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*Crickets*… Does this sound like your inbox most of the time when you send pitch emails to prospective local businesses? If it does – then you’re not alone! Many of the prospecting tips that worked a decade ago just aren’t cutting it anymore, and from our aggregated data of 200+ clients in the commercial real estate industry, we can confidently say we have solid insight into what works and what doesn’t in 2021.
- Take a walk in your prospect’s shoes
First things first! Taking the time to put yourself in your prospect’s shoes helps you understand why they may not be responding to your emails. Do they own three restaurants and are on the go all day long? Do they have young children they are also taking care of? Whatever the reason is, it’s very likely that your prospect is busy.
This leads us to tip two which is…
- Keep your emails short!
Brevity is KEY! Very few business owners want to spend 15 minutes reading why the space you have is perfect for them in your very first touchpoint of communication with them. Not only does it feel like a hard sell, but it is an inconvenience to their time, and it takes all the mystery out of the interaction. They are no longer curious about your offering because you gave them too much detail, and they’ve already made up their mind leaving them no reason to respond.
- Don’t attach a flyer
If the prospect writes back to you asking for a flyer – then definitely do that! But don’t do it on your first email to them. Like the point above, it’s simply an overkill of information. If you do get a response looking for a flyer though, this blog has some excellent tips on turning that response into a phone call or viewing where you can actually start to get to know the business owner a little better.
- Send plain-text emails
Spam filters are trained to block messages that may be harmful. The easiest way to avoid spam filters is to send plain-text emails. These are emails that contain no special formatting, no images, no links, and no attachments.
On top of missing spam filters, we’ve found that keeping messages super short- almost like text messages- receive 10x reply rates. So save the photos for your follow-up!
- Nail the follow-up
The single most important rule to follow for success in prospecting is to make sure you follow up! We recommend varying your outreach mix with phone calls, Facebook messages, and emails. And that’s not to say to annoy your potential prospect – but think about the last time you signed-up for something with just one email? On average it can take around 8 touchpoints to close a deal.
BONUS: #6 – try using templates and see your reply rate skyrocket!
Subject line: Space available
Message: I'm working with a beautiful shopping center in town. We have a space available. Do you have any plans to relocate or expand? I was reading about [business_name] and thought you might be a good fit. Let me know and I can send you a flyer or set up a tour.
You'll recognize this as the pre-built template in the Resquared email tool. That's because it works. Before sending, you should change the word "town" to be your actual market, such as "Norwood". The Resquared email feature will automatically fill in the name of the business for every prospect you are sending this to.
Before hitting the send button, you may consider adding additional personalization. Such as "and thought you might be a good fit (I'm a big fan of your Lemon Cakes!)". However, remember to keep the message short.
We hope these tips are helpful for you! If you find some of these changes helping your workflow – we’d love to hear from you! Schedule a demo anytime to hear how Resquared can help you reach the businesses you’re looking for in a fraction of the time.
