Teammates, not prospects…
These 8 tips are for communicating with your team. Not on how to write copy to prospects.
There seems to be so much information about writing to prospects, communicating with prospects that it’s bled into the way many of us communicate with our team. The truth is communication with your team is really more important than anything else because it’s the collective effort of your team that is going to drive your business. Everybody knows getting more people sponsoring is far more important than sponsoring more.
If you are communicating via email with your teammates, affiliates or distributors put these 8 tips in play and you’ll love the difference they make. By the way, as a bonus benefit, it’ll take you less time.
Tip 1 – Keep it to 1 screen or less.
When readers see words running longer than the screen they tend to scan not read, potentially missing the key element of your message.
Edit ruthlessly.
Don’t say “boo-boo” when “boo” will do.
Tip 2 – Write in bullet points.
Online usability tests have shown that when people read messages they find it easy to read and retain info broken into bullet points.
- Paragraphs?
- No way
- Double space
See what I mean?
Tip 3 – Give the meat of the message in the subject line.
The subject line needs to grab people and tell them exactly what the email is about. Try this formula subject+active verb+object. Be as specific as possible.
“Meeting rescheduled” is a bad subject line.
“Feb Marketing Meeting rescheduled to Feb 8th” is a good one.
Tip 4 – If you are sending emails from a wireless device let people know.
We realize most phones do this now but double-check and make sure. Otherwise, you could come across a terse or rude.
Tip 5 – Spell check your emails – every time.
It takes an additional 5 to 10 seconds to build a bridge and get over it.
If you want to hurt your credibility send an email to your organization of 2-3-4000 people with a 1/2 dozen misspelled words in it.
Tip 6 – Encourage questions.
It is a mistake to use email, even though you are the leader, as a one-way medium.
The real strength of email is its interactive nature. When sending out a blast to your group make sure you encourage them to ask questions or voice concerns.
Never a bad idea to ask for suggestions. So do it and respond to each suggestion you get.
Tip 7 – Save those ‘cute’ little emoticons for your friends.
Ya, ya, those silly little faces can help explain that you are being silly or funny but research shows, especially with large numbers, that professionalism is far and away a better method of operation.
Tip 8 – Less is email means more influence
There’s a great benefit in communicating with your other leaders so that newer people aren’t getting the same message from 5 or 6 people.
Do your best to email only when you need to. If you’re thinking email is building a relationship, think again.
- Enhancer? yes…
- Assistant? yes…
- Relationship builder? No.
I always let my up-line know that I preferred it, actually I insisted, that they did NOT email my team. I asked them to email me and let them know I put a mini-newsletter together once a week. New people getting 20-40 well intention-ed emails a day about conference calls, meetings etc. (and lots of them duplicates) hurts their focus, can make them feel overwhelmed and muddles their focus.
I want to keep them focused on 1 thing – the main thing. After all, the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing… talking to people about the business who are not in the business.
A couple of fewer emails a month and a couple of more phone calls to a few key people will do a lot more than just banging away every day about something.
“Less is more”…meaning less in the email and less total emails will increase the influence your emails have.
Love to know what you think.
believe
mark januszewski
Excellent Mark.
Right on Point.
I agree, Less is More, Be precise.
After all: “Our Goal… Is Achieving Results!”
Thanks Mark,
Coach David
I agree 100% Mark. I’ve had 2 new IBO’s compalain about all the dublicate emails they’re getting and how it made them feel overwhelmed. We pitch that this is a part time gig, then we bombard them with emails. Also, it’s easy for the reader to misconstrue the real intention. Thanks again!
Love it, Will put it to use. A few short messages go along way to enhance the credibility of what a person says. Keep it short and sweet, to the point, and move on.
Great post Mark,
Every single ‘system’ sold first sells the lie that email builds relationships! Rubbish…
Michael
I think………
GREAT!!!
Hey ‘lazy’ Mark,
I really like this.
enhance, assit, connect
don’t overwhelm
Good stuff!
Thank you!
Keeping the Main Thing the MT is the MT.
Everybody knows emails do not build relationships.
There are just 2 kinds of people.
Those that read emails all day and go nowhere,
and those that keep the main thing the main thing, building big active teams.
Are you ready to make some calls?
Yes Mentor
Don
Thanks Mark…Great tips & I couldn’t agree more..Right on!
Not to sound like a Contrarian, but our experience with communicating to prospects and customers (prospects become customers and then move to different lists)over the past 7 years has been very rewarding.
The secret is What You send.
Ask for THEIR opinion, use polls and surveys, share the impact of Their input….
Like direct presentations(I call them question sessions)email marketing should be focused on gathering information, NOT telling.
Our e-mails get opened and acted upon.
I agree with many points and try to let communication filter down i.e. I talk to my front line who then pass onto to their front line, who do the same. However, some break the sequence, which means their downline do not receive the communication, so i tend to send some out to all in the team.
but great stuff once again Mark
thank you
No Chuck, you don’t sound like a Contrarian…..you just may have missed the first paragraph
The piece is about communitcating with our teams, no prospects….
You suggestions about propects is right on
I agree Nigel……and it’s a challenge sometimes
Generally we can figure out who is ‘passing it on’ and who isn’t but….I agree with you that we, as leaders MUST make sure they team is getting the key information
believe
mark j
WOW!!
You are so spot on!! about keeping it short and sweet Mark. I have a green who is my up team and I was excited at first when I got their emails, then after about 6 months the emails got preachy, and it sounded like I had a boss emailing me telling me what I had to do for them to advance.
I appreciate you grooming me for my future team to be,do, and have success and teach my team how to email the team by being the example.
I am go grateful that I get to start on the right path first instead of going backwards and re-teaching the importance of short and sweet emails.
Thank you Mark!
Thanks Mark,
I love short e-mails.
Thanks for pointing out my “miss”
Shirley says I do that a lot….~~smile~~
* this lateral thinker finds brevity challenging
* grateful for this challenge
* on the receiving end of multiple “same info” emails
* don’t like it
* with Joseph on “becoming the sponsor I wish I had”
* willing to “pay it forward”
* also willing to “share it upline”
* do you limit your computer time by scheduling time blocks?
i have come across some bad experiences with emails ( my upline doesnt believe in text (email or sms)) he only preaches talking over phone. and it is what we get K-mails…where a lot of upline boasting, preachings are given with no information that can be used in the working. and the best thing is we are not supposed to ask questions in emails. can you throw some light why texting is taken as a serious breach of code whilst anything can be said and promised over phone.
This is so helpful – Mahalo Honey!
This is really good stuff! I love the way you teach. Thank you.
Peace & Greetings My Brother,
I loved the “formula”: subject+active verb+object.
I also welcomed the “Slap upside the Head” about the multiple e-mails from me and three separate sets of Uplines that made my own older brother quit after a year…lost his whole network too! A simple aweber/icontact newsletter would have got it done better! Doh!
..Still learning-Never Quitting!
Peace & Mahalo
G.