Who wants to be on the receiving end of an email blast?

We're often asked about the effectiveness of email blasts. Let's evaluate from an "end user" point of view. At the front end of the biz dev process, you strive to show your prospect that there is potential value, or a reason, they should start a dialogue with you. You are trying to engage them in an exploratory relationship which by definition is a personal thing. So, starting a relationship with an email is not personal. However, salespeople are under a lot of pressure to mass connect with prospects in order to generate required sales revenue. The best solution marries the personal with technological efficiency.

Here is the process: 1) Using your favorite online data gathering approach, determine your prospect company's current initiatives that align with your service deliverables. 2) Approach your decision maker by phone first, being ready to quickly comment (if they pick up their phone) on their initiatives and your firm's examples in similar situations of enhancing those initiatives. 3) If they don't pick up the phone, briefly share the information in #2 above via a voicemail message and let them know you are sending them an email with further information. 4) Building on an email template you have crafted and housed in your preferred CRM system, customize this email to your prospect's particular initiatives and send it on it's way.

Again, the best way to evaluate a sales or marketing tactic is to think, "Would I feel comfortable or positive about it if someone did it to me?" If someone took the time to research your company's initiatives and checked in with you to see if their previous successful experience with your situation could be of value, what would your reaction be?