Core conclusions:Replies from overseas buyers usually do not appear in the first email, but arrive one after another between the third and the 30th days; a factory that is closed after sending only one email is equivalent to voluntarily giving up more than 60% of the replies. Fixed the follow-up into four letters on the 3rd, 7th, 15th and 30th days. Each letter changes the entry angle rather than repeated reminders. The total contact cost of the four letters is less than 1 yuan/customer, which is the most cost-effective way to invest and output in foreign trade customers.
1. Why only sending one letter is in vain
The first letter has only one task: let the other person know who you are and what you can do, and not annoy him. The response rate at this stage is naturally low, because similar emails come in the buyer's inbox every day. The time points for real echoes are concentrated in four places: the first day is the few who responded directly after opening it accidentally; the second to third days are the ones who have read it but put it aside first; the seventh day is when there was no demand at that time and later remembered it or forwarded it by colleagues; the 15th to 30th days is when the procurement cycle starts and suppliers start to be searched.
The problem with only sending one letter is that you bet all your hopes on the probability that the other party "just happened to need it" at the time. A more realistic situation is: the other party read it and thought it was okay, but did not save it. A few days later, it was pushed to the bottom of the list by other emails and never opened it again. The function of follow-up is not to urge the other person, but to keep your email there every time he thinks of this topic.
2. 3-7-15-30 Day Follow-up Form
| Serial number and time point | the purpose of this letter | Body of text |
|---|---|---|
| Letter 2: Day 3 | Add a specific piece of information that the other party may care about | Newly obtained third-party test report number, newly added production line or production capacity, and a similar case just delivered (only write one item, do not list it) |
| Letter 3: Day 7 | Give a verifiable credential | The certification certificate number and inquiry address, factory inspection photo, and customs declaration form can be provided to the outside world so that the other party can verify it by itself |
| Letter 4: Day 15 | Change your contact and expand your reach | Copy a copy to the purchasing supervisor or technical director other than the recipient, and only change the subject line one place (for example, add product model) |
| Letter 5: Day 30 | Minimize response costs | An email only asks one question and gives options, such as "Do you want to see the quotation list first or the sample parameter list first?" |
How to write three or four letters respectively
The core of the second letter (day 3) is "increase the amount without pressure." Don't ask "Did you see it?" in the second letter, but add a message to let the other person think that this email has content. For example, a batch of third-party inspections that have just been completed, a second production line that has just been launched, or the delivery status of a customer in the same region. Limit the length to no more than 80 English words.
The core of the third letter (day 7) is "verifiable". The buyer's concern is often "whether this is a factory at all", so this letter gives out what can be verified: the number of the certification certificate and the official inquiry method, photos of the production line, and export record fields that can be disclosed. Be careful not to promise to provide documents involving customers 'trade secrets.
The core of the fourth letter (day 15) is "substitution". The same email is sent to the same mailbox continuously, and the marginal effect is diminishing. This letter will be copied to the purchasing supervisor or technical director in addition to the recipient, and the subject line will only be changed one place to allow the other party to have a clear reason when forwarding it to colleagues. Before copying, make sure that the other party's mailbox is public information, and don't blindly copy it in groups.
The core of the fifth letter (day 30) is "reducing response costs." An email asks only one question and turns the answers into options. The other party can reply by clicking a letter, and the probability of reply will be significantly higher than that of an open question. This letter will then move to the quarterly maintenance rhythm, and the same customer will actively reach it no more than 8 times throughout the year.
4. Four technical details that are easily ignored
- The subject line is controlled to be within 28 characters:There are no more than 6 words in English, put the category and model first, and do not use heavily used phrases such as "Cooperation" and "Best price".
- Do not put attachments in the first letter:Strange emails with attachments are more likely to enter the garbage. You can put 1 PDF starting from the second envelope, and control it within 1MB. The file name is in English, and no zip package is used.
- Align the sending time with the other party's working time:When the target is European and American markets, use the other party's local time to send from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. from Tuesday to Thursday to avoid starting work on Monday and before leaving work on Friday.
- Compliance elements should be written in full:For EU customers, there must be an unsubscribe method at the bottom of the email; for US customers, the sender's real information and physical address should be clearly written. This is not only a legal requirement, but also directly affects the delivery rate.
5. Common questions
1. Will following up on four letters make the other party feel harassed?
The key is the content rather than the number of times. If each of the four letters asks,"How are you thinking about it?", it is indeed harassment; if each letter adds a new piece of information, gives a verifiable credential, or changes a contact person, what the other party feels is professionalism. At the same time, we must guard the border: the same customer actively reaches out no more than 8 times a year, and the other party will stop immediately after clearly stating that it is not needed.
2. The customer replied "No demand for the time being". Should we continue to follow?
Follow, but you need to down-tune the frequency and change the content. Such a reply means that the other party has at least opened the email and is an effective contact. The approach is to change the pace from monthly to quarterly, only sending one industry information or new product update at a time, and no longer asking for orders. Many orders grow from such customers after half a year to a year.
3. Without a third-party test report and certification, how to write the third letter?
There is more to verify than reports. Photos and videos of the production line, on-site records of key processes, lists of major equipment, process parameters that can be provided to the outside world, and even real shots and positioning at the factory gate can all undertake the verification function. The key is to let the other party judge for themselves that you are a real manufacturing entity, rather than a passing trader.
For factories that make industrial parts and mechanical parts, the winner and winner of the development letter is not the copy of the first letter, but whether the four letters are sent out at a pace from the 3rd to the 30th day-making follow-up into a fixed action is the process of customer acquisition.
