Crafting the perfect “first contact” email

This email is specifically for your first automated email that goes out when users sign up via your IDX (this one is sent directly by your IDX/MLS system)

If you can’t control (95%) what is said, and how much is said, in your first email via your IDX/MLS, you need to change IDX providers.

Always remember, this is your business. Your IDX vendor does not have a clue about email marketing & conversion. Don’t ask them their opinion. Their first priority is to protect the load on their servers and to protect their email reputation. Seek out the truth of what actually works in the real world.

The 4 “S” Elements of a perfect first contact email:

Singular

It must have a singular focus.

What is that focus?

The goal for this email is not to get the contract. It’s not to get a phone call.

It’s only goal is to get opened, get read and get a reply, otherwise known as starting a relationship.

Why is this your goal? Because you want to make sure all your emails get to this person.

You are building your email reputation with their email provider (so you get through the spam and block gates).

You are training them that what you have to offer is spot on and valuable, that it’s worth their time to open and read, that you want them to click a link or respond… aka to take action.

Short

You must keep it short.

What is short? No more than 5 sentences, total.

Why short?

Because you don’t have any relationship with this person. None.

You have not given them any value or reason to open and read your emails.

You need to start building that know, like and trust relationship and it starts with short, succinct emails.

Simple

You must keep it simple. This is not your opportunity to dump everything on them.

You don’t need to blatantly promote you or your services.

You don’t need to overwhelm them.

You need to focus them.

To bring them along their customer journey one step at a time.

We don’t even realize we’re doing this, but we are:

Stop thinking from a mindset of scarcity and lack and start thinking from a mindset of abundance.

Emails that try to get “all points in” create the energy of desperation and that energy is FELT by the recipient.

Example:

“I see you were looking for homes in XYZ. But if that area doesn’t work there’s also ABC. And if you have a home to sell you can DO THIS. And if you aren’t ready to sell check out our property management. And, if you just don’t want to move, you can refer me because I heart referrals. And if referrals aren’t your vibe…” and so on and so forth.

Service

You must come from a place of service, but not the service of “I can help you buy or sell.”

You need to come from a place of service that makes progressive sense.

What do I mean? I mean that after they’ve logged into your IDX, what is the next logical step, the next logical conversation you should have with them?

Here’s a hint, it’s not “what home do you want to see.”

It’s “how was your experience – did the tech work – did you run into any snags while using the portal?”

What to include in your first contact email:

First Name

You want to use their name – just their first name – in your email.

Clean Signature

What do I mean by “clean signature?” I mean short. Concise. Use your name and brokerage (OR team name).

I mean something like the following:

Christina
SKE Realty Group LLC

Post Script

You want a short, succinct P.S. that is the CTA from the main body of your email, worded slightly differently

Footer

This needs to include your brokerage, legal disclaimer, whatever, but without links and in a slightly smaller font and it needs to be at least 10 line spaces below your Post Script. It also needs to include your one-click unsubscribe.

What not to include in your first contact email:

Your story

This email isn’t about you, it’s about them. They don’t care about you until they know you care about them.

A safety net

Don’t be so focused on scarcity that you try to grab all possible ways they could use your services.

Multiple calls-to-action

When you have more than one CTA you confuse them. You overwhelm them. Don’t do that.

Multiple links

Not only is this a confuse/overwhelm issue for the reader, it’s also a deliverability issue. If you have more than one link, your deliverability drops drastically.

Logos or images

Another email deliverability issue. Additionally, it’s a wrong focus issue… branding or exposure vs. converting into a relationship.

Remember, your goal in your first contact email is to get into their email inbox and to get opened. It’s a bonus if you are able to start a conversation.

The best way to start a conversation with anyone is to focus it on them without exuding pressure from them.

Think of their most logical, smallest step in movement, while also anticipating their struggles / thoughts.