Gail was on her high horse again saying, “It’s bad enough
that some people send an e-mail between cubicles just 15 feet apart…you would
think they could make them readable!”
“One way we’ve found to make e-mail work in marketing is to
make sure every one delivers an IOU,” Rick chimed in.
“IOU? “ I asked.
Rick replied, “It’s an easy test, anybody can do it. IOU
stands for the basics that have to be included in any e-mail that needs to
convince or persuade or sell.
I stands for interest. If your email is going to be read,
you have to get people’s interest. What
you say and how long it takes you to say it can vary all over the lot. The key
thing is you have to connect with the target’s problem or concern in a way that
is engaging. You can use a story or a quote, perhaps a reminder but to be
really successful you need o relate to the individual being addressed. A note
that is triggered by a birthday or anniversary always pulls people into your
message. A topic of concern will bring them to you.
The most important thing is to look at it from the viewpoint
of the addressee. Use what tantalizes them and descriptions anchored in their
vocabulary.”
Gail muttered, “Okay, okay that should be obvious.”
I agreed and then asked, “So what is the O for?”
“O” Rick said, pausing dramatically, “Is for the Offer. It
is the incentive that makes people want to take action. It is what moves them
toward making a buy or clicking to your web site or signing up. It is what gets
them to do what you want them to do.”
“That reminds me of Tom, I ventured. Remember how he used to
say …and Free is pretty good price.”
“I could go on all day about offers,” Rick gushed but I
suppose you want to know what the U is for. Am I right”
“Yes, Oh Master of Direct, please tell us,” Gail mocked.
“The U is for Urgency” Rick went on. If your message lacks a
sense of urgency it will not be acted on. For marketing you need to have an
end date on the offer. That generates urgency. Or you may only have a few of an
item left. That can generate urgency. Or, only the first swift responders
will be able to get the deal. That creates urgency. Limits of just about any
kind provide urgency. So what I do with
every e-mail we put out there for clients is check to see if it delivers an
IOU. I make sure that it has Interest, an Offer and Urgency.
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