Email Templates

I was asked recently to help a dealership with their email templates. Thought I would pass a long some of the tips I suggested:

• The subject line is the single most important indicator of whether an e-mail message will be opened and read. Ensure that the subject line is clear, concise, and, if possible, contains personalization so the recipient will distinguish it as being unique.

• Studies have proven that consumers are more responsive to e-mail communications when they are sent in a consistent format, with the same “look and feel” from one mailing to another.
   
• Dealers are advised to develop an “e-mail template” which will allow their content to change from month to month but still be consistently identifiable, over time, as a message from the dealership.
   
• Send information that is relevant to the customer.
   
• Provide both sales and non-sales content.
   
• Use Data-Mining tools in your CRM to market to the right people, with the right message, at the right time.
   
• Plan e-mail marketing campaigns in advance.
   
• Do not put critical text in images; many people will never see them as they have images off
   
• Make sure you always have Dealership’s contact info on email.
   
• Add any appropriate qualifying price criteria such as “* Your e-Price is valid ONLY on purchases made directly through our Internet Department. All vehicles are subject to prior sale and Price Quotes Expire in 48 hours. Your e-Price includes dealership discount, factory rebates, and online savings certificates.”

Tips for avoiding spam:

• Never send just a picture
   
• Never use all caps
   
• Never use multiple exclamation points (!!!) or multiple non-alphanumeric characters ie: %* #:?.
   
• Never use different colored fonts, Use Black for fonts only

What are your thoughts?

About Hunter Swift

Hunter Swift is the Director of Sales Development at DealerSocket and has been with the company since 2005. In addition to his current role, he has fulfilled the responsibilities of customer support, consulting, training, and sales. Hunter specializes in helping dealerships improve sales and follow-up processes through the use of CRM technology. He is known for his ability to connect with people and demonstrate his knowledge to help others solve their problems. Hunter honed his dealership skills as a salesperson prior to joining DealerSocket. He has earned a Business Degree from Pepperdine University. Hunter can be reached at hswift@dealersocket.com and on social media at @HunterSwift.