Emily Kane
As a consumer in the age of marketing automation, you’ve likely seen all kinds of ridiculous (and downright annoying) selling strategies.
Marketers, business owners, and salesfolks are constantly looking to maximize profits (and minimize the work involved in every new sale), so they’re naturally searching for ways to automate the process. We can’t blame them for doing their jobs, but unfortunately, this kind of automation can come with some pretty hefty downsides… And that can translate into lost opportunities and missed revenue.
Let’s explore a few tips to keep your customers happy and your automation on point.
Never Ask a Computer to Do a Human’s Job
Your clients know the difference between a human and a robot. It’s never hard to spot, so don’t fool yourself… If you can spot it, so can they. They’re smart and perceptive, just like you. When the issue calls for a real conversation, don’t rely on a computer to do the heavy lifting. If your customer has issues with:
- The quality of your work or product
- The prices they’re being charged
- A refund or return
…It’s time to reach out for a one-on-one talk. Whether you use email, chat, or a good old fashioned telephone conversation to resolve the issue, it’s best to handle this kind of topic with the empathy and understanding that only a human can provide.
Don’t Abuse Merge Fields
Dale Carnegie said, “Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”
We’ve all heard it, and there are countless studies that prove it: people love the sound of their own name. Generally, that means personalized emails are more likely to result in sales or other favorable results.
Remember not to abuse the practice, though. Overusing someone’s name in conversation can make the interaction seem stunted and awkward, and you’ll get the same result in text. It tends to make things sound forced, like a robot trying to convince someone it’s human. Which, when you think about it, is pretty much what you’re doing.
Beyond the cringey nature of an email with too many “personalized” areas, there’s another point to consider: the more merge fields you add, the higher the chances of someone getting a busted-looking email. You’ve probably seen it too – someone sends an email out to their entire list, but it turns out you didn’t put your last name in the box when you opted in, so you get something addressed like “Emily <customer.last.name>.”
This not only looks unprofessional, but it shatters the tiny, unspoken illusion we’re going for in the first place: that the sender of the email is talking to you personally. You’re better off using merge fields sparingly… No need to add them when they’re not strictly necessary.
Keep Good Records
If you are using a CRM to help you automate your emails (and you should be), make use of the categorizing tools they have available. Segmented lists will help you weed out customers that aren’t interested in a particular product or line, and allow you to focus on those that are.
Good records are a huge part of good customer service, too. The more you know about your customers, the more of a personalized service you can offer. They can also help your staff (or your virtual assistants) navigate conversations with your customers when they call or email with a question, a complaint, or (hopefully) a new order.
However, none of this information is any good if it’s not accurate and up-to-date, so be sure to allow plenty of opportunities for you and your staff to update customers’ profiles as necessary.
Improve The Process
Your business is constantly evolving, right? Your automation should follow suit. Whenever there are changes in your processes as a company, make sure someone on your team is running through any automations that might be affected.
Change your return policy? Make sure the Sales Confirmation email changes with it. Update your terms of service or payment methods? Check the links on those email templates!
Keeping your automation at the top of your mind when creating a new process will help you tailor it for simplicity. Human brains can over-complicate things, even when the end goal is really to…
Keep it Simple
Look, we all love new, shiny toys. When you find out a computer can do part of your job, it’s easy to freefall into automating #AllTheThings. Sometimes, less is more.
Take some time to really think about what your customers want and need from you, and act with them in mind. Building a solid customer base is hard work… Don’t send them running with too-frequent emails or overbearing sales tactics.
Remember, you’ve gained their trust. Don’t break it.
Want to learn more?
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