When someone buys something from you, you want to make them feel cared for – but if you’re selling high volume it gets harder and harder to keep up with staying in touch.
That’s where autoresponders can be really useful. They put your communication on autopilot and your customers still get useful information at regular intervals without you having to spend half your day sending emails.
How does it work?
Here are some examples:
Customer has bought a product from you
Messages can follow with a thanks for purchasing, hope you’re finding it useful, don’t forget to register your guarantee on our website, tips for use, other products that other customers have also bought. Perhaps reminders about servicing or insurance if that’s appropriate.
Delegate has attended a workshop, seminar or webinar you’ve run
Messages can include pre-event information, time to arrive, notes to support the learning and maps and location details. Post meeting regular reminders of the key points to encourage people to take action, request for feedback and information on any follow up events or services can all be on autopilot.
Client has worked with you on a one-off project
As long as they’ve given permission to stay in touch you can send them a series of useful tips and advice that will help them to remember you next time they need your kind of help.
What makes a good autoresponder message?
A brilliant subject line. If time is short, this is where you need to invest your time, if you don’t get it right they’ll never open the email. You’re aiming at something that makes the reader want to find out more. That might be words that ring a bell for them or something intriguing that sparks their curiosity.
Short is good! You don’t have time to read long, long email articles – so why should your customers? Tips and information should be concise and to-the-point.
White space makes reading easier. Make sure that you layout your message with short 2-3 line paragraphs, bullet points and at least a line space between paragraphs.
The content needs to be relevant to the recipients. What would help them as a purchaser, delegate, client? Understand what they want and your messages will be bang on target.
Now all you need is a system for setting these up. If your internal CRM system can do this, that’s great, but there are plenty of online services – Aweber, GetResponse, MailChimp, ConstantContact, Infusionsoft – and many more.
