Email: Building a Relationship with Your Subscribers

Rick Henkin

Your list of opted-in subscribers is your greatest asset. These are people who have given you their permission to email them. They're interested in what you have to offer, what you have to say. But how do you build a relationship with someone who may not even be a customer yet?

It sounds difficult, but forget about the Internet for a moment. If you were standing in line at the movies next to someone and wanted to meet them, what would you do? Think about it.

You'd probably say, "Hi," and then ask questions to learn more about them. I doubt that you'd try to sell them something or talk only about yourself. That's not likely to get you very far at all. Instead, you'd ask about them, you'd express your interest in them.

Have you ever been introduced to someone new, maybe at a party where they talk your ear off and tell you their entire life story? Maybe you don't even get the chance to say two words about yourself, but by the end of the evening, they feel that you're their new best friend. Why? Because you listened to them and took an interest.

It's really no different when you're trying to build a relationship with your list except for the fact that your list is not comprised of total strangers, but people who have already expressed their interest in what you have to offer (assuming you already have their permission to email them). This gives you quite an advantage.

They're looking to you for information and advice to help solve their problems. Give them what they want. How do you know what they want?

Ask.

13 Ways to Build a Relationship with Your List

Ask Questions-what they would like to know more about, what's important to them, what their goals are, what problems they're experiencing. By doing this you accomplish two very important things: 1) you build their trust because you're listening to them and showing that you care; and 2) because you now know what their issues are, you know what type of advice, information and products to create for them. Your customers will always tell what you need to succeed, you just have to ask

Be helpful- make sure every message you send contains information that will be valuable and helpful

Become an expert to your list-you do this by providing free, useful information and advice

Be sincere-have your subscriber's best interest at heart

Be ethical- treat your customers the way you would like to be treated

Keep your promise- deliver what you promised when they first opted-in.

Write conversationally- write as if you're speaking to just one person sitting across from you

Make it personal- use their name if you can and use "you" as often as possible

Use the active voice- in an active sentence, the subject is doing the action. Active example: "I help my subscribers." Passive example: "My subscribers are helped by me."

Email on a regular basis- let your subscribers know when to expect your emails and stick to your schedule

Give bonuses- send a free bonus from time to time

Don't push- don't try to sell something in every email. Sell them on you as a valued resource instead

Trade places- look at your emails from your subscriber's point of view. Are they valuable or are they "turn-offs?"

You've heard it said over and over that the money is in the list. Well, you can have a huge list that ignores your emails. There's no money in that.

I'll tell you where the money really is, it's in your relationship with your subscribers.

ARTICLE DATE: 2009-02-13
REVISED DATE:

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