Category: Marketing

Remember when email was supposed to make our lives easier? Yet here we are, trapped in a never-ending web of back-and-forth messages that seem to multiply faster than rabbits. If you’ve ever felt like your inbox is a constant game of ping-pong, you’re not alone. Each night, I head to bed feeling defeated by my inbox. Yet, every morning, I start with hope, in vain.

The Real Cost of Email Ping-Pong

Recent workplace studies show that the average worker spends 28% of their workweek managing emails. Even more concerning, 86% of employees and executives cite poor communication as a primary cause of workplace failures. We’ve somehow turned a tool meant for efficiency into a chat platform.

But why do we do this?

The problem isn’t the technology – it’s how we use it. Emails aren’t text messages, yet we often treat them that way, firing off quick responses without considering whether a simple phone call might resolve the matter in minutes instead of hours or days of digital volleys. I have been observing this for over a year now, and more individuals are falling prey to email ‘ping-pong’ each day. In a recent interaction with a sales associate over a period of three months, she never once answered her phone. To my surprise, and without fail, whenever I called her, she responded with an email. EVERY TIME! And our ping pong began with no sign of a call back. Thank heavens, that event is now behind me.

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Signs You’re Stuck in an Email Rally

1. You’ve exchanged more than three emails on the same topic.
2. Each of these emails is no more than a chat – you have stopped writing Dear ….. or signing off with your name.
3. Your inbox feels like a chat room which makes it harder to find critical information when you need to.
4. Simple questions turn into day-long email threads indicate that this is not an effective tool.
5. You’re spending more time explaining (or brainstorming) than taking concrete actions or stagnation in your process.

Breaking the Cycle: A Better Approach

After three years of battling email fatigue (and yes, it’s a real thing – studies show it can lead to burnout and decreased productivity), I’ve developed a system that works for me. Here’s how I have reclaimed some of my sanity:

For Email Recipients:

1. I have set some boundaries, responding before and after hours with as little in the day as possible. This has allowed me to make my calls and accomplish tasks during my productive hours.
2. My administrative associate responds to a few of my emails. She does a fantastic job!
3. 30-day email deletion policy for low-priority messages. My apologies to anyone who has not received a response yet.
4. Ignoring emails that don’t deserve attention. This is based on who has emailed me, whether it is a mass email, and whether there is potential to work together.
5. Prioritizing essential communication: I focus on emails that are urgent or important, ensuring that I allocate my time effectively to those that require my immediate attention. If your email is crucial, please highlight that in the subject or first line for quicker identification.

For Email Senders:

1. Consolidate your thoughts into one comprehensive email. If there is anything you can do to ensure your emails are addressed, it is this one thing: send one email at the end of the day instead of multiple emails throughout the day.
2. If you must send a follow-up immediately, acknowledge it with a brief apology.
3. Forget the recall button – it rarely works and only adds to the chaos and confusion.
4. After three emails, pick up the phone and talk; it would be the best five minutes of your time. As always, make sure you know why you are calling and have all your questions answered.
5. And please – don’t send an email after this call asking about things you forgot to ask.

The Human Touch in a Digital World

Here’s what’s fascinating: while we’re more connected than ever, workplace communication statistics show that 60.8% of employees admit to ignoring emails at work. Why? Because we’re overwhelmed. The solution isn’t more emails—it’s better communication.

Remember when we used just to pick up the phone? There was something wonderfully efficient about the actual conversation. You could hear the tone, clarify misunderstandings immediately, and resolve issues in minutes instead of days.

Making the Change

Start with these simple rules:

1. If your email draft is longer than three paragraphs, it’s probably a phone call.
2. If you’re explaining something complex, it’s definitely a phone call.
3. If emotion is involved, it’s a phone call.

And yes, keep the “Dear” in your emails. In a world where communication often feels cold and impersonal, these small touches of formality and respect still matter.

The Future of Workplace Communication

The goal isn’t to eliminate email – it’s to use it wisely. Studies show that effective communication can boost team productivity by up to 25%. Imagine what you could accomplish with all the time you spend on email ping-pong.

Think of email as a tool in your communication toolkit, not the entire toolkit. Sometimes, a quick call, a brief meeting, or even a walk to someone’s desk (yes, people still do that) can accomplish more than a dozen emails ever could. Send a text to schedule that call if you are like me, who prefers to ensure that you are being respectful of everyone’s time.

The Bottom Line

Email ping-pong isn’t just annoying – it’s costly. It drains our time, energy, and productivity. But by being more intentional about how and when we use email, we can break free from this self-imposed game of digital table tennis.

Remember: Just because you can respond to an email immediately doesn’t mean you should. Sometimes, the best response is no response – or better yet, a good old-fashioned phone call.

After all, in a world inundated with technology, sometimes the most innovative solution is the simplest one: actual human conversation.

Success is a journey, not a destination, and just like the saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” achieving success requires time, effort, and collaboration.

Here are five things you can do today to ensure that your path to success is steady and fruitful:

Have a Strategy in Place

Setting a clear strategy is crucial for achieving success. A well-defined strategy acts as a roadmap, guiding you through the steps needed to reach your goals. According to a LinkedIn article, having a strategy includes setting clear and specific goals, developing a plan, staying disciplined, and continuously learning.

One effective strategy is to set SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. This approach helps create a clear path to your objectives and ensures that your goals are realistic and attainable. Don’t get bogged down too much with the specifics—make sure your strategy is crisp and clear.

CLICK HERE to download your SMART template.

A strategy also involves understanding your strengths and weaknesses and the opportunities and threats in your environment. This SWOT analysis can help you make informed decisions and take calculated risks.

You can anticipate challenges and develop contingency plans to address them by being proactive and planning ahead.

Set Achievable Goals

Setting achievable goals is a fundamental part of the success strategy. Goals that are clear and specific are more likely to be accomplished. Breaking down larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks can make the process less overwhelming and more attainable. For example, instead of setting a vague goal like “increase sales,” a more specific goal would be “increase sales by 10% in the next quarter”. We recommend setting one-year, 3 year and 10-year goals. At Saleint, these are tied to top-line revenue, the number of happy clients, and successful projects being handled.

What is even more important today is aligning your goals with your values and ensuring they are relevant to your overall vision. This keeps you motivated and focused on the bigger picture. Business success is like building construction, so account for delays and be gentle if you miss a deadline or two. On that note, remember to reward yourself when success goals are achieved ahead of schedule.

Achievable goals are about what you want to accomplish and how you plan to get there. It involves setting deadlines, creating action plans, and regularly monitoring your progress. Doing so lets you stay on track and adjust as needed to ensure you are moving in the right direction.

Go Back to the Drawing Board When Efforts Don’t Yield Results

Reassessment and reflection are vital when your efforts yield different results. The process of evaluation helps identify what went wrong and what can be improved. It’s crucial to approach setbacks as learning opportunities rather than failures.

Regular reassessment allows for adjustments in strategies and goals, ensuring that you stay on the right path. This iterative feedback, reflection, and revision process is crucial for the sustained success FasterCapital.

When things don’t go as planned, it’s essential to take a step back and analyze the situation. This might involve seeking feedback from others, reviewing your processes, and considering alternative approaches. By being open to change and willing to adapt, you can turn setbacks into stepping stones for future success.

Think Outside the Box: Find Your Niche

Innovation and creativity are often the keys to standing out in a crowded marketplace. If you go where the crowds are heading, you are probably part of the crowd and not standing out. To achieve true success, it is crucial to think outside the box and find your niche.

We often encounter businesses that want to be on every social media channel because all their competitors are on each of these channels, regardless of where their clients lie. Run the SWOT, create your client persona, and feel your passion when developing your niche.

Finding your niche involves identifying a unique aspect of your business or skill set that sets you apart. This could be a specific target market, a unique product or service offering, or a distinctive approach to solving a problem. Focusing on what makes you unique allows you to differentiate yourself and attract a loyal customer base.

Thinking outside the box also means being open to new ideas and willing to take calculated risks. It involves challenging the status quo and looking for innovative solutions to problems. This mindset can lead to breakthrough ideas and opportunities that others might overlook.

For example, many successful entrepreneurs have built thriving businesses by identifying underserved markets or creating products that address unmet needs.

Finding your niche and focusing on what you do best can create a strong brand identity and build a competitive advantage.

Collaborate and Prosper: Find Collaborators that Compliment Your Business

Collaboration is essential for businesses aiming to reach greater heights in the modern workplace. Why is that?

• Collaboration allows for the exchange of diverse ideas and thoughts.
• It often leads to more innovative solutions and better decision-making.
• Entrepreneurship is a lonely road; share it to enjoy company along the way.
• Working with others who complement your skills rather than compete with you can enhance productivity and drive success. For instance, a study by Kissflow highlights how collaboration facilitates the exchange of ideas, leading to collective expertise and better outcomes.
• Moreover, successful collaboration builds trust and empowerment among team members, creating a supportive environment where everyone feels valued; in turn, it leads to increased problem-solving capabilities and improved overall performance.
• Collaboration also fosters a sense of community and shared mission, which can be motivating and lead to higher levels of engagement. When team members feel part of something bigger than themselves, they are more likely to put in the extra effort needed to achieve common goals. This shared effort can significantly contribute to the organization’s or project’s overall success.

Conclusion

Success is a cumulative result of time, collaboration, strategic planning, setting achievable goals, constant reassessment, and innovative thinking. By following these principles, you can steadily progress towards your goals, knowing that each step is part of a more extensive journey, no matter how small.

Implementing these practices ensures that your pursuit of success is structured, collaborative, and resilient. Every outstanding achievement requires patience, teamwork, a clear plan, adaptability, and creativity. Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor by a single person, your success will be built through continuous effort, collaboration, and innovative thinking.

In today’s fierce marketplace, excelling in the modern sales process is vital for businesses aspiring for growth. A key aspect of this process involves identifying and utilizing touchpoints to curate a smooth customer journey. So, what are these touchpoints, and how many should one incorporate into the sales plan? Let’s dive into ‘touchpoints’ and examine their needs in the sales process.

What is a Touchpoint?

Touchpoints symbolize any interaction or encounter occurring between your company and its clients or potential customers, spanning both online and offline channels. These consist of website visits, social media exchanges, emails, phone conversations, live chats, in-person conferences, and any other mode of communication.

The primary goal of touchpoints is to engage potential clients, inform them about your offerings, and prompt them to make purchases. In today’s digital age, touchpoints have significantly evolved to encompass numerous channels and platforms where clients can connect with your brand.

How Many Touchpoints Does One Need?

The ideal number of touchpoints differs based on business size, industry sector, target demographic, and overarching marketing strategy. However, research (generic) indicates that it generally takes 7-13 touchpoints for a prospect to transition into a customer.

To refine your sales procedure, it is essential to embrace a multi-channel strategy that caters to diverse customer inclinations. Implementing a blend of online and offline tactics—including email marketing campaigns, social media engagement, content marketing initiatives, in-person events, webinars, and telephone calls—ensures maximum impact.

Having spent over two decades in the sales industry, I vividly recall being told during my first-ever sales initiation that an average of 5-8 contact points are needed to close a deal. By 2012, this number had risen to 8-12. In today’s tourism sector, one must consider at least 15-20 touchpoints before the sale can be initiated. This increase is attributable to heightened competition, multiple channels and decreased attention spans. 

Our B2B Brand Awareness Package offers 10 to 18 touch points in a year. Click here for details

Here are some tips for effectively utilizing touchpoints in the B2B tourism sector:

1. Know your target audience: The first step in completing a sales process is to know your target market. Knowing them, just their company name and the destinations they sell is not enough. You need to know their communication preference, the likelihood of adding new products, and how they would like the engagement to look like. Learning this early in the sales process helps create a bond quickly.

2. Maintain consistency across all platforms: Your brand should have a consistent voice and style throughout all touch points. Refer to your brand guide and share it with team members responsible for creating your brand’s messages. Consistency helps establish trust and familiarity with prospects.

3. Customize your approach: Adapting your message to address individual customer preferences and demands can significantly enhance engagement and lead to higher conversion rates.

4. Embrace technological advancements: In today’s digital age, using technology to manage touch points along the B2B customer journey is crucial. Use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to keep track of client interactions and essential metrics like conversion rates and response times. Implement email marketing tools for specialized campaigns or deploy chatbots on your site for immediate support.

5. Monitor and analyze: Keep a close eye on the performance of different touch points by measuring essential metrics like engagement, click-through rates, conversion rates, and client feedback. Use this information to optimize your sales process.

6. Follow up consistently: Proactive follow-ups after meetings, sales pitches, or conferences build long-term connections and sustain customer interest. Reach out via email or phone to further discussions on possible partnerships or address any concerns they may have. Regularly checking in with partners, sharing updated materials, and asking for feedback shows your dedication to their success.

Effective sales process navigation requires a well-rounded combination of touchpoints to connect with potential clients. By carefully integrating various channels into your sales funnel consistently and targeting the right audience, you’ll be well-prepared to guide potential clients through their buying journey and ultimately convert them into loyal customers.