you (who were subscribers back then) if you found the personal approach better than a simple impersonal bulk email. I have included some of the results here.
>Last week Readers Review was "Do You Feel Receiving This >Publication Personally (i.e. With Your Name In The Subject >Line above) Makes It A More Effective Medium?
>Yes: 87% >No: 13% >No Idea: 00%
>Yes! I go through a long list of e-zines and pick out yours to >read first because of my name being in the Subject Line. >Lee
>P.S. Your personalized responses really make a difference. >So many other businesses and corporations on the Web sound so >mechanical! I appreciate it. >Thank you, Darren >Harmony
>I feel that you are writing to me personally. >Selwyn
>You provide a great personal touch Darren. >Liz
It was overwhelming. 87% said it was a more effective medium. With the numbers so high why are so many publishers and product salespeople not capitalising on the relationship they have with their subscribers to make a win-win situation for both sides???
Many dont know how, some are lazy!!! As a result they miss out on potentially a lot of revenue when their efforts could be more fruitful than they are.
Your name is [name].
If your first name was not listed here then send any email to: name@topliving.com with your first name in the subject area now and it will be updated for next weeks special edition of "AAvenues 2 Your Success".
I have noticed a quadrupling of sales and interested parties since I commenced writing "to" you rather than "at" you.
For those of you who are interested in how I do this I use a powerful email program called Mailloop that will deliver each message individually to you (your address is always in the "to" field) and your name will always be in the subject field.
I simply write to you as if I was writing a letter to a friend with whom I have a wealth of information to share and deliver it personally to your email box each week.
Information on how the powers of this program can assist you in your online business can be accessed here (it does receptionist and secretary functions as well). Before you check it out, know this! It is expensive! But if you really want to capitalise on the powerful concept of relationship building and have complete control over your email list then its a must:
http://topliving.com/marketing/easier.htm
There are other programs that will do this for you such as NetMailer and World Mail Merge but they are only a fraction as quick (and only a fraction of the cost too I might add).
Personalising your emails coupled with creative and powerful copy will be a very positive step for your email marketing campaign. Optimise your resources and reap the benefits.
I look forward to speaking with you again next week.
Think Successfully.
About the Author
Darren Roberts Copyright © 1998, All Rights Reserved Subscribe to Darrens popular "Success and Self-Motivation" Weekly publication, "AAvenues 2 Your Success" and receive the E-Book "How To Build A Healthy Attitude" absolutely free.
Click Here To Subscribe!
The above is an excerpt from Darrens new book called: "Making Your Success Inevitable" For more information on subscriber discounts and bonuses:see details below.
darren@topliving.com
http://topliving.com
We all know that Real Estate is sold most commonly by face to face contact. Sure, there are occasional telephone deals and appointments etc. made by phone but generally one gets to exercise their personality and nature through all media. Let me explain. With face to face contact the following will generally become known in the space of a short amount of time: grammar, appearance, punctuality, tone, dress style, age, sex (male/female not how often), self-image, self-confidence, attitude, permanent injuries, etc. Anything that one can pick up with sight, smell, touch, feel and audibility. All the five senses come into play here. This is a very powerful tool if used correctly.
Then there is selling by the telephone. Here you cant call on all the senses to work for you as you can with face to face selling. Your voice, tone and attitude need to emanate your personality just to get a telephone interview. I was living in London a couple of years ago selling advertising with an engineering publishing firm for a percentage. The job entailed cold calling potential advertisers to both Europe and North America asking for thousands of pounds from just one telephone call.
Ones honesty and integrity must be instantly made known through an effervescent personality so it becomes an informative conversation as opposed to a boring old lecture. I think you know the type of phone call I mean! Sometimes youll get a telephone call from someone with no clue trying to sell you vinyl cladding for your house. You tell him that you live in an apartment and youre only renting but he still keeps chatting at the same tone as if you hadnt said a word. Many of these poor sods are working for an hourly wage instead of a commission. This lack of incentive is evidenced by their apparent disinterest in what theyre doing. Just imagine how interested youd be if they were full of life and grabbed your attention with a good rapport building joke or something to open followed by asking questions that could only be answered yes to whilst radiating personality the whole time!!!
Sure, the telephone is a hard medium to sell through. I remember my statistics were about 1/70. Every 70 times I picked up that phone Id make a sale. Keeping the attitude to maintain the same level of personality through the entire day needed work but as time went on I knew it had to become my strong point.
Now Im online. I believe this to be the hardest method of the three to sell through. Here are some of the reasons why:
* Objections are not given the chance to be countered. * Net Marketing is cheapened by those looking for a quick buck. * Its hard to know who youre talking to online. * Its still new - so real experts are not plentiful. * Many would be purchasers dont take web businesses seriously. * Purchasers can easily click away - never 2B seen again. * Spamming isnt as accepted as it is by post, telephone or fax. (I Dont advocate spamming online. I also dont complain about receiving it to the relevant ISP.)
And a host of other reasons...
Like the method of the telephone the ability to use all your senses is reduced somewhat. Therefore we must capitalise on what we can use to optimise the results from our message. Many of your sales will be made through your writing style online. As I see it there are three ways publishers and salespeople can put their message before their audience via email. Only one of these methods utilises the power of the relationship between the subscriber and the publisher optimally.
The first is the day to day garbage that we generally filter out immediately when we get it; commonly known as spam. It is by far the least effective method of email communication. I have advanced email filters in place that will trash most of it before I even see it. Jim Daniels wrote an article in his excellent BizWeb Gazette last week in relation to "headlines". It seems that most who opt for spamming dont look past earning the first dollar. They are generally littered with ridiculous claims that really do insult the intelligence of any potential target group. Headlines such as "$10,000 - Overnight For Absolutely No Effort" or "I Made $500,000 in Six Months! Ask Me How!"
This form of marketing targets the masses, pisses most people off and is looking simply for the one off sale. There is no relationship building at all on the part of the marketer.
Early last year when I first came online I was none the wiser with spamming. I genuinely thought the whole world would be delighted to hear my offer. So I sent my offer out to 1500, what I thought to be targeted, email addresses. I ended up getting 155 replies. 17 were interested in my offerings. The other 138 were "hate mail". I couldnt believe that first of all not everyone was over the moon with what I had; and secondly (and most importantly) that people could be so mean simply because of an email text message. I was booted off my ISP and had only 17 interested names to show for my work. I needed to start over!
Imagine how much better my response would have been if Id taken the time to target those who are genuinely interested as opposed to the public at large!!!
It was a big lesson. Im glad I did it early on as I learnt first hand the true "non-value" of such an exercise. I honestly felt like JR Ewing as I got continued abuse letters for a week. I almost half expected Krystal to break into my office with a revolver and give me what I (apparently) deserved. Needless to say I never did it again. I then developed what so many before me had advised me to do; this was to start my own "opt-in mailing list".
This is the second option of email marketing. I then decided to begin my own database for direct marketing; thus the birth of "AAvenues 2 Your Success" (or "The Topliving Success Series" as it was until early November, 1998). You are all more than likely familiar with this form of marketing. Delivery is by subscription only! Your own opt-in list allows you to stay in regular contact with your target audience. Your subscribers are virtually inviting you to send them your offer!
Dont get me wrong here - if you simply send a sales letter to your subscribers then theyll just laugh you out onto the street. They will do this by way of mass exodus. Subscribers want information in their field of interest not simply ways they can part with their cash! I mentioned in an email to a potential client last week that in real estate its "location location location" thats important. I believe without a doubt in email marketing this is "value value value". If this value is not adequately provided then subscription cancellations will abound and you wont sell anything.
Ezine marketing to an opt-in list allows you so many options as a Net Marketer. Its paramount to your success! You need to have an ezine in your field! If you arent keeping an opt-in list then start one today. It goes beyond the scope of this article to dig deeper into this topic. Subscribe to the ezines at the following URLs to dig deeper on this sub-topic:
http://topliving.com/ezine_list.htm but most importantly at:
http://topliving.com/thanksnletter.htm
The title of this article is "THE POWER OF PERSONAL CONTACT: (The In-Depth Benefits of Rapport Building & Personalisation)". I want to talk about developing your opt-in list using not just your suave writing ability and powers of copy writing but actually adding a spice that very few marketers have bothered to explore to its potential with email marketing. This is the power of personalisation.
When you receive a letter in the post from a friend you will almost 100% of the time read the letter from beginning to end. Why? Because there is a relationship in existence between the two of you! Everything in this handwritten letter was written personally for you. All you have to do is transpose this sort of personalisation to your subscriber base.
People are looking to get quality information from someone they feel they can trust. Building trust on The Net takes time and needs the right ingredients. Remember, the only one of our five senses that can be fully utilised by email marketing is really sight. Everything is virtual! So, those reading your offerings need to not just be impressed with your finesse and marvellous ability to present your wares professionally and positively but also to feel a connection that you are indeed a friend with their greatest interests at heart. I am now truly starting to see the fruits of my work from adopting this sort of approach.
As you know I send this ezine out to you weekly with your first name in the subject column and also in the first line of the ezine. You will also notice your email address is included in the "to" field unlike most publishers who send their ezine with the name or email address of the mailing list in this field. In a readers-review question I conducted at the tail-end of 1998 I asked all of you (who were subscribers back then) if you found the personal approach better than a simple impersonal bulk email. I have included some of the results here.
>Last week Readers Review was "Do You Feel Receiving This >Publication Personally (i.e. With Your Name In The Subject >Line above) Makes It A More Effective Medium?
>Yes: 87% >No: 13% >No Idea: 00%
>Yes! I go through a long list of e-zines and pick out yours to >read first because of my name being in the Subject Line. >Lee
>P.S. Your personalized responses really make a difference. >So many other businesses and corporations on the Web sound so >mechanical! I appreciate it. >Thank you, Darren >Harmony
>I feel that you are writing to me personally. >Selwyn
>You provide a great personal touch Darren. >Liz
It was overwhelming. 87% said it was a more effective medium. With the numbers so high why are so many publishers and product salespeople not capitalising on the relationship they have with their subscribers to make a win-win situation for both sides???
Many dont know how, some are lazy!!! As a result they miss out on potentially a lot of revenue when their efforts could be more fruitful than they are.
Your name is [name].
If your first name was not listed here then send any email to: name@topliving.com with your first name in the subject area now and it will be updated for next weeks special edition of "AAvenues 2 Your Success".
I have noticed a quadrupling of sales and interested parties since I commenced writing "to" you rather than "at" you.
For those of you who are interested in how I do this I use a powerful email program called Mailloop that will deliver each message individually to you (your address is always in the "to" field) and your name will always be in the subject field.
I simply write to you as if I was writing a letter to a friend with whom I have a wealth of information to share and deliver it personally to your email box each week.
Information on how the powers of this program can assist you in your online business can be accessed here (it does receptionist and secretary functions as well). Before you check it out, know this! It is expensive! But if you really want to capitalise on the powerful concept of relationship building and have complete control over your email list then its a must:
http://topliving.com/marketing/easier.htm
There are other programs that will do this for you such as NetMailer and World Mail Merge but they are only a fraction as quick (and only a fraction of the cost too I might add).
Personalising your emails coupled with creative and powerful copy will be a very positive step for your email marketing campaign. Optimise your resources and reap the benefits.
I look forward to speaking with you again next week.
Think Successfully.
About the Author
Darren Roberts Copyright © 1998, All Rights Reserved Subscribe to Darrens popular "Success and Self-Motivation" Weekly publication, "AAvenues 2 Your Success" and receive the E-Book "How To Build A Healthy Attitude" absolutely free.
Click Here To Subscribe!
The above is an excerpt from Darrens new book called: "Making Your Success Inevitable" For more information on subscriber discounts and bonuses:see details below.
darren@topliving.com
http://topliving.com
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