I got an email from someone who calls himself a “wealth manager and financial advisor”. Apparently, we’re connected on LinkedIn because his email begins, “Hi David. We’re connected on LinkedIn. . .”
He said, “I wanted to reach out to you personally and share important information on some of the recent Tax Changes for 2018 for Business Owners. Please enjoy this short video and give us a call if we can better assist you with your Financial and Estate Planning questions.”
What’s wrong with his approach? His email?
Is it that he oddly capitalized “Tax Changes for Business Owners” and “Financial and Estate Planning”?
Is he trying to impress me by making what he does look more important?
Ooh, he doesn’t just handle estate planning, he handles Estate Planning. He must be good.
Is it that he begins by saying, “I wanted to reach out to you personally. . .” and then says, “give US a call if WE can better assist you”?
We? What happened to “I”? Is he a member of the Royal Family?
Okay, these aren’t deal killers. But they aren’t unimportant. Little things make a difference, especially when you’re writing to a professional nit-picker.
I like that he’s offering information that might be valuable to me. (I didn’t watch the video, so I don’t know.) I liked that he didn’t tell me all about himself and his practice. He provided a link to his website under his signature so I could learn more about him and his practice.
I also liked that he mentioned our being connected on LinkedIn so I would know where he got my name and wouldn’t think he was spamming professionals and business owners he finds on the Internet.
But that’s exactly what his email makes it look like he’s doing.
If he had read my profile, he would know I’m an attorney or a professional, not a business owner. Wait, Business Owner. Okay, I’m also a business owner, but he didn’t do anything to personalize his message so it looks like junk mail.
He didn’t mention anything we have in common. He didn’t say anything about my business or website. He didn’t say anything about one of my posts he liked.
Had he done any of those things, I might have watched his video or visited his website. Who knows where that might lead.
But he didn’t. So I deleted his email and will never find out if he’s someone worth talking to about financial planning or how we might work together.
A cautionary tale.
Cold emails (and calls) are a viable way to build a professional practice. Even when you send them to people who aren’t social media connections.
But if you make no effort to personalize your email or connect with the recipient, you’re just wasting electrons.
How to use email to build your practice
