In this video I talk about the power of email automations.
This video covers
- What they are
- Why you want to use them
- How they work
- What content should you include
Warm up your leads before you ever pick up the phone
Imagine calling a lead who already knows who you are, already trusts that you know your stuff, and is ready to talk about the next step. That’s what email automation can do for you.
What is email automation?
Email automation means your email marketing software (Mailchimp, MailerLite, Moosend or similar) sends a series of emails automatically, to the right people, at the right time, with the right message. When a lead reaches a certain point, they’re added to a sequence and receive one helpful email after another. By the time you speak to them, it’s a very different conversation from a cold call.
The building blocks of an automation
Every automation is made from a few simple parts:
- Trigger. This is what starts the automation. It might be something the person does, like filling in a form, or something you do, like adding them to a group.
- Filters. These decide who, of the people who triggered it, actually goes through this sequence. For example, I split people by whether they’re signing up for personal or business use, and each group gets its own sequence.
- Tags. Labels you attach to a contact so you can organise and target them later.
- Emails. The messages themselves, the heart of the automation.
- Delays. The gaps between emails. I find two or three days works well. Too long and people forget you, too short and you become annoying.
- Decisions. Branches based on what someone has done. If they’ve already signed up or bought, they can leave the sequence or get a different email. If not, they carry on.
What to say in the emails
Build trust by being genuinely helpful. The best way to show expertise isn’t to tell people you’re an expert. It’s to help them. An accountant might send an email before year end on what to prepare, another at year end, and another afterwards on what not to forget. Don’t worry about giving too much away. The people who would do it all themselves were never going to buy. Your good customers will still want you to do it for them, and now they trust you.
Use social proof. Dedicate an email to a client’s experience of working with you. A testimonial from someone else is far more persuasive than you praising yourself.
Finish with a clear call to action. Don’t push for the sale early. Build trust first, then in the final email or two ask for the next step. For most businesses that’s booking a call, but it could be “buy now” or something else that suits you.
Set it up once and it keeps warming up leads while you get on with your work. If you’d like help planning or building an automation, get in touch.
