How to write a customer e-mail
February 21st, 2006 by Bill
I sent the link to Seth Godin’s post Bits are free to a bunch of people I work with last week. I told them I thought it was brilliant.
Of course, it’s brilliant largely through contrast. So many e-mails are a waste of everyone’s time - yours and your customers.
So what is good about Seth’s suggested e-mail? First of all, it sounds as if it is coming from a person rather than a corporation. When it comes from a human voice it sounds as if it is intended for a human listener. I think most customers “tune out” (read delete) e-mails that have that anemic corporate tone most business e-mails have.
The second thing that makes this a good e-mail, and equally important, is it takes a negative and makes it a positive. He uses the e-mail as an opportunity to maintain a relationship with the customer and set the stage for what could be another sale.
As opposed to a lame effort at covering your behind.
One of the questions I always ask myself when writing or editing an e-mail intended for a customer is, “Would I read this?” In most cases, the answer is no. So that’s when I start rewriting it until it is something that I would read. What’s the point of communication that does not communicate? And what kind of return are you going to get on that?
Listen to this podcast
The only problem with Jonathan’s revised email is that no one will read it.
When a customer gets an email describing how to fix something, they’re not interested in how sorry the company is or in being upsold.
They’re just thinking: COME ON COME ON WHERE’S THE ANSWER? HOW DO I FIX THIS?
After the answer, nothing matters…which is why short copy & links are way more effective than Jonathan’s friendlier revised copy. It may work on the phone, but email…I just don’t believe it.
Anyone want to run a test and see?