Shame Doesn’t Close Sales

I’ve already told you why nobody is responding to your cold email pitch. I’ve also shared what has the potential to pay off.

Get to the point. Get specific. A 500-word, cold email pitch is not the place for a deep dive into every detail about your company and solutions. Those emails rarely work. Creating an email pitch that converts requires thought, preparation, customization and genuine care for the customer.

Even the most effective cold email campaigns net an extremely low conversion. I speak from personal experience. Email is the bane of my existence. My inbox is a disaster and an incredible time suck. A poorly-constructed cold pitch with zero customization immediately moves my feelings about a supplier from neutral to negative.

Want to know what’s even worse?

Cold email campaigns that attempt to shame me into taking action. It never works. The damage to your reputation isn’t worth a couple of deals, anyway.

Here are a few real-life examples. Would any of these cold pitch efforts shame you into a more urgent response back to the sales organization?

Were you able to get around to my email? I want to make sure that my last email didn’t fall between the cracks, or in spam.

I’ve sent a few emails your way and think it still makes sense for us to connect for 10 minutes. I wanted to share this blog post. Are you free for a call today?

I sent you a message on Monday, and I haven’t heard back. Do you have 10 minutes available this week to have a brief discussion? If so, please give me the best day/time for you so I can send over a calendar invitation.

I’ve spent a lot of time trying to connect with you but without a response, I fear that a few things could be happening. Let me know if I’m on the right path:

  • Things are way too busy and you’ll respond when you come back up for air
  • Experience, growth and lead generation from your content is not a priority right now
  • Your inbox is so full that you’d rather me follow up via carrier pigeon

The last one is my personal favorite. The subject line was “Respectfully Disengaging.” True story.

How do you think it made the prospective customer feel? Of course she’s never going to do business with that supplier.

How are you going to be remembered by the customers you worked with today?

It’s worth considering. Shame doesn’t build partnerships. Value does.

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