Why Your Emails Aren't Generating Leads - And One Quick Fix For Stellar Results

Email marketing is a great way to stay in front of customers…in theory. The payback is less impressive when you’re stuck in front of the computer, endlessly composing one fruitless follow-up email after another.

If you still haven’t found the magic formula to rake in the most email responses, take a look at the message you’re sticking in front of your customers.

Digging Up Your Call To Action

If people are opening your email and moving on, you’ve got a problem.

Look at a copy of your typical follow up email. Ask, “What do I want my customers to do after they see this?” Whether it’s picking up the phone or clicking to view your online proposal, the answer better be crystal clear from just a quick skim.

Your call to action should always be one brief sentence, headed up by a verb: (View Your Proposal or Call Me Today…) It should ALWAYS be at the top of your email. Not necessarily the very first item, but the prospect should NEVER have to scroll to find it.

If you can make your call to action a link, even better. EmailLabs’ studies have found that having more links leads to more click-throughs. The more click-throughs you get, the better your email is working.

Keep It Short. Then Make It Shorter.

You may be a whiz at knocking out compelling sales letters, but those skills don’t cut it with email. People don’t have patience for loads of text, no matter how much bolding and highlighting you do. Their eyes are trained to skim and jump around for information that’s relevant to them. And their fingers stay hovering over the mouse, ready to click.

Experts debate over the importance of email length. Is shorter really better?

Think of it this way: Every email should have one strong call to action. So why risk burying your true goal with extra offers and unnecessary information? It’s tempting to make multiple pitches in the same email. But don’t get greedy. You’ve already determined what action is most valuable to you. Having several offers will only distract people from it.

If you MUST direct readers to other services or offers, do so in a brief hyperlink that describes the benefit. If they want to click away, they can. The rest of your readers can focus on your main offer.

For example: if you want a person you quoted for health to know you do life as well, your link should look like this:

Interested in Life Insurance? Compare Affordable Policies Today

Click vs. Call

Some agents prefer prospects to give them a ring after reading an email. That’s nice, if you can persuade people to pick up the phone. It’s not as easy as it sounds. How many emails do YOU get that make you drop what you’re doing and reach for the phone?

When people are checking their email, they’re online. Don’t force them to get into “phone call mode” to convert. They just aren’t as likely to do it. Give them a link to your proposal and quotes. When they view your proposal online, an email notice will pop up in your inbox. Now you’re in charge of making the call.

To sum up, here’s how to improve your emails:

Identify your main call to action, and make it stand out
Cut all the extra words out of your email — your message should be concise and meaningful
Give prospects a low risk way to convert — use hyperlinks instead of requiring them to call

Remember, what works for one agent could be a wash for you. Start by testing with a small batch of your newer, shorter emails. See if they perform better, and keep making adjustments until you’ve found the perfect email pitch.

As Director of Marketing & Creative at Norvax, Jeremiah Desmarais works to build results-driven marketing strategies that create more sales. His team executes the B2B and B2C marketing initiatives that touch Norvax’ client base and carrier relationships on a daily basis. He is author of several white papers, and has been a contributor to the Agent's Sales Journal, Health Insurance Underwriter as well as a guest speaker at various carrier events and workshops. He welcomes feedback at jdesmarais@norvax.com

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