Paradigm Shift for the New World

In the business world, the primary focus is on selling products and generating sustainable and profitable income. In any organization, the results are dependent on the activity of the organization sales, the quality of the product and service as well as the approach to advertising and marketing. The competition is fierce and every avenue to promote and sell must be maximized.

The business world is changing; we are utilizing innovative ways to market and sell to the masses but have yet to harness the true power of the innovations we utilize. In 1971, a computer engineer named Ray Tomlinson sent a message from one computer to another. "I sent a number of test messages to myself from one machine to the other," he states, little did he know that his unassuming technological breakthrough would shape the face of modern day communications.

Ironically, he mentions, "The test messages were entirely forgettable. Most likely the first message was QWERTYIOP or something similar." Over thirty years later, emails still retain that same QWERTYIOP look and are forgotten the second they are read.

Today's industry operates in a world with unlimited geographical boundaries. Long gone are the days of customer loyalty to the neighborhood clothing retail store or the home delivery service of your favourite merchant. Businesses now are utilizing the power of the Internet to expand their market, retain customers through minimal "face time" interaction and deal in a world of binary code instead of personal handshakes and in store accounts. With companies adopting new strategies to operate in this "digital world", Ray Tomlinson's innovation is still utilized in true 1970's fashion.

Leverage the Power of the Consumer

To view the existing business model and to evaluate new processes to increase revenue, we must step away from our preconceived world and look from the outside at the reality of the market place. The consumers themselves, combined with email innovations can penetrate a market at an exponential rate and promote a brand at a viral level.

I am referring to everyday email. What if the consumer received an email that did much more than convey a message? What if they received an email that enticed further interaction and dynamics? The viral nature of a well-designed and implemented email can expand the reach and results of the message itself.

Branded Email Brings Results

Under the most conservative figures, over 7 billion emails are sent each day. Some reports show that number to be closer to 30 billion with an anticipated 60 billion emails send per day by 2006. The power of this innovative communication method can be uniquely tailored to any industry by changing the way we look at how our products are marketed.

When I am referring to branded email, I am not speaking about mass email campaigns. I am not talking about auto-responders, header/footer type graphics or simple stationary. I am referring to professional applications that allow customized dynamics and a lasting impression.

The key to maximizing your results is to provide an end product (email) that is representative of the image and brand you want to portray. Every email can either help or denigrate your brand and in the end, have an impact on the success and viability of your company.

When the email is received, you want the recipient to be impressed; you want them to further explore what you have to offer. You don't want them to dismiss your message due to the visual content.

So What Are The Advantages?

The advantages of using a system like this are very simple and straightforward. With every email you send, you provide the recipient with access to sales information they might not have received otherwise. You can direct them to places you want them to visit, view presentations you want them to see and interact in ways you know will help close a deal. You are sending these emails anyway so why not send something that will provide an impact and results. The options for the dynamic abilities are endless.

Corporate Level

Imagine your sales force and administration staff sending standardized branded messages. Every email will convey a message you know that works. Lets' look at email volume and missed opportunities.

10 Email Users

Each User Sends Out 10 Emails a Day ? 100 Emails Sent
5 Days a Week ? 500 Emails Sent
4 Weeks a Month ? 2,000 Emails Sent
12 Months a Year ? 24,000 Emails Sent

With only 10 users, that translates into 24,000, requested emails sent out each year that fail to promote the organization and the product/service offerings! See the difference dynamic email could make?

Change Your View & Approach

The banality surrounding the issue of plain email correspondence is deafening upon the ears of those in charge of corporate brands. One-to-one email correspondence is a direct link to the hearts and wallets of the customers. I like to use the analogy of CPR when dealing with email. Every email sent deals with "C", "P", "R" ? Customer, Prospect, and Relationship. They are a customer, a prospect, or an established relationship. Customers are only customers until they have been targeted as a prospect of another company. With global ties and instant communication, the staging front for the retention and acquisition of a customer falls into the "Inbox".

How do you fight a battle you do not know you are in? What measures do you take to make sure you are proactive in this invisible war of self-administered sales sorting? I cannot stress enough the importance of your everyday email and the impact it has on those who receive it. Every company, every day, everybody, everywhere is fighting for space in someone's "Inbox". Whether it is a large corporation or a small corporation, the fight exists and in the "Inbox", the company size holds no bearing.

The inbox is the modern day interpretation of a level playing field. What lies within the content of the message is the perception of reality and the level at which that company operates. Small companies, who leverage their inbox strategies, don't stay small for long.

Why is it that as an aggressive business culture, we are negligent to advance and utilize existing proven technologies such as email? Email has stayed stagnant long enough, it is time to take advantage of what we presently have and make it work for us. With global trade barriers shrinking by the day, we must do all we can to ensure that we retain the right to our customers and fight the Inbox battle with sweeping professional perceptions instead of a meek, mundane, faceless company gathered in the halls of the inbox underachieved.

Initiative

Every day that passes, opportunities in the thousands to brand and market the companies' services are missed. A consistent brand from the corporation can have a sweeping effect on the marketplace in grandiose proportions.

The technology is now available for companies' to capture the potential of their customer base. We must embrace such opportunities and "tap into" the power of everyday email. It is an open, dynamic and growing market that cannot be ignored any longer.

About the Author
Scott Briscoe is the Vice President of Operations for OnLetterhead Inc. OnLetterhead is the premier email branding solution in the market today. For more information, please visit http://www.onletterhead101.com

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