In this guest post, Cory Bray talks about how he sees email signature marketing fitting into the Sales Enablement Ecosystem, a framework that he and Hilmon Sorey outline in their book, The Sales Enablement Playbook.
Cory Bray is the Co-Founder and CEO of ClozeLoop, a platform for knowledge management for sales teams.
No matter where you’re at in a sales process, there’s probably something your prospect or customer is NOT doing that you wish they would. Maybe you want them to meet with you, buy your product, provide a referral, or something else. However, simply asking someone for what you need doesn’t usually work. They want to know what’s in it for them.
Is there a way to focus on the needs of your prospect or customer while driving towards your goals at the same time? Absolutely, and that’s where I see email signature marketing fitting into the Sales Enablement Ecosystem.
Prospective Customers: Add Value While Hitting Quota
The other day I received the following email from a software vendor:
They had sent a different email before, but it wasn’t included below this one. So, I had to go back and see what they were actually talking about. As a result, they wanted me to see a demo of their product, which I had already used as part of their free trial.
It’s widely acknowledged that vendors should always focus on adding value to prospects. However, asking someone to see a demo isn’t necessarily adding value. But if a salesperson doesn’t do enough demos, they won’t hit their goals and could lose their job. Wow – what’s someone to do? What about this approach:
In the above example, the salesperson understands my buyer persona, delivers value, and is able to promote what they want to talk about with their email signature. Pretty slick if you ask me. All else equal, this approach will likely destroy the alternative of just pushing for what the sales rep wants to accomplish.
New Customers
It really grinds my gears that “sales enablement” is often exclusively focused on new-logo sales reps. Think about the following attributes of your new customers:
They Love You: They just made a commitment to your company and you’re in the honeymoon phase. If there’s ever a time to ask for a referral, it’s now.
They’re Dangerous: If end-users are not trained on your product, the relationship could rapidly sour. Ensure that people know how to use what they bought and that they’re setup for success, otherwise buyer’s remorse will quickly follow.
They’re Future Prospects: You know how people change jobs a lot? Well, anyone who leaves your customer’s company will immediately become a prospect at their new company (if they love your product).
Creative email signatures that ask for referrals and encourage end-user training can help ensure the success of current customers. Not only that, it can also develop your future sales pipeline.
Established Customers
There are three types of established customers, and using custom email signatures can keep them moving in the right direction. Think about the following:
Champions: These customers love you and are your best source of referrals. You need them engaged with your market, and at a minimum, they should all attend your user conference.
Neutral Customers: How do you make them champions? Maybe you can promote the use of your product through tips, webinars, and other educational events. Remember that your “customers” are always hiring new employees who need to be trained on your product.
At-Risk Customers: Churn is bad for all businesses, but it can be a death warrant for a venture-backed company with high-growth expectations. You not only lose the revenue from the churned customer, but they also poison your name in the market, affecting new-logo business as well.
Again, remember that the Sales Enablement Ecosystem should extend across an entire organization and not just the new-logo sales team.
Deliver at Scale
How do you create a standardized set of email signatures that act as specific calls-to-action depending on the specific goal of the recipient? Well, that’s where email signature software fits into the ecosystem. They keep sales teams (and the whole organization) educated on the most up-to-date content. That way, every team member can easily become an ambassador for the company. Staying updated with the newest and most relevant content is a critical part of the Sales Enablement Ecosystem.
