Happy Monday to you!
I’m honored and humbled to be written about by John Stevenson, CEO of ClientKudos.
Below is Sunday’s Snippet that he wrote and highlighted me! Thanks John!
Here’s the link to the article and site: http://clientkudos.com/the-magic-email-the-sunday-snippet-7-14-13/
I’m Ray Ruecker with Connect 5000 and hope your summer is swell!
The email Inbox is the dashboard for our personal and professional lives. It’s also a busy place where “To Read” or “Not To Read” decisions are made in a matter of a few seconds — at most. – See more at: http://clientkudos.com/the-magic-email-the-sunday-snippet-7-14-13/#sthash.2H22iL17.dpuf
The email Inbox is the dashboard for our personal and professional lives. It’s also a busy place where “To Read” or “Not To Read” decisions are made in a matter of a few seconds — at most.
Ray Ruecker
Writing and designing an email that gets opened and read involves a bit of art and science. Whether you’re trying to build support for your idea, your cause, or your business, it pays to know what works.
My friend and colleague, Ray Ruecker, the founder and managing director of Connect 5000 knows about writing emails that gain attention and secure meetings. Leads are important, but meetings are critical for further qualification and opportunity development. Ray’s firm helps technology companies all over the country set meetings with decision-makers.
Ray’s method for setting meetings begins with a very effective email formula that he’s been kind enough to share with business owners and job-seekers who attend his regular seminars on the topic. I’ve used Ray’s email template successfully in my own business. In fact, I call it the Magic Email and share it as often as I can with fellow entrepreneurs.
You’ll need to tailor it to your own business and industry, but here are the key elements of the Magic Email:
- Attention-Getting Subject Line. You need to arouse curiosity. Ray often recommends “Should we talk?” or “Noticed your LinkedIn profile.”
- Start with the problem. We’re all in constant problem-solving mode so this is a good way to engage. “Paying too much for car insurance?” speaks to our expense reduction challenges immediately.
- State your Why. Be short, sweet, and to-the-point on your fix for the problem. “We help you speed up buying decisions and reinforce great client relationships.”
- Mention clients, accomplishments and results. This provides social proof. “We’re trusted by some of the world’s best companies including Ford, IBM, and Procter & Gamble. We’ve helped them gain thousands of new customers.”
- Ask for the meeting. You need to finish strong and ask for a specific time to talk. “I have some ideas about how we can increase your pipeline and shorten your sales cycle. Would you have time to talk on Friday at 9 or 11?”
The Magic Email template will go a long way in helping you rise above the noise, and can result in a 2 to 10 percent response rate. However, if you really want to boost your meeting rates, you’ll need to follow up by phone as well.
Ray’s advice for leaving a great voicemail: use the talking points of your Magic Email.
Need another set of eyes to look at your Magic Email? Send it over and I’ll give you an idea or two for tuning it up. If you’d like to see the Magic Email that I use for my business, simply drop me a note and I’ll shoot it over.
Have a great week.
– See more at: http://clientkudos.com/the-magic-email-the-sunday-snippet-7-14-13/#sthash.2H22iL17.dpuf
Inside Sales vs. Outside Sales: Is There Really A Difference?
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerSeptember is nearing an end. October is coming around the corner.
The last quarter for most companies starts soon. For many companies, it’s their busiest time of the year.
One of my software clients gets 45% of their entire business between September and December.
Times have changed in sales. Traditional sales has been typically done face to face.
With the Internet and telephone, companies spend thousands and millions of dollars with each other and rarely meet in person. Read more
I lost a sale. He lost his job.
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerI had been engaged with a Sales VP of a target company. There was pain, need, etc.
We spoke on Tuesday and he needed approval from his Divisional VP to move forward and requested a proposal.
I emailed the proposal on Wednesday and the Sales VP and I agreed to review it today for questions or clarifications before he submitted it to his boss. He accepted my meeting invite for 10:30 am and I thought it had a 75% chance of moving forward.
30 minutes before our time slot, he declined the meeting. Yikes! So I emailed him to see if we simply needed to move the meeting around. No answer. Read more
Great Time Management Tool for Sales Prospecting
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerHappy Fall everyone!
It’s supposed to cool down here in KC starting tomorrow and I can’t wait.
I love fall, football, and the MLB playoff race. I’ve been a Kansas City Royal fan my whole life. They haven’t had a winning record since 2003.
This year, they finally had a winning record AND won a wildcard spot and made the playoffs. We shall see.
The next 4 months of the year typically are the most busiest for most companies out there.
One of my clients, a software company near Los Angeles, CA, gets 45% of their yearly revenue in the last 4 months of the year. Read more
LinkedIn: The Ultimate Rolodex of Contacts
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerThe dog days of summer are nearing an end and I can’t wait. I love the fall, winter and spring. Summer, not so much. I don’t like hot weather and I’d rather shiver than sweat.
I’m a huge fan of LinkedIn and have used it religiously since August of 2006. Read more
What does sales have to do with playing the lottery?
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerAs you probably know grocery prices keep going up and up.
Last night, I helped my wife put our 2 kids to bed and I hit the grocery store. I checked out and realized that I had a $1 coupon that I forgot to redeem. So the cashier told me to go to customer service and they’ll take care of it.
I went over to customer service, explained my situation and handed my receipt. I asked if they could simply just put the money back on my card. The gal said no because anything under $5 is returned in cash. Fine with me. No big deal except I rarely carry cash.
So I decided to do something out of the ordinary and buy a scratch lottery ticket with my dollar. Read more
The 3 Legs of Lead Generation
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerIn my humble opinion, lead generation is a 3 legged stool. It’s simple but not easy.
Leg 1: Networking / Referrals: We all know these are the best leads to get. Statistically speaking, they’re easier to close and the time to close these deals are shorter than other sales cycles. Read more
Mic Johnson Blog Post: Keep Watering!
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerMy friend, fellow business owner and blogger Mic Johnson wrote a great post titled “Keep Watering”
Here’s the link: http://www.bluegurus.com/geninfo/keep-watering/
Key takeway verbatim: “Whether it’s going to the gym regularly, reconnecting with people in business, reaching out to friends or family you haven’t seen or talked to in awhile, or something as simple as watering the lawn….nothing grows without love, care, and effort…don’t give up…don’t put it off….instead, keep watering….”
Planting seeds. Watering. It’s all important! Don’t give up!
I’m Ray Ruecker with Connect 5000 and goodbye July, hello August!
The Magic Email: How to create an email that gets the attention of C-level decision-makers.
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerHappy Monday to you!
I’m honored and humbled to be written about by John Stevenson, CEO of ClientKudos.
Below is Sunday’s Snippet that he wrote and highlighted me! Thanks John!
Here’s the link to the article and site: http://clientkudos.com/the-magic-email-the-sunday-snippet-7-14-13/
I’m Ray Ruecker with Connect 5000 and hope your summer is swell!
The email Inbox is the dashboard for our personal and professional lives. It’s also a busy place where “To Read” or “Not To Read” decisions are made in a matter of a few seconds — at most.
Ray Ruecker
Writing and designing an email that gets opened and read involves a bit of art and science. Whether you’re trying to build support for your idea, your cause, or your business, it pays to know what works.
My friend and colleague, Ray Ruecker, the founder and managing director of Connect 5000 knows about writing emails that gain attention and secure meetings. Leads are important, but meetings are critical for further qualification and opportunity development. Ray’s firm helps technology companies all over the country set meetings with decision-makers.
Ray’s method for setting meetings begins with a very effective email formula that he’s been kind enough to share with business owners and job-seekers who attend his regular seminars on the topic. I’ve used Ray’s email template successfully in my own business. In fact, I call it the Magic Email and share it as often as I can with fellow entrepreneurs.
You’ll need to tailor it to your own business and industry, but here are the key elements of the Magic Email:
The Magic Email template will go a long way in helping you rise above the noise, and can result in a 2 to 10 percent response rate. However, if you really want to boost your meeting rates, you’ll need to follow up by phone as well.
Ray’s advice for leaving a great voicemail: use the talking points of your Magic Email.
Need another set of eyes to look at your Magic Email? Send it over and I’ll give you an idea or two for tuning it up. If you’d like to see the Magic Email that I use for my business, simply drop me a note and I’ll shoot it over.
Have a great week.
– See more at: http://clientkudos.com/the-magic-email-the-sunday-snippet-7-14-13/#sthash.2H22iL17.dpuf
The Dog Days of Sales Prospecting During the Summer!
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerAs you probably know already, executives are tough to get a hold of.
Throw in summer when most people legitimately take a vacation, and it makes these prospects even more elusive to catch.
In June, I made 185 calls, spoke to 18 prospects and set up 12 sales meetings. My response rate was 6.49%. (12 meetings / 185 sales calls, not dials!)
Disclaimer: I own the company so I wear multiple hats so sales is not my full time responsibility. I have other staff and clients. Read more
Now What Was It That I Was Trying To Remember?
/in Cold Calls, Prospecting, Sales /by Ray RueckerI came across this quote recently:
“The dullest pen is sharper than the brightest mind” – Unknown
How true!
I came across a calendar meeting on Tuesday that I wasn’t quite sure the details on.
I did a search on my laptop and found the same email address on June 6. Read more