“You are not alone.”
Did that get your attention? Sean Platt, author and entrepreneur in the field of content marketing thinks it did. In fact, it has been proven to be the leading statement in an email subject line that gets opened and responded to.
This specific subject line has had an average open rate of 90% in email marketing, and has even surpassed the 100% mark (opened more than once by some people) several times, according to Aweber, the email marketing program that tracks Platt’s campaigns.
Why? Because Platt figured out that his statement taps into something every human being wants—to be understood and cared about. And because this is such a core need for individuals, it even trumps some of the normal inhibitions that make us suspect of marketing messages. Platt puts it this way:
“No matter what message you’re sending or service you’re selling, if you remind your reader that someone understands what they are going through and cares about helping them, you will become their temporary hero.
Do it repeatedly, and you will permanently solidify that position.
Use this subject line to get your email opened, but treat the open as just the first step. Once you capture your reader’s attention, prove that you deserved it by providing a useful solution to their most pressing problem.
Even the most effective subject line in the world merely gets you in the door. Your job is to address the issues.
Not only does the ‘You Are Not Alone’ subject line get opened like crazy, it has an extremely high reply rate. This isn’t too surprising since it responds directly to the need for community and connection.
Make sure you reply back. It’s amazing how directly responding to the needs of your reader makes it easy to nurture rewarding relationships.
Help people solve their problems and relieve them of their feelings of isolation, and they will reward you.”
In my years working with Tidemark, I have had countless discussions with real estate managers on the topic of recruiting. I have listened to many managers share their frustration with this particular aspect of their job. It became clear to me pretty quickly that the word “recruiting” can have a negative connotation for some. To counter that, it occurred to me that I could assist those struggling with the execution of their recruiting efforts, by helping them re-define “recruiting.” In fact, I wanted to take that word out of their vernacular and replace it with the concept of “relationship building.”
Having been exposed throughout your life to real estate professionals…and now working with hundreds of them, I can say one thing for certain; you are great at building relationships, and that is all recruiting really is. I believe most, if not all of you intuitively “get this,” but sometimes we need to be reminded of the basics.
While Sean Platt speaks specifically of email etiquette in his blog, I couldn’t help but feel that the true nature of successful and effective email communication involves building authentic relationships over time. The fundamental topic of Platt’s blog is the successful open rate of emails with the subject line “You are not Alone.” The value behind this statement lays the foundation for you to start building relationships with candidates and clients. This is precisely why it has such a high open rate…people need to feel a connection with others.
Platt’s last statement resonated with me: “Help people solve their problems and relieve them of their feelings of isolation, and they will reward you.” This holds true of anyone contemplating a career in real estate, or choosing to continue their career in real estate. I know many of you are emailing as part of your “relationship building” strategy. The concepts that Sean is sharing can go a long way in all aspects of on-boarding new and experienced agents. This goes beyond just email…every interaction you have with prospective employees should add value and offer understanding of your candidate’s needs, concerns, and potential fears.
If you have the opportunity to learn about and help solve a problem, you will endear yourself and your value proposition to all with whom you interact…
Editor's Note: Lee Gray is the Senior Account Manager at Tidemark Inc. Lee is a guest contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.
