As we venture into the next decade, written communication has become the power player. Emails aren’t dead and using text messaging is essential as more of the labor market is pooled from millennials and Generation Z.
Henna Pryor, executive coach and recruiting and sales trainer, shares how to get a quick response when following up and using text messages.
Follow Up Emails
Sales requires following up with potential recruits and clients. We sometimes feel that pestering our potential client is unproductive or a waste of time. Henna would strongly disagree. “Following up isn’t inherently annoying or bad,” says Henna. She believes following up properly is absolutely required to have success in recruitment and sales and has the data to back up the claim.
- 80% of sales require at least 5 follow-up attempts
- Email selling has a 2x higher return than cold calling
- When you send follow-up emails, there’s at least a 25% chance you will hear back.
Nearly half of staffing professionals fail to follow up on leads at all. However, a ‘just checking in’ email isn’t going to deliver results. We must follow up strategically, in a way that engages psychologically and emotionally.
Henna warns us to never from this day forward send a ‘just checking in’ or ‘just following up’ email that literally just checks in or follows up. You always want this message to be a bit of a Trojan Horse. The ‘just checking in’ follow-up email must carry a nudge or hidden message at the end.
Types of Follow Up Emails
Henna categorizes follow-up emails into five groups:
- Cold email
- General check-in
- Set deadline
- Nudge a warm intro
- Be put out of your misery
Text Messaging in the Staffing Industry
Text messaging should not replace email or phone calls; it is only part of a multi-channel communication strategy.
The labor market is dominated by millennials and Generation Z candidates, requiring staffing firms to rely more on text messaging. We must adapt to the types of recruit we are engaging with; younger people are not as likely to answer calls and feel more intimate communicating through text.
The benefits of texting include:
- Saving time
- Convenience
- Discretion
- Personal connection
The goal of texting is to get you to the live conversation quicker. Henna believes, “Texting opens up a trusted and convenient mode of communication.” She explains the best situations to use texting include the engagement stage, action stage, and nurture stage.
Texting is a great tool to expand our means of communicating with potential candidates, but there are times where a phone call or email is more appropriate. Henna’s rule of thumb is to avoid texting when communicating important or sensitive information.
Rules of Thumb
- If a topic is at all sensitive or important, a conversation is always the best approach.
- If they want to ‘Opt Out,’ honor that.
According to Henna, you can learn to write high-converting sales messages on a moment’s notice and increase response rates exponentially to multiply revenue. Written communication is vital to the success of staffing firms and can be put to action today.
Members can access the Written Communication in 2021: How to Get a Fast Response When You Need It webinar through the TechServe Online Learning Center.
About Henna Pryor: Henna is an executive coach and recruiting and sales trainer. Her impressive professional resume and achievements have drawn attention from leading publications including Forbes, Digital Examiner, and Real Simple. To learn more, visit her website at www.pryoritygroup.com.
