2 min reading timeMy client was disappointed with the results from his promotion. (See Part I to see the original promotion and comments. The second article, Part II, diagnosed the problems.)
“We have had ZERO sales,” he lamented. “Can you help us out here?”
I was happy to. And the results were fantastic:
- 33.7-percent response rate.
- A third of these were considered “hot leads.”
To salvage the promotion, I got the list of Medical Devices Group members who entered the AED sweepstakes. Then I proceeded to write each one, individually.
Time consuming, but worth it
Like my AED.com friends, I could have sent out an email to all entrants at once. But I’ve yet to discover a way to do it which makes it look exactly like it does when I send it from Microsoft Outlook. (If you know a way to do this, please email me.)
If you’re reading this post in your email, look around the margins, especially the bottom. It has mandatory language about unsubscribing, for example. That SCREAMS “bulk email” and diminishes response.
So I thoughtfully wrote an email, as though I were talking to one individual (which I was). With few exceptions (when I personally knew the entrant), I then copied the text over and over again into new Outlook windows.
The subject line
I could have split-tested this but I felt pretty good about it. It was simply “Joe from the Medical Devices Group.”
So the from was “Joe Hage” and the subject line was “Joe from the Medical Devices Group.” It’s a bit risky but I assumed the majority of recipients would either recognize my name or the name of the group they belong to.
The subject line did not give away what the email was about. I wanted the reaction to be “I wonder what the owner of the Medical Devices Group wants to say to me?”
The body copy
Importantly, I started each email with the first name of the recipient; Thomas, for our example here.
The email read:
Thomas,
May I ask you for a bit of feedback?
You entered the AED.com sweepstakes for a defibrillator but did not win. Do you have a defibrillator for your office?
If not, do you plan to buy one at some point?
Thanks for your time and reply.
P.S. Let me know if I can do anything with the Medical Devices Group to help promote your business.
I concluded with my typical email signature, which has links, my phone number, and social icons to connect with me.
The results
One in three responded. I replied to each individually and personally.
The responses varied greatly. Some said they were in the market for multiple units. Others already bought. Others entered to win but had no intention to buy. Still others were interested in my postscript.
Where the response indicated they were “on the fence” about buying, I emailed back,
Thanks for the feedback.
Do you mind if I forward your note to the AED.com guys who ran the promotion? They promised me favorable pricing for any Medical Devices Group member I send them.
Most said yes. I think they appreciated me asking first, and I copied them when I forwarded the note to the AED.com sales department.
Sound off
Was this three-part series informative? Did you pick up something you can use at your company?
