Email is proving to be one of the most effective means of initiating contact with and nurturing B2B leads. A recent study by MarketingProfs found that companies offering business services were among those who experienced the highest open rates (at 21.9 percent) as well as an excellent click ratio (at 4.9 percent) in their email campaigns.

In a 2010 survey conducted by Datran Marketing, 39.4 percent (the highest result) of industry executives, reported that the email was the most effective advertising channel for their company.

A strong email marketing campaign will combine the right timing of emails with a targeted campaign based on where your leads are in the sales cycle. Building a relationship in this way will result in greater customer retention and higher repeat purchase rates.

In fact, a 2009 study conducted by the Direct Marketing Association revealed that email marketing resulted in an ROI of $43.62 on every dollar spent. This was the highest rate of all direct marketing methods.

Immediate Initial Contact Followed by Nurturing—A Golden Combination

The best time to email a new lead is within the first five minutes of receiving the lead. Take this opportunity to thank them for their interest and to present any special offers you have as further incentive to try out your services.

Use email to build trust throughout the sales cycle. This is especially effective for B2B purchases, which typically have a longer sales cycle as the buying decision goes through various levels of approval. Your emails can create an atmosphere of goodwill and demonstrate that you’re there to help them find solutions.

Focus on providing real value with every email; your prospects will appreciate the fact that you are delivering more than just a sales pitch, and the occasional testimonial or case study regarding your services will be well received.

Once you have closed a sale, send an immediate thank you email and let your customer know you are there if they need help. This is a good time to offer tips on how to get the most from their purchase.

Retention emails afford the opportunity for future sales, but be careful to avoid a “hard sell,” and always pepper your sales messages and offers with useful tips and information that will help build confidence and trust in your company.  

So what are the best times to contact your leads? As with telephone marketing, the best time to email a new lead is within the first five minutes of receiving the lead. Take this opportunity to thank them for their interest, and to present any special offers you have as further incentive to try out your services.

Email is a valuable tool for building trust throughout the sales cycle. This is especially true for B2B purchases, which typically have a longer sales cycle as the buying decision goes through various levels of approval within a company.

A slower economy has also contributed to lengthening sales cycles, resulting in an even greater need to fine-tune the nurturing process. An effective email campaign can help create an atmosphere of goodwill with your prospects and demonstrate that you’re there to help them find solutions.

Strategic consultants at Responsys suggest using a progressive profiling system, asking only one question with each email, letting the customer set the tone and pace, and being careful to never assume too much about your prospect.

During the consideration phase, continue to monitor the data you collect about your prospect and change your messages accordingly.

Strategists for ExactTarget recommend that companies focus on two complementary goals during this stage: Deliver content that helps establish the company as the expert on the topic of interest, and educate the consumer on the products or services the consumer inquired about.