Personalization of Email Marketing

Prospects are becoming more and more aware of the volume of information collected about them leading them to expect more personalized communication. If your website form asks a prospective customer what floor-plan or move-in date they are interested in then your email to them should include that information.

One thing I do every so often is shop my prospects or the competition. Below is the follow-up email I received after filling out three different web-forms for more information on this property. Yes, there were three completely different forms on this website but that is a post for another day.

Now let’s figure out some actionable takeaways from this email. Overall, it read well on a phone and computer as it was 111 words, so short and sweet.

Subject Line: The “Property Leasing - The subject line includes the property’s name. This is perfect, however, they could go a step further in shortening their message by removing “Leasing” from the subject line. I noticed the email address was from the property itself rather than a tracking email for a CRM. Perhaps they add “Leasing” so it does not get lost in their inbox. If a property is using a CRM as it is meant to be used then there is no need since any reply would go directly into their dashboard for management.

Greeting: Hello - They should have included my name. Most CRMs will automatically populate or it takes 2 seconds to manually update. I am fine with their use of emoji’s in this case due to the type of property and their clientele but it is important to know your audience before going this route. For millennials and younger this humanizes the person behind the message. I include emojis in some of my own sales emails but only when I know they will be appreciated by the receiver. Hey, Hello, or any regional specific greeting is appropriate. Reserve Dear for your handwritten notes and letters sent in the 1950’s.

First line: I honestly got a kick out of their first line and it ends with an exclamation point! I wouldn’t change a thing. I recently listened to a Podcast interviewing Jeremey Donovan at SalesLoft who reported that including an exclamation point in your first line will increase your response rate.

Body: This is where everything falls apart. The webforms I submitted included one for wanting to schedule a tour, another was for more information on two bedrooms for move-in in April. The final guest card I submitted only included my contact information. The response I received makes me suspect they only received the last guest card I submitted since it included the least amount of information. If this property received my request for scheduling a tour and my need for more information on two bedrooms then that should have been included. Take note that they redirect me to the website for information even though I contacted them through the website for more information. In this case I would reword to the following -

Closing: Their closing is ok but it could be simplified with the following -

I have found that “Best” has been overused in recent years and if you have ever worked with someone who sends passive aggressive emails that signed off with “Best,” it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. “Talk soon,” gives an invitation to connect either in person or on the phone without being overly pushy to set an appointment.

Back to email personalization, if your guest cards include a space for someone to ask a specific question please ensure you are addressing in your email to them. If it asks about pets and the prospect says they have them include something about a pet-centric amenity at your property.

Even with tailored information remember to keep your emails brief as most people are reading on their phone and 100 words or less is the true sweet spot. If the question they ask, requires more than 100 words to answer then it is best to pick up the phone. You can let them know this in your email follow-up email to them.

My rewritten email is only 88 words plus an emoji and tailored to the information I submitted on the website.

This was a fun exercise and I look forward to doing more of these in the future. If you are interested in some great email tips please listen to the Podcast 30 Minutes President’s Club episode 39 with Jeremey Donovan from SalesLoft.