Every email you send to your subscribers doesn’t have to push for the sale. There might be gold in your promotional emails but there is also a huge opportunity in the soft sell. Take a look at these six soft-sell tactics that will help you keep the “salesman” out of your email campaigns and keep your customers engaged and happy.
Educate Your Customers About the Problems Your Products Solve
Take the time to educate your subscribers about the problems that your product solves. Talk through the benefits of owning your product and all the special features that come with it. Much of the time, customers do not even know they need something until they become educated about it. At the end of your email, include a link and a soft-sell call-to-action to buy the product to solve the problem.
Educating your subscribers shows that you truly care about what you are selling and believe in your products and services. Customers see that you are an expert in your space, which resonates in their minds when they are in the market to buy the products or services you offer in the future. Educational emails also show that you care about customer service and will go the extra mile to ensure your customers know how to use your products to their fullest. These are all important aspects of the soft-sell.
Provide Resource Articles About How to Use Your Products
Resource article emails are another excellent soft-sell tactic. They are similar to educational emails, but instead of focusing on problems that your products solve, they focus on how to use the products. These emails typically come in the form of how-to articles and white papers that demonstrate your credibility in the industry. Most of the time, you only need to mention that the reader can use your products or services to accomplish your soft-sell.
Engage Your Customers With Social Content
Social-content emails are all about building brand awareness and loyalty. They are a great opportunity to tell your customers about the behind-the-scenes life of your business. Write a short blurb about your company retreat, a lengthy discussion about the owner’s vision for the company, or a new-employee introduction. People want to have a relationship with the businesses they patronize, and your customers want you to be social. Take these opportunities to include a soft-sell.
The customer relationship is important and should be the foundation of all marketing efforts. Connections often turn into customers, so you really have to nurture the connections you make to develop strong relationships and brand loyalty. If you focus on the relationship first, the sales often follow. Treat your connections like gold, and people will want to do business with you. That idea is at the heart of the soft-sell.
Tell Your Customers About Causes You Support
Customers are increasingly concerned about the environment, humanitarian aid, and other political causes. One soft-sell email tactic you can try is to tell your customers about the causes you care about. For instance, if you support a children’s hospital, you can tell your customers about the donations you have provided. If you have implemented new sustainable practices to your supply chain and distribution channels, you can tell your customers about that, too. Of course, you should avoid controversial political topics unless your business is directly affiliated with them, because you can alienate customers who disagree with your position.
Telling your customers about the causes you support is a great way to show you care about more than making a sale. In the end, this strategy helps create a connection between you and your customers. People will be motivated to do business with you if they know you share some of their core values. Don’t be afraid to inject a little emotion to appeal to your customers and tug at their heartstrings.
Create Giveaways
Give products and services to your subscribers with no strings attached. This can create buzz about your business and lead to more sales. Some inexpensive things you can try include hosting a webinar, giving away an e-book, or offering samples. If people enjoy your giveaways, they are more likely to do business with you.
Update Your Customers With News and Information
At least one-fourth of your emails should be dedicated to the soft-sell. News updates are an excellent way to do this. Write about news or information related to your industry. This may include things that have directly affected your company or the products and services you sell. Customers want to see that you are staying up-to-date with the latest technology and that your products and services are on trend. By sending news updates, you demonstrate your dedication to innovation and make customers want to do business with you.
Mix up your email messaging to retain existing customers and attract a new audience. If you haven’t tried the soft-sell in your email marketing, it’s time to try it now.
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