When you've been in sales a while, information technology'southward easy to develop bad habits. You lot option them upwardly from other reps or take a shortcut during an specially busy week and, all of the sudden, you've added some skills to your repertoire that aren't helping you come across your quota. If you're non regularly examining your behavior and results, these habits can cause mistakes that end in deals falling apart, annoyed prospects, or missed numbers. Create a new, on-brand email signature in just a few clicks. Get started here. (It's free.)

And I'1000 non just talking near waiting too long to update a contact's information in your CRM. Seemingly innocuous phrases like, "Sorry to bother you," sneak into our regular sales emails and telephone calls and poison our relationships without us fifty-fifty realizing information technology. Hither's how to cease it.

Why Y'all Should Never Say, "I Am Sorry for Bothering You"

Ideally, sales reps would never have to write a follow up e-mail considering they would avoid the number-one follow-up fault: Failing to set a next step before ending the call.

All information technology takes is one cringeworthy phrase to kill a sales follow-up email. One of my to the lowest degree favorite moves is asking for a prospect to reply "ASAP." But apologizing for contacting your prospect is nothing brusk of poisonous to deals, and should be cut from the vocabulary of every sales rep. It usually looks like this:

Then, why should you avert saying "Pitiful to bother y'all once more?"

  1. Information technology implies you've become annoying to your prospect. It as well reminds the prospect they've reached out several times before ("again") to no success. Even if the sales rep hasn't annoyed the prospect however, this is the phrase that might practice it.
  2. It implies you've done something wrong. In addition, people utilize the word "sorry" later on doing something they deem wrong. When we make a mistake that negatively impacts someone, the outset phrase that frequently comes out of our mouths is "I'one thousand sorry." This phrase means we've acknowledged wrongdoing and know we need to fix it.
  3. It signals desperation. Reps ship "sorry to carp you again" emails in hopes of starting a conversation after not hearing back. The message is a terminal-ditch endeavour to pique the potential buyer'southward interest -- on the rep's timeline.
  4. It communicates your time and energy is not as valuable as the prospect's -- which simply isn't true. Maintain authority and equal footing with your prospect by never apologizing for being in their inbox or vocalism mailbox.

If yous find yourself using this phrase in an email -- end writing. Instead, regroup and focus on providing value to the prospect and grabbing their attention instead of "bothering" them over again.

There are a multitude of ways to provide value in a sales follow-up email. Here are a few I suggest.

Alternatives to Maxim, "Sorry for Bugging You"

one. Ship a client review

A client review provides value because modern-solar day buyers trust their fellow buyers to requite honest feedback about a production they've used. Remember they might not trust a written review coming straight from you?

Connect them with current and by buyers who can provide honest feedback on why working with you is great every bit well every bit some of the drawbacks. For example, you might open an e-mail with, "Instead of sending yous a pitch, I'll let a previous client do the heavy lifting with their unvarnished (really) testimonial."

2. Include a case study

Case studies let prospects to discover how a business organisation in a similar position to theirs solved its problems. Send your latest and almost relevant study with a notation saying, " This case report made me call back of your business. I know your fourth dimension is valuable, and I recollect this is worth the few minutes information technology volition take to read. "

You've acknowledged their time is a priority for y'all, without discounting your own schedule and what you're offering.

3. Link to a blog post

A blog post is a way to build credibility with prospects and provide them new information nigh the product and company as they showtime to make a conclusion.

If you're trying to grab a prospect's attention, endeavour sending 1 with an especially snappy title. You might even work with a marketer to arts and crafts a post just for them. Subsequently all, who isn't going to click the link to a postal service titled, "9 Reasons Julie Needs ABC Staffing Solutions Today."

4. Reference a mutual connection

Surfacing a mutual connection allows the prospect to ask their acquaintance about the sales rep and gather more information. It also signifies that if a friend works with this sales rep, the prospect might as well enjoy working with the same sales rep.

And it gives you lot something in mutual to bail over. For example, "I see we have a mutual connection: Sansa Stark. Her family bought several dire wolves from me a few years ago." Yous've given your chat and relationship something to build upon -- and that tin can be a huge help when conducting outreach.

5. Provide a suggestion

A small strategy tip tin can help sales reps build credibility and showcase the value of their insight to buyers.

When a salesperson's proper noun appears in a prospect's inbox, the reaction shouldn't be, "No, non this rep once again!" or "Who?" just "I wonder what they're sending me -- I better check it out."

Send them a new manufacture benchmark written report or a mention a contempo move their company made, and offering unique insight into how your product/service could help.

For example, "I thought yous might be interested in the latest benchmark report from [insert trusted industry source]. Their findings on the 25% increment in mobile app usage might be especially interesting to y'all and relevant to your work."

half-dozen. Drop shop-talk altogether

Want to really get their attention? Don't talk concern at all. Instead, send them a casual email saying, "I watched a documentary on Colorado ski country this weekend and thought of you immediately. Have you hit the slopes even so this year?"

While your prospect might not exist prepare to hash out business -- virtually people like talking about their hobbies and out-of-office interests. In one case y'all have them engaged over again, use your best judgement to steer them back to the topic at paw: your offering.

7. Offer to walk abroad

If you lot've reached out multiple times over the course of several weeks or months and your prospect still hasn't responded, practise yourself a favor and walk abroad.

You should be spending fourth dimension on deals that actually have a chance of closing, and pleading with an unmotivated prospect to respond to your emails isn't doing either of you any good.

Just say, "Tony, I've tried to accomplish you unsuccessfully a few times at present. Usually when this happens, it ways my offer isn't a priority for you right at present. Is that safety for me to assume hither? If so, you won't hear from me again."

If your prospect is nonetheless interested, this should grab their attending. If not, it gives them an easy way out. You can always leave the door open for a call or email half dozen months down the line to see if things have changed.

viii. Compliment them

If your prospect recently published a new blog post or the company unveiled a shiny, new production, let them know you're paying attention.

Chances are, they put a lot of time and endeavor into their recent project, and would love for someone to observe. Send a uncomplicated note saying, "I saw your recent feature in Forbes and wanted to tell you what a great write-up it was. I especially liked your ascertainment that AI will brainstorm to take a stronger hold in sales." It's short, specific, and gratis.

Swell emails build rapport and brownie. Past looking for this deadly phrase before sending your emails, you tin improve your odds of a response, and eventually, a human relationship.

Want other ways to improve your sales emails? Bank check out these killer opening email lines or explore alternatives to saying, "Hope you're doing well" -- guaranteed to put your prospect to sleep before they've even read sentence ii.

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Originally published Jun ten, 2022 ii:17:00 PM, updated June 10 2021