The worst prospecting email ever

August 15, 2011 at 08:00 PM
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Last Friday I received this prospecting email:

Good Friday Morning,

My name is (I left the sender's name out) and I live in Florida. I would like to know if I could possibly send your company some promotional product options and quotes via email?

We offer over a million items that we can add your company logo to including: Pens, T-Shirts, Hats, Magnets, Tote Bags, Water Bottles, Eco Friendly items, Mugs, Key Chains, Stress Balls, Trade Show Items, Umbrellas, Flash Drives, and much more.

Please let me know what items you normally purchase or are looking for and I will send you quotes and try to save you money.

Sender's Name

Marketing Executive

Orlando, Florida

Here are a few reasons why this is one of the worst prospecting emails I have ever received:

  1. No attempt was made to identify a potential business problem I might be experiencing.
  2. The sender did not create ANY value. Yeah, you might sell a million different items but who cares?
  3. The language was weak. The sender used "possibly" and "try" which are weak words in a sales conversation.
  4. The call to action was also weak. In fact, it bordered on nonexistent. If you want people to respond you, you need to have a strong call to action.
  5. There was no website or company name. This indicates that the sender is a freelance person and doesn't work for a specific company.
  6. The sender used a Gmail address. (See #5.)

If you use email to prospect, it is critical that you demonstrate your expertise by identifying a potential business problem and indicate how you might be able to help solve it.

Avoid sending messages like this one, or your prospects are simply going to hit the delete button a moment after they open your email–if they take the time to open it at all.

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Kelley Robertson helps sales professionals master their sales conversations so they can win more business at higher profits. Get a free copy of "100 Ways to Increase Your Sales" and "Sales Blunders That Cost You Money" at http://www.Fearless-Selling.ca.

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