04 May Email Marketing Strategies to Connect with C-Suite Executive
There’s that one time-testing period in every business or company when the growth or sales become stagnant. Irrespective of the sales number or customer engagement rate, the company can’t move further. It can happen for different reasons, including less scope for capital expansion, high employee training costs, poor planning, and weak operations.
At that moment, companies reach out to investors, shareholders, and C-suite executives. This interaction is not always limited to seeking financial help; it could be anything from business advice to market insights to connection building.
But more often than not, the problem lies between how to get in front of C-level executives and how to engage with them to build the desired relationship effectively. Most companies or businesses fail to determine the most effective channel when reaching C-suite executives. Email marketing comes to the rescue in such a case because the conversation or interaction via that platform is more formal. It offers a professional space to interact with C-suite executives with a brief introduction to the company or business. We have found that while most executives don’t spend a lot of time scrolling the internet for content, their inbox is always a place where they will spend time in.
If you’re wondering how email marketing can help you connect with C-suite executives, then here’s what you need to know. Take a look!
What is Email Marketing?
In simple terms, email marketing lies under both digital and direct marketing, through which businesses and companies reach out to their potential audience. They send out the message or information via email. Email marketing plays a crucial role in lead generation marketing, brand awareness, and connection building.
You need to develop robust email marketing strategies to connect with the people from the top management and executive level leadership. There are several steps that you might know to follow as part of email marketing strategies, which include;
- Determining email marketing goals
- Identifying audience or target market
- Developing a database of C-Level executives’ list
- Content creation that speaks to the executive audience
What are the Dos and Don’ts?
C-suite executives are some of the most influential people in an organization, which means they don’t have the time to check all their emails. Interestingly, most C-level execs have gatekeepers or personal assistantsassistances that decide which email is needed to send across. So, you need to send out something substantial to connect with the desired C-level person.
Below are some things you might need to look at while developing your email marketing strategies.
Do’s
1. Talk Business
C-level executives are the decision-makers in a company, which means they’re most interested in things that can benefit them and their organizations at a high level. Be direct or authoritative, give them numbers, talk about the company’s projects or large customer base – you need to focus on lead generation marketing via your emails.
2. Personalize the Communication
It is always a great idea to personalize emails. You can talk about how you have led your company towards success. Mention your USP and how you’ve lived up to it to form a solid customer base. Do your research to build a strong relationship while looking forward to conversions.
3. Leave a Cliffhanger
It could be your expansion plan, six-month sales planning, or content marketing strategy. It would be best if you built an interest by offering them an opportunity to learn more about your company. It is like giving them a snippet of your breakthrough plan.
Don’ts
1. Don’t Miss Follow-Ups
Email marketing is a continuous process, and you need to send out the emails frequently to grab the attention and interest of the C-suite execs. Frequent follow-ups create curiosity among your intended audience to reach back to you, so don’t forget to follow up on your emails.
2. Don’t Ask For their Information
Please don’t ask the C-level exec to enter their information into your system in the first go. Let them get familiar with you and your company. You must only ask for any information or detail when you successfully build a strong connection with them.
3. Don’t Forget to Check the Industry Standard
When reaching out to the top-level management, make sure you know the industry standard or format of an email. Don’t send out simple text; we understand it is about being professional and formal, but you need to grab attention. Use infographics, video clipping, or images to make it look presentable and data-driven.
What to Expect from Email Marketing?
Email marketing is time-consuming and requires patience and planning, mainly when directed to connect with C-suite executives. There may come situations when you don’t hear back from the executives even after sending regular emails. But that varies primarily based on your email marketing strategies and C-suite executive database.
Most C-suite executives are direct and unapologetic, so there is a high chance you would read a ‘no’ or a ‘sorry’ as a reply to your email. They may also unsubscribe from your email marketing list to stop receiving your emails. Also, email marketing is not as easy as other forms because you don’t get instant feedback or results from using it, so you need to monitor the response, engagement, and bounce rate to analyze the success.
Also, note that not all execs engage in emails regularly; they send out fewer emails in order to receive fewer emails. You may need to revisit your expectations from them or present yourself in a more elaborative way to grab interest. Use comprehensive language; always mention yourself as ‘we’ because you represent a company, not an individual.
You may need to try out different channels for communicating with C-level execs, including direct mail, seminars, events, and booking in-person meetings or phone calls. You can also contact their assistants or gatekeepers as they are the closest to your resource. Reaching out to an intermediator can also be an option; you connect with an investor or stakeholder to introduce you to the executive.
Email marketing may not give you instant results, but it is the perfect way for lead generation and brand awareness. You need to be patient and develop a brand identity to connect with people from the top management.
Trouble connecting with the C-suite executive? Contact Linked Strategies as we provide high-end solutions to build long-standing relationships with high-level executives. Check out our specially designed executive insights to learn simple tactics to nurture and engage with your decision-makers.