美国作为典型的生意导向型的国家,外贸的都希望与美国人生意,美国人性格朗直爽,对陌生人的邮件推销和电话销接受程度明显高于其它国家(如中国、日本和南美各国)。因此,用邮件发发信发美国市场,不失为一种较有效的手段。
美国人事认真,骨子里有自傲情绪,尤其是american whites,要求高,有时甚至挺矫情。因此,跟他们打交道,先了解美国人对发信的要求。笔者从美国进口商协会集和摘录了一些关于sell to u. s的推广信建议,供大家了解。
一、guide to successful marketing and selling to us importers.
direct marketing (sending a sales letter by mail) is the most effective way to market your products and find new buyers. with all the new technology we he today (internet, fax, b2b, etc) more than 8 out of 10 us importers say they prefer to be contacted by sales letter. but you cannot send just any letter. the sales letter that you send represents your company. if it looks good, you look good. if it looks bad, you look bad. if there are mistakes in the letter then the quality of your product is questioned.(大部分的美国商人习惯用邮件。发给美国家的推销信就是你公司的“形象代言人”,因此要力求到专业。)
an estimated 97% of all sales letters go into the trash. it is important that your sales letter looks nice and is effective in order to be part of the 3% of letters that stay on the importer’s desk. importers generally look at the first paragraph first. if they are still interested they skip down to the last paragraph to look for the seller’s web site address. our research showed that us importers generally do not look at the second or third paragraph.(97%的推销信会直接被当成垃圾邮件,只有3%的推销信能入美国家的眼。一般来说,推销信的第一段是阅读者关注的重点,因此,需要把你最好最吸引人的信息放在发信的第一段。然而我们很多业务员的发信第一段往往是千篇一律、乏味的自我介绍。)
sales letters don’t sell anymore. your web site does that now. your sales letter has two functions. the first is to introduce your company and your products and the second is to direct the reader to your web site. effective sales letters generally he four paragraphs and are arranged in the following manner:(发信不是要东西,你的网站才是。因此不要在发信中咄咄逼人,强硬销不起作用。)
paragraph 1: attracting attention (把你最好最吸引人的东西放在第一段)
a recent research study showed that us importers generally spend seven seconds looking at a sales letter to determine if they are interested or not. if within that 7 seconds you he convinced the reader that you he a product they would like to buy and resell then they will continue reading. otherwise the letter goes into the trash.
paragraph 2: building interest and desire (接下来介绍你的产品,激发对方兴趣和需求)
once you he the reader’s attention you must give the basic details. your goal is to show that you he a reliable product that the importer can buy from you and then easily resell in the us for a profit.
paragraph 3: convincing the reader (说服对方你的产品好在哪里)
at this point you he the reader’s interest and he given the basics. this paragraph tells the importer the benefits of buying your product. here you show the buyer how he/she will benefit from buying your product.
paragraph 4: request for action (可以通过回信索要样品、你们获得产品图册等方式让对方看完你的邮件,有所行动,而不是把你的邮件压箱底。)
this paragraph is short and has only one function: go to your web page for more information. it is very important that you put your web site address in this last paragraph and encourage the reader to go there to see more about your products.
二、how not to write a sales letter (如何写推销信)
1、every word in your sales letter must be chosen carefully. do not use words that are pushy, like "prompt", and "asap", and "at your convenience". us importers do not like to be pushed into making a decision.
(下笔之前,斟酌用词,不要下笔千言,废话一箩筐。)
2、do not try to flatter the buyer with words like "esteemed" and "respected". us importers will give you an order because you he a product they want. not because you tried to inflate their ego.
(拍马屁对美国人没有用。这个对欧洲客户同样也不起作用。反而显得自己很卑微。)
3、do not use abbreviations. using "b. rgds" for "best regards" and "tkx" for "thank you" implies that you are lazy. no us importer wants to do business with someone who is lazy.
(不要用缩写,看起来像是个二吊子懒销。)
4、do not misspell any words or use bad grammar. your sales letter is the on
seconds you can’t grab their attention, your letter will end up in the trash. therefore, make sure your opening sentence is attention-grabbing and eye-catching, and clearly conveys what sets your products apart from your competitors.
paragraph 2: explaining the benefits (详细介绍你的产品优势,让阅读者相信你的产品)
now that you have their attention, you need to explain the benefits of your products and how they can solve the importer’s problems. break down the key features of your products and show how they will save the importer money, time, or provide other benefits.
paragraph 3: proving your credibility (证明你的信誉和经验,让阅读者相信可以信任你的公司)
in this paragraph, you want to establish your credibility and prove that you are a reputable company with experience in your industry. include any relevant certifications, awards, or testimonials from satisfied customers.
paragraph 4: call to action (明确地告诉阅读者下一步需要做什么)
in the final paragraph, make a clear call to action, such as suggesting a meeting, sending a sample, or providing a link to your website. make sure the importer knows what you want them to do next.