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email opens

Email Marketing: When the Opens are FALLING – Do THIS

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I’ve been an email marketer since the beginning of email marketing.  It’s just my jam.  I love writing, I love getting instant feedback – and yea, I’m not going to lie, I love seeing open rates in the 30’s and 40’s.

And then came Covid.  Everyone was Zoomed out and Emailed out.  There was very little room for fluff.  Unless it pertained to your job or your kid\’s homeschooling or staying in touch with a shut in loved one – no one wanted to look at another pixel on the screen.

My email open rates dropped – and dropped big time.  I even had some of my most loyal followers apologize to me that they haven’t been reading because well…life.

Here’s how I reacted:

  1. I added more emails.   If they missed one on Monday, they may get one on Thursday – or Friday.  I surely didn’t stop.  I ended up broadening my reach and collective open rates went up.  In other words – someone may not have read both Monday and Thursday – but they may have read one.  I’ll take it.
  2. I started videotaping my emails! Yes – you heard it.  I was always an email purist. If you don’t sign up for my list – you aren’t getting my email.  People do have time to listen to a short 3-5 minute video – so I did it.  Grab the replays on youtube.com/cindydonaldson.  I’m getting engagement from NON-email followers!  Double win.
  3. I didn’t judge or worry. I put on my big girl panties and my empathy hat – everyone is in the same boat. It’s not me.
  4. I didn’t change the structure or the time of my emails – my followers know my drill. Why add confusion?
  5. I encouraged followers to save them – toss them in a folder for later.
  6. I dumped in VALUE. Now wasn’t the time to sell them “stuff”  – it was the time to over-serve – I mean OVER SERVE.

I still 100% believe email marketing gives marketers the biggest bang for their buck – and that means brands.  The cost is in the time and creativity – oh and paying for a good platform, but the cost pales in comparison to a huge digital advertising campaign.

Here are my rules of engagement:

  1. Keep the subject line intriguing, genuine, and short. I love the 2-3 word ones.
  2. Keep it conversational – tell a damn story
  3. Tell them what the main goal is in the first paragraph
  4. Dump in the value
  5. End with something for them to do – a call to action
  6. For service businesses like mine – only sell a couple of times a year

It’s not that hard.  Write like you speak.  Don’t overthink it.

Email marketing isn’t going anywhere.  If you aren’t on my list – what are you waiting for?  Join HERE.

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Who you REALLY want to work with

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What is the Target Client Profile – or TCP?

The Target Client Profile (TCP) is the criteria that makes up your ideal client. Clients who meet the following 5 criteria are the clients you should be on the look out for. We get it, not all your clients right now probably fit into this mold, but it\’s something to strive for. Hey, at the end of the day, having clients who fit into your TCP will make every one happier.

  • You need to have a strategic plan on where you want to be.  If it isn’t necessarily the clients you have now, it’s the clients you WANT to have. Who are they, where do they live, how much do they make, what do they like to do, are they conservative or not, what do they wear, what do they eat…you need to get that granular.
    • Find a picture in a magazine of your perfect client and start adding sticky notes around them that describe them.
  • You need to like them. This is so important. If you meet someone and you just cringe or think I’m going to hate answering the phone when he/she calls. Don’t do it.
  • Don’t be a slave to the almighty dollar – see #2
  • They need to be able to afford you. I never haggle on my price. EVER. I may reduce services, but my brain is worth something. Hell, 55 years of “stuff” in there has value. Don’t haggle or sell on price. If you do, you are training your customer that price is the point and you are a commodity. People will pay for things they see value in.
  • You have to be able to bring them value. If the prospect doesn’t drink your Kool-Aid – you will never bring them value because they will always be questioning your actions. The trust factor has to be there.

And there my friend is the TCP. When you start out you are going to take clients that don’t fit – hey, you have to eat. But if you can afford NOT to do that – you are in a great space. Taking clients that are not in your TCP suck the life out of you and then keep you away from working with your TCP.

Want some weekly advice and brain food? Join my Thursday email list HERE!

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Should you fire that client?

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Don’t worry – any of my clients reading this you are all safe 🙂 I love you and appreciate your loyalty – hell, you guys are all just great to work with, and fun.

I often work with clients who are struggling with time management, revenue growth, and scaling. As you well know, one of the first things I do is dig behind the scenes. Who are the customers, who is the team servicing those customers, who is selling – the list goes on.

Sometimes the issue is…. the customer or customers.

I’m a huge fan of deciding what your Target Client Profile is – or TCP for short. Your magical client – the one you want millions of – ok, maybe not millions if you are the size of Red Barn. Let’s just say you want a bunch.

Now, I’m realistic. Not all your clients will be as perfect as your favorite client. Current clients don’t ask me who that is – that’s like asking a Mom who their favorite child is! Back to being realistic. You should identify the traits in your favorite clients and then STRIVE to find others who share those traits.

If you have a client who makes you and/or your staff miserable or is never happy no matter what you do – divorce them. Regardless of the revenue. Yes, I said regardless of the revenue. Why? Well, beyond making you miserable, which affects your culture, they also are preventing you from finding clients who are in your TCP.

Sometimes letting revenue generating clients go isn’t easy – it’s kind of like letting a good producing salesperson go. But if they aren’t playing nicely in the sandbox – rip off the proverbial band-aid. Sure, it will be unpleasant for a while, but in the end, you will be better off and happier.

A wise woman – aka Robin Bienemann from Crimson Rook – once taught me perhaps one of the most valuable lessons. Write this down – remember it.

ONLY – and I mean ONLY work with people who:
1. You can bring true value to and they must appreciate that value
2. Can afford your services. No haggling allowed.
3. You like, your team likes, and hey, you wouldn’t mind having a Friday afternoon cocktail with.

BTW- above is a pretty darn good formula for determining who is in your Target Client Profile.

Homework: Look at your clients. Which do NOT follow the 3 rules above? Are you ready to let go?

Another BTW – if all your clients are in the hate column then Houston we have a bigger problem. No worries – there is always a solution, but for this one you need to call me. A serious phone chat is in order.

Cheerio!
CD

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