In today’s society, people are busier than ever which makes getting in touch with them a challenge.

One of the best ways to connect with your potential and existing customers is through email but it could end up in their spam folder or they could just delete it, thinking you are just trying to “sell” them on something.

Despite these potential pitfalls, there are some effective tips you can utilize to increase your email open rate with any potential customers you try to contact as well as your existing customers.

Look at these three important tips we have provided for you below and see where you can incorporate them into your own email marketing campaigns and contact with customers.

1. It Starts with the Relationship

If you have been in sales for any length of time, you already know that you will not have the exact same relationship with every customer you come in contact with.

You also already know, or should know, that the relationships you develop are a very important part of the sales process.

Even if you are cold calling potential customers you can start by working on a relationship first. Come at them with high-pressure sales tactics and you will more than likely lose them as a customer.

Some of your customers will feel like friends. Talking to them is easy and conversations and the sales process will seem to flow without any effort at all.  Other customers will be like pulling teeth to communicate with.

They won’t answer your calls right away, won’t open or read your emails until days after you send them and in general make it look like the last thing they want to do is buy a car from you.

Unless the customer has told you to stop contacting them because they have purchased a car elsewhere, don’t count these customers out. You just need to do some detective work and figure out where you can develop a relationship with that customer where they will communicate with you.

The stigma car salespeople have to overcome doesn’t always make it easy, but this is where your creativity and skills can be put to great use.

The reason building a relationship plays a part in getting customers to open your emails is because it puts you on a different level than just a random stranger trying to sell them something.  Everyone gets spam on a regular basis.  Unsolicited emails show up in inboxes every day.

That isn’t an automatic trip to the trash bin IF you remember that your objective should be to offer those potential customers value FIRST before you worry about selling them anything.

When you take the time to cultivate a relationship of some kind with the customer, they will view your emails the same way they would a friend and read your emails for the value they have become accustomed to getting from you.

Your initial interaction with the customer can be critical in building a rapport with them. During this initial meeting don’t be afraid to simply ask the customer how they would like to be contacted.

Be honest and tell them that you are not looking to bombard them with sales emails, but that you would like to keep in contact.  Most customers will be honest and provide you with a legitimate means of contacting them that they will answer if you have taken the time to make them feel comfortable.

2. Never Spam Your Customers

A customer willingly giving you their email, their cell phone number for calls or texts, or their mailing address does not translate to a free ticket to bury them in solicitations.

You should respect that contact information and use it sparingly to stay in contact with existing and potential customers, answer questions they might have, and let them know what is going on at the dealership that might be of interest to them.

You can also contact them with valuable information that can benefit them, especially if you have done your due diligence and gotten to know some things about them.

Sending them a notice about a special sale or promotion that is relevant to them is fine.  Sending them email after email asking when they are going to be ready to purchase is not fine and will more than likely cause them to go somewhere else where they are not pressured or hassled.

One of the best skills a sales associate can learn is where the line is between too many emails, not enough emails, and the perfect amount.  Every email you send to your customers should be one that makes them feel positive about you. No one likes being spammed so you must never cross the line and become a nuisance. If they ask to opt out (and your email should give them that option at the bottom) don’t try and force the issue.

3. Always Offer Value

It is important that the emails you send your customers offer value of some kind. Value can come in many forms.  What are some ways to offer value to your customers or existing customers? We’ve listed some possibilities to consider below.

• Information on the best way to get financed – This is especially important if you know already that your customer doesn’t have great credit and will need special financing options.
• Insurance information – If your customer is purchasing a vehicle for their kid and has shown concern about the insurance rates for teens have a list of insurance companies that are geared toward inexperienced drivers on hand to email them. They will appreciate this list when they are looking for a less expensive way to insure their kids.
• Sales information – If you’re getting ready to offer a great sale on vehicles and it includes the vehicle of interest that the consumer has told you they want, don’t hesitate to send them a quick email about it. The best way to lead into this email is by reminding them of the conversation that you had about what they are looking for in a vehicle.
• Articles of interest to them personally – If you have gotten to know them a little better and the rapport is there, you can send them videos, articles, etc. that are about things they have relayed to you they are interested in on a more personal level. Don’t cross the line and become unprofessional but sending them a notice about the upcoming car show when you know they LOVE car shows is a great way to deepen the relationship and trust they have in you.

These tips are just the beginning of what you can do to inspire your customers to open your emails.  If they find your emails interesting and valuable, as soon as they see the email is from you they will want to open it and see what you have to offer or say to them this week.

Take the time to add personality and depth to your emails and they will not feel like just a random email address on your list.

Treat your customers’ emails with respect and don’t use it as an excuse to bombard them and that relationship you worked so hard to establish will grow even more.

If you already use these tips but are still having trouble getting your emails opened, take a look at the kind of emails you are sending and see where you can make important changes that can make a difference in the success of the emails you send.