Phrases to Avoid in Promotional Emails

email-marketing
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

You own your own business and one of the extremely effective ways that you are able to reach other people is through Emails. As a business owner, you have products and/or services to sell, which means that you will be putting some information that is relevant to that idea in your Emails. What terminology should you avoid?

Phrases that are counterproductive if used

The tone of your Email to your clients and prospective clients should never, ever be annoying or humdrum. With that in mind, you should make sure (every time you send an Email) that you choose your phrasing very carefully. In fact, there are certain phrases that you should avoid entirely. There are many different phrases that you should do your best to avoid. The following are just some of them.

  • “We guarantee the lowest price”: You cannot ever guarantee that. There will always be someone who has the ability to sell what you are selling for a lower price. Additionally, you are focusing (and making sure that your client or prospect focuses) on the wrong thing. First of all, your customer should think about the value that you will contribute if he or she decides to buy what you are offering. The final piece of it should be the price. If at all possible, you should demonstrate a gesture of good faith by working with your client or prospect to settle on a price that you are  both comfortable with.

  • “I hope that you are doing well”: This phrase actually smacks of non-human behavior. If you know the person on any level, you will know how they are doing. There will be no guesswork involved. On the other hand, if you don’t know the person, don’t bother until you get to know him or her. In any case, don’t use this expression. If won’t give the recipient a warm, fuzzy feeling.

  • “I wanted to reach out to you”: It doesn’t really mean much and it is overused. You should definitely be able to find better ways to convey the same thought.

  • “I am going to be in the neighborhood so I will come by”: You probably were not going to be in the neighborhood at all. You should try to be more honest than that. You should simply tell the person that you would like to come and see him or her in person if it is convenient. Leave it at that.

  • “We offer a free estimate with absolutely no obligation”: I am sorry but that is never actually true. Somewhere down the road, there will be some obligation.

  • “A large corporation in your niche or industry”: It never pays to be vague. You will not be giving anything away that will cause negative consequences if you actually name the corporation. Your Email recipient will appreciate it and you won’t seem cagey.

  • “Click on this link if you want more information”: The chances are great that you don’t need to give your customers any additional information than what is already in your promotional Email. Your Email recipients don’t need any additional prodding.

  • “Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns: Your Email recipients already have your content information at their fingertips. Reiterating it may get annoying to them.

  • “Sincerely yours” instead of “Kind Regards” or “Best Regards”: That is not appropriate for a business Email. It is fine if you are writing a personal Email but not if you are writing a professional one. You need to keep your professional Emails professional.

Conclusion

There is a great deal of language that is perfectly appropriate to put in a professional Email. You want to make sure that your Email tone is never annoying, pushy, desperate, or overwhelming. The balance is not as difficult to establish as you might think. Of course, you should also avoid sending too many Emails as well. People generally don’t like that at all. When it comes to your Email tone and subject, it is important to be sensitive to your recipients’ needs and make sure that they feel that you are speaking only to them in your Email.

[signoff][/signoff]

Author

  • Carolyn Cohn

    Carolyn Cohn is the Co-Founder & Chief Creative Services of CompuKol Communications. Carolyn manages CompuKol’s creative and editorial department, which consists of writers and editors. Her weekly blogs are syndicated globally. She has decades of editorial experience in online editing, and editing books, journal articles, abstracts, and promotional and educational materials. Carolyn earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo.

8 Responses

  1. Caroline Westhall-Miller says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups
    Group: Dr Brians Marketing Network – Number 1 Group for Top Marketers
    Discussion: Which Phrases Work Well For You in Promotional Emails?

    Love this statement of fact; “You want to make sure that your Email tone is never annoying, pushy, desperate, or overwhelming,” never works! I believe in rejoicing with and empathizing our target markets, imagining ourselves in their shoes when we are trying to capture their attention along with great sales and promos that will solidity our relationship with them.
    By Caroline Westhall-Miller

  2. Fred Held says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups
    Group: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network – #1 Group for CMOs
    Discussion: Which Phrases Work Well For You in Promotional Emails?

    Those are also telemarketing phrases I hate. The one I really hate is, “we talked back in November and you suggested I call back in March” I was informed by you suggested phrases to avoid and thank you. Is this a discussion or just FYI.
    By Fred Held

  3. Christopher Glass says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups
    Group: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network – #1 Group for CMOs
    Discussion: Which Phrases Work Well For You in Promotional Emails?

    This is one thing I have found myself struggling with in being a marketing company that markets to marketing professionals.
    By Christopher Glass

  4. Larry Smith says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups
    Group: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network – #1 Group for CMOs
    Discussion: Which Phrases Work Well For You in Promotional Emails?

    Free and New always work well.
    By Larry Smith

  5. Davidd says:

    Indeed, one should never guarantee something beyond their control – but many companies do

  6. Jeff Krieger says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups
    Group: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network – #1 Group for CMOs
    Discussion: Which Phrases Work Well For You in Promotional Emails?

    If you’re not providing content that’s going to benefit the person receiving the email no matter what you say you will come across as a used car salesman. I would like to understand the motivation of asking this question in the first place… Introductory content in an email is not like a pickup line that one would use at a bar. As business people we need to respect the person we are trying to communicate with. It’s very easy to insult somebody’s intelligence. Offering meaningful content will absolutely reach the people that would ultimately want to communicate with you positively.
    By Jeff Krieger

  7. Karl Walinskas says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups
    Group: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network – #1 Group for CMOs
    Discussion: Which Phrases Work Well For You in Promotional Emails?

    Well done, Carolyn! I found myself reading your list and said, “Uh Oh, I use a few of these (hope you’re doing well)”. Saving grace: I use them connecting with a past contact that has fallen out of touch, not on a cold prospect. “Reach out” has always annoyed me too.
    To Jeff’s point, true. Challenge is, how to get the darn thing opened so the reader can find out the content is meaningful.
    By Karl Walinskas

  8. Jeff Krieger says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups
    Group: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network – #1 Group for CMOs
    Discussion: Which Phrases Work Well For You in Promotional Emails?

    @Karl …. It is simple. You have a headline that address the hole not the screw… As someone once said- people do not go to the hardware store to buy a drill or a screw the go to buy the hole that the screw will go into. You do not want anyone reading it that does not want you- pointless, so it is not about getting everyone to open it, it is about getting those who need you to open it.

    Come on… this is basic stuff…
    By Jeff Krieger