12 Ways to Get Customers to Open Your Email FIRST

Want to know the secret to email follow up?

TWO WORDS: Subject line.

Because that’s the only thing customers see.
Because that’s the only thing customers have the time to read.
Because that’s the only thing customers will use to decide whether or not to open it.
Because that’s the only way you can immediately differentiate yourself in their inbox.

So, it has to be engaging, interesting, curious and funny.

It has to appeal to their ego and emotions. Capture the interest. Make their head tilt to the side like a curious dog.

And you only have about 50 characters to do that.

The good news is, most of your competitors are titling their email with unremarkable, unengaging and uncreative titles like:

o Hi! (This sounds like spam.)
o Hey there… (This sounds like pornography.)
o What’s up? (Come on, you can do better than that!)
o Check this out… (Yep, more spam.)
o (No subject) (This is lazy and annoying.)

So, here’s your chance! Check out this list of 12 enticing subject lines for unforgettable follow up, along with a reason for why each of them work:

YOU WRITE: Have you seen this article about your company yet?
THEY THINK: Wait … there was an article about my company? Sweet! I hope it was positive!

YOU WRITE: I saw something that made me think of you…
THEY THINK: Really? Hmm … I wonder what makes other people think of ME?

YOU WRITE: Man, I sure hope you’ve already seen this…
THEY THINK: Eep! Did I miss something important?

YOU WRITE: I thought of you when I read this…
THEY THINK: I wonder if I’ve already seen it…?

YOU WRITE: I thought of you when I saw this…
THEY THINK: I wonder what this is…?

YOU WRITE: I was thinking about you the other day.
THEY THINK: Really? Cool! Tell me more. I like being thought about…

YOU WRITE: I was thinking about your business the other day.
THEY THINK: Ooh! This could be good…

YOU WRITE: Someone paid you a compliment yesterday.
THEY THINK: Hooray! Let’s see who loves me…

YOU WRITE: I blogged about you the other day…
THEY THINK: Link love? Awesome! Let’s have a look-see…

YOU WRITE: When I saw this, I immediately thought of you!
THEY THINK: Gotta love mindshare…

YOU WRITE: Your ears should be ringing…
THEY THINK: Yes! My evil plan for market domination is totally working!

YOU WRITE: Your name came up in a conversation recently…
THEY THINK: Sweet! I’d like to hear more about this…

– – –

OK. One final note about email follow up…

Don’t bait and switch people.

Give customers a valid reason for your persistence. Make sure your subject line ACTUALLY has something to do with your message, and isn’t just some trick to get them to open your email. People hate being duped like that.

Ultimately, it’s all about engagement, curiosity and emotion.

It’s about making the subject lines of your email fun, creative, memorable and attractive.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
If your customers receive hundreds of emails a day, what’s going to make them want to open YOURS first?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
What are your Top Five Best Email Subject Lines? Share them here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

Who’s telling their friends about YOU?

Tune in to The Marketing Channel on NametagTV.com!

Watch video lessons on spreading the word!

NametagTV: Behind the Scenes

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Join the online discussion in The Nametag Forum about this video here!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How are you taking your customers behind the scenes?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called “10 Ways to Help Your Customers to Know YOU,” send an email to [email protected] and I’ll show you the way!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

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Customers not telling their friends about you?
Want to learn how to deliver unforgettable service?

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Golden Rule, Schmolden Rule

You know The Golden Rule.

THE QUESTION IS: How, specifically, do you practice it every day?

The bad news is, most people don’t.

The good news is, if you’re stuck, here are a few suggestions:

ACT like the kind of friend YOU’D want to turn to at 2 AM.
ANSWER the kinds of questions YOU’D want to ask.
BE the kind of salesperson YOU’D want to buy from.
BEGIN the kind of movement YOU’D want to be a part of.
CREATE the kind of group YOU’D want to join.
DELIVER the kind of value and service YOU’D want to receive.
DESIGN the kind of website YOU’D want to keep going back to.
GIVE the kind of speech YOU’D want to listen to.
PUBLISH the kind of blog YOU’D want to subscribe to.
SELL the kind of product YOU’D want to buy.
SPEAK to the kind of people YOU’D want to listen to.
START the kind of company YOU’D want to work for.
TEACH the kind of ideas YOU’D want to learn.
WRITE the kind of book YOU’D want to read.

– – –

You know, sometimes I wish it wasn’t called The Golden Rule.

Because that doesn’t really cover it.

See, I think we can only influence people in four ways:

1. Influence through … what we BELIEVE.
This has (minimal) influence. You could call it The Golden Rule.

2. Influence through … what we SAY.
This has (some) influence. You could call it The Golden Word.

3. Influence through … what we DO.
This has (significant) influence. You could call it The Golden Action.

4. Influence through … who we ARE.
This has (maximum) influence. You could call it The Golden Existence.

– – –

They all work.

So, whichever way you choose to influence people, just remember to keep some gold at the heart of it.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your version of The Golden Rule?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share a specific example of how you practice The Golden Rule here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

What’s YOUR approach?

Join The Nametag Forums! Share stories, best practices and connect with a like-minded community of business professionals who stick themselves out there!

Adventures in Nametagging: On Being Yourself

Hey, today is my 800th post! Sweet.

Thanks to Andy for the video.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
When did someone challenge YOUR identity?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your experience here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Need help figuring out how you roll?

If so, perhaps I could help on a more personal, one-on-one basis.

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What do YOU differentiate through?

Maybe you differentiate through … your service.

By making it quick.
By making it unexpectedly responsive.
By making the mundane into memorable.

Like Nashville’s Hotel Preston, which, instead of just a bible, offers a choice of 10+ religious books to ANY guest who asks.

Wow!

Maybe you differentiate through … your diagnosis.

By noticing new patterns.
By challenging people to reexamine their assumptions.
By seeing what others can’t see because they’re too close to it.

Like my friend Dr. Thomas, who believes ALL illnesses are stress-related.

True that.

Maybe you differentiate through … your questions.

By asking them at the right time.
By peppering them with the right words.
By asking the questions nobody’s ever been asked before.

Like my mentor Richard, who asks provocative questions like, “Now, was that what she SAID; or was that your INTERPRETATION of what she said?”

Ouch.

Maybe you differentiate through your answers.

By surprising people.
By always having more than one.
By offering counterintuitive responses that come out of left field.

Like Henry, the bellman I used to work with, who always answered the question, “How are you?” with “Everything is beautiful!”

Sweet.

Maybe you differentiate through … your philosophy.

By knowing it cold.
By writing on a little card and giving it everybody you meet.
By believing, saying, doing, and of course, BEING that philosophy daily.

Like my kindred spirits @ Brains on Fire, who refuses to label itself as a “Marketing,” “Branding” or “PR” company; but rather as an “Identity” company.

Hell yes.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What do you differentiate through?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called “20 Types of Value You MUST Deliver,” send an email to [email protected] and I’ll help you differentiate!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

Who’s telling their friends about YOU?

Tune in to The Marketing Channel on NametagTV.com!

Watch video lessons on spreading the word!

17 Behaviors to Avoid for Effective Listening

Growing bigger ears isn’t just about what you DO.

It’s also about what you DON’T DO.

1. Don’t react.
Respond coolly, objectively and non-judgmentally.

2. Don’t think.
Just perceive without interpreting or labeling.

3. Don’t perform.
Because some people view listening as a performance.

4. Don’t tell someone not to feel a certain way.
This cheats her out of having her feelings.

5. Don’t get bored.
Because that means you’re focusing on the wrong person ☺

6. Don’t take over.
Instead, take IN the other person.

7. Don’t tell.
Instead, ask. (But not too many questions!)

8. Don’t give advice.
Unless someone asks for it.

9. Don’t usurp ownership.
Let the other person give birth to their ideas and realizations.

10. Don’t inflict your agenda.
Because listening isn’t about you.

11. Don’t one-up.
It’s a form of conversational narcissism.

12. Don’t use the other person’s comments as prompts for your clever little jokes.
It’s annoying and clearly motivated by self-interested.

13. Don’t speak.
Just stop talking for a while. Seriously. Let the silence make space for the other person to just BE.

14. Don’t impose your own structure.
Let the speaker pace the conversation.

15. Don’t fix.
That isn’t your job, and people don’t like to be “fixed.”

16. Don’t take too many notes.
Or else it will look like you’re too busy to listen.

17. Don’t ask, “Why?”
That word creates defensiveness.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What others behaviors should effective listeners avoid?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called “27 Affirmations to Prepare Yourself to Listen,” send an email to [email protected] and I’ll help you grow bigger ears today!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

If they can’t come UP to you; how will they ever get BEHIND you?

Buy Scott’s new book and learn daily practices for becoming a more approachable manager!

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NametagTV: Killer Sales Questions

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Watch the original video on The Sales Channel here!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your favorite question to ask customers?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share it here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

What’s YOUR approach?

Join The Nametag Forums! Share stories, best practices and connect with a like-minded community of business professionals who stick themselves out there!

26 Secrets to Publishing a List Everybody Wants to Read, Download and Link To

1. Start off by giving yourself an idea quotient. The bigger the better.

2. Don’t think. Just write.

3. Find a really important item on your list and repeat it a few times. At first, people will think you made a mistake; but eventually they’ll get the point.

4. Make your title absurdly LOOOOOOOOOOOONG.

5. Make your title ridiculously generic.

6. Make your title totally hilarious.

7. Make your title completely unarguable (see the title of this list as an example)

8. REMEMBER: The more items you have on your list, the more often you can throw one random item in just for the hell of it. (Kind of like this!)

9. Make your list long, but make your sentences short.

10. Double-space your list if the sentences are long.

11. Single-space your list if the sentences are short.

12. In the title of your list, use unexpected numbers like 31, 87 and 62. It sounds cooler, more credible and more human. (As if all lists magically ended up with 50 items every time.) Bah!

13. Find a really important item on your list and repeat it a few times. At first, people will think you made a mistake; but eventually they’ll get the point.

14. Do a Consecutive Repeated Item with more emphasis on the second example.

15. Do a Consecutive Repeated Item with more emphasis on the second example. SERIOUSLY. I’m not going to say it again. Gosh!

16. Dance with language. Screw grammar, punctuation, “rules of writing” and all of that other 11th grade literary bullshit. It’s just a list, man. It ain’t gonna win a Pulitzer. Let it go.http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

17. Make yourself – as the writer – disappear. Write conversationally so readers forget that they’re reading.

18. Read lists written by some of the great list makers: Seth Godin, Tom Peters, Jeffrey Gitomer.

19. Don’t force it. No need to get the entire list done in one sitting. Add a few items here, a few items there. Save your unfinished lists in a folder and publish them when they feel ready.

20. Alphabetizing your lists has several advantages. First, it’s easy for readers to pace. Second, it leaves the distribution of list items up to chance, which, often times, comes out better. Thirdly, it makes those anal, OCD folks (like yours truly) quite happy.

21. Shorter sentences win. They get read. They get remembered. That’s it.

22. Links are a good idea, just not too many. A confused mind never buys.

23. Make your list an open loop. Encourage readers to add their thoughts, thereby expanding and enhancing your list. REMEMBER: Just because you post it on your blog, doesn’t mean it’s done. In fact, a good list is never done.

24. Find a really important item on your list and repeat it a few times. At first, people will think you made a mistake; but eventually they’ll get the point.

25. Although the number of items on your list is (usually) irrelevant, numbers like 99, 100 and 101 seem to work really well.

26. Spice it up. If your list item is rather long, use a bold, italicized, underlined or ALL CAPS subheading to make the architecture more digestible. See, your writing needs to B-R-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-A-T-H-E more. Like a Norah Jones vocal melody or a Tom Morello guitar solo.

Got it?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What are the characteristics of a killer list?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
If you’d like (yet another) list called “43 Reasons to Organize Your Content with Lists,” you know the drill. Send an email to [email protected] and I’ll deliver the goodies.

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

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Nametag Guy LIVE: Unquestionable Commitment

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What are you unquestionably committed to?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share an example of how you visually demonstrate that to people here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

Sick of selling?
Tired of cold calling?
Bored with traditional prospecting approaches?

Buy Scott’s new book and learn how to sell enable people to buy!

Pick up your copy (or a case!) right here.

Stop calling it “marketing”

Marketing is evil.

Or at least, that’s the perception.

That marketing is dishonest.
That marketing is contrived.
That marketing is manipulative.
That marketing is interruptive.
That marketing is disrespectful.

Which, in many cases, it CAN be.

And which, in many cases, it IS.

But that’s only if you continue to call it “marketing.”

SO, HERE’S YOUR CHALLENGE: Eliminate the word “marketing” from your vocabulary.

Reframe it in a way that allows you to identify with it on a personal level.

A few examples:

It’s not marketing.
It’s STRATEGIC SHARING.

It’s not marketing.
It’s TRANSFERRING EMOTION.

It’s not marketing.
It’s TELLING A STORY.

It’s not marketing.
It’s BEING YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF

It’s not marketing.
It’s STICKING YOURSELF OUT THERE.

After all, the best marketers in the world are the ones you don’t even realize are marketing.

And I don’t count those super-slick, manipulative advertisers who sneakily pump marketing messages into every available public crevasse that leverage people’s unconscious minds against themselves.

Those people really ARE evil.

I’m talking about the people who are starting movements.
I’m talking about the people who are spreading valuable ideas.
I’m talking about the people who actually creating REAL change.
I’m talking about the people who are having fun, making the mundane memorable.

The ones you don’t think of as “marketers.”

People like Spike.
People like Jim.
People like Bob.

Yep. Those are my peeps.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
If you could call “marketing” something else, what word would you use?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called “123 Questions Every Marketer Should Ask,” send an email to [email protected] and I’ll overload you with thought provokers!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

Who’s telling their friends about YOU?

Tune in to The Marketing Sharing Channel on NametagTV.com!

Watch video lessons on spreading the word!

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