When you've been in sales a while, it's easy to develop bad habits. You pick them upward from other reps or take a shortcut during an especially busy week and, all of the sudden, you've added some skills to your repertoire that aren't helping you meet your quota. If you lot're not regularly examining your beliefs and results, these habits can cause mistakes that end in deals falling apart, annoyed prospects, or missed numbers. Create a new, on-brand email signature in just a few clicks. Get started here. (It's free.)

And I'm non only talking about waiting too long to update a contact's information in your CRM. Seemingly innocuous phrases like, "Sorry to bother yous," sneak into our regular sales emails and phone calls and poisonous substance our relationships without us even realizing it. Hither'southward how to stop it.

Why You lot Should Never Say, "I Am Sorry for Bothering You"

Ideally, sales reps would never have to write a follow upwardly electronic mail because they would avoid the number-ane follow-upwardly error: Failing to set a next step before catastrophe the phone call.

All it takes is i cringeworthy phrase to kill a sales follow-up email. One of my least favorite moves is asking for a prospect to reply "ASAP." But apologizing for contacting your prospect is nothing short of poisonous to deals, and should be cut from the vocabulary of every sales rep. It usually looks like this:

So, why should you avoid maxim "Sorry to bother y'all again?"

  1. Information technology implies you've become annoying to your prospect. It also reminds the prospect they've reached out several times before ("again") to no success. Even if the sales rep hasn't annoyed the prospect withal, this is the phrase that might do it.
  2. It implies you've done something wrong. In addition, people utilise the word "sorry" later doing something they deem wrong. When nosotros brand a error that negatively impacts someone, the first phrase that oftentimes comes out of our mouths is "I'g sorry." This phrase means we've acknowledged wrongdoing and know we need to fix it.
  3. It signals desperation. Reps send "sorry to bother you again" emails in hopes of starting a chat later on not hearing dorsum. The message is a concluding-ditch effort to pique the potential buyer's interest -- on the rep's timeline.
  4. It communicates your fourth dimension and energy is not as valuable as the prospect'southward -- which simply isn't truthful. Maintain authority and equal footing with your prospect by never apologizing for existence in their inbox or vocalisation mailbox.

If yous find yourself using this phrase in an email -- stop writing. Instead, regroup and focus on providing value to the prospect and grabbing their attending instead of "bothering" them again.

At that place are a multitude of ways to provide value in a sales follow-up e-mail. Here are a few I suggest.

Alternatives to Maxim, "Sorry for Bugging You lot"

1. Ship a customer review

A customer review provides value considering modern-24-hour interval buyers trust their fellow buyers to requite honest feedback virtually a product they've used. Think they might not trust a written review coming directly from you?

Connect them with current and past buyers who can provide honest feedback on why working with you is great as well as some of the drawbacks. For case, you might open an electronic mail with, "Instead of sending you a pitch, I'll allow a previous customer exercise the heavy lifting with their unvarnished (really) testimonial."

two. Include a case study

Case studies allow prospects to discover how a business in a similar position to theirs solved its problems. Send your latest and most relevant written report with a notation maxim, " This case written report made me recall of your business. I know your time is valuable, and I recall this is worth the few minutes it will take to read. "

You've acknowledged their time is a priority for yous, without discounting your ain schedule and what you're offering.

3. Link to a web log post

A web log postal service is a mode to build brownie with prospects and provide them new information about the product and company as they starting time to make a decision.

If you're trying to grab a prospect's attention, try sending 1 with an specially snappy title. You might even work with a marketer to craft a post just for them. After all, who isn't going to click the link to a post titled, "9 Reasons Julie Needs ABC Staffing Solutions Today."

four. Reference a mutual connection

Surfacing a common connection allows the prospect to ask their associate about the sales rep and gather more than information. It too signifies that if a friend works with this sales rep, the prospect might besides enjoy working with the same sales rep.

And information technology gives yous something in common to bond over. For example, "I see nosotros have a mutual connection: Sansa Stark. Her family bought several dire wolves from me a few years ago." You lot've given your conversation and relationship something to build upon -- and that can exist a huge aid when conducting outreach.

5. Provide a suggestion

A minor strategy tip can help sales reps build credibility and showcase the value of their insight to buyers.

When a salesperson's name appears in a prospect's inbox, the reaction shouldn't exist, "No, not this rep once more!" or "Who?" simply "I wonder what they're sending me -- I better check it out."

Send them a new industry benchmark report or a mention a recent movement their visitor made, and offer unique insight into how your product/service could assist.

For case, "I thought you might be interested in the latest benchmark report from [insert trusted industry source]. Their findings on the 25% increase in mobile app usage might be peculiarly interesting to you lot and relevant to your work."

6. Drop shop-talk altogether

Want to really become their attention? Don't talk business at all. Instead, send them a casual email saying, "I watched a documentary on Colorado ski country this weekend and thought of you immediately. Take you hitting the slopes even so this year?"

While your prospect might non exist ready to discuss concern -- well-nigh people like talking near their hobbies and out-of-function interests. Once you have them engaged again, use your all-time sentence to steer them back to the topic at hand: your offer.

vii. Offer to walk away

If you've reached out multiple times over the course of several weeks or months and your prospect still hasn't responded, do yourself a favor and walk away.

You should be spending time on deals that really have a chance of closing, and pleading with an unmotivated prospect to reply to your emails isn't doing either of you whatsoever good.

Just say, "Tony, I've tried to reach you unsuccessfully a few times at present. Usually when this happens, it ways my offer isn't a priority for you right now. Is that safe for me to assume here? If and then, you won't hear from me again."

If your prospect is nevertheless interested, this should grab their attention. If non, it gives them an easy fashion out. You can e'er leave the door open for a call or email six months down the line to run across if things have changed.

8. Compliment them

If your prospect recently published a new blog post or the company unveiled a shiny, new product, let them know you're paying attending.

Chances are, they put a lot of time and try into their recent project, and would dearest for someone to notice. Send a simple note saying, "I saw your recent characteristic in Forbes and wanted to tell you what a smashing write-up it was. I peculiarly liked your observation that AI will begin to take a stronger hold in sales." Information technology's short, specific, and complimentary.

Great emails build rapport and credibility. By looking for this deadly phrase earlier sending your emails, yous tin better your odds of a response, and eventually, a relationship.

Want other ways to improve your sales emails? Check out these killer opening email lines or explore alternatives to saying, "Hope yous're doing well" -- guaranteed to put your prospect to sleep before they've fifty-fifty read judgement two.

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Originally published Jun 10, 2019 2:17:00 PM, updated June 10 2021