Emails being ignored, should I go in person?

[Conn]

We are a new startup trying to find local suppliers to provision services for our users and my emails to vendors are being ignored.

I'm not sure whether or not they're uninterested or just think I'm trying to scam them but either way I don't really have a lot of time to mess about with this.

Should I just walk into their offices and talk to them in person if my emails are being ignored?

 

[Erminoli]

Good question.

Actually, if you don't want to appear like a greasy salesman, I wouldn't knock on other doors either.

What about meeting people personally without being an unwanted visitor?

The magic word: TRADE SHOWS.

I could imagine that no matter where you are, no matter what you do, there is a fair somewhere, where you could connect with the right persons.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

What happened when you called them?

 

[Steve Alphabet]

How many emails have you sent? 80% (on average) will be ignored. So for the other 20%:
- are your emails written well?
- are they going to relevant people?
- do those relevant people have a need for what you offer, at the time you're sending your emails?

 

[fisicx]

I don't really have a lot of time to mess about with this.

That's where it's all going wrong. Most of your day will be filled with this sort of activity. The amount of 'work' you do will be tiny compared to the time you spend administering the business (which includes marketing and supplier/client management).

As a startup I'd be putting most of my efforts into building supplier relationships if these are key to your viability.

 

[Conn]

What happened when you called them?

This is a bit tricky as the businesses speak different languages than myself so I can't personally call them. I had my emails translated into their language before sending, so picking up the phone would be a bit more difficult than usual.

How many emails have you sent? 80% (on average) will be ignored. So for the other 20%:
- are your emails written well?
- are they going to relevant people?
- do those relevant people have a need for what you offer, at the time you're sending your emails?

- are your emails written well? - I hope so. I wrote the original emails and they were then translated by a third party organisation as the emails were going to businesses who operate mainly in languages other than English.
- are they going to relevant people? Probably not. The businesses in question are small and many of them use gmail so I assume it just goes to some employee responsible for handling support. I am hoping they run the email up the chain to however is the decision maker.
-- do those relevant people have a need for what you offer, at the time you're sending your emails? I am emailing them to try to purchase their services, unless they dont want new sales.

That's where it's all going wrong. Most of your day will be filled with this sort of activity./QUOTE]
Yes thats true but unfortunately at this early stage I'm trying to run every aspect of the business solo. I would prefer not to have to chase these businesses since I am trying to purchase from them, if they want my sales they shouldn't have me chasing them.

 

[fisicx]

I wrote the original emails and they were then translated by a third party organisation as the emails were going to businesses who operate mainly in languages other than English.

Are you a good salesman? Have you had lots of practice at writing marketing emails? I'd put money on the email and it's translation looking like the ones I get every day from SEO companies and developers in India.

The businesses in question are small and many of them use gmail so I assume it just goes to some employee responsible for handling support. I am hoping they run the email up the chain to however is the decision maker.

Nope, never happens. They get trashed as soon as they arrive.

...if they want my sales they shouldn't have me chasing them.

Maybe they don't want to do business with you.

 

[Conn]

Are you a good salesman? Have you had lots of practice at writing marketing emails? I'd put money on the email and it's translation looking like the ones I get every day from SEO companies and developers in India.

Nope, never happens. They get trashed as soon as they arrive.

I'm not trying to sell anything, im trying TO BUY.

Maybe they don't want to do business with you.

That's fair enough but there are plenty of local suppliers... if they don't want a new customer ill find a business that does.

 

[fisicx]

I'm not trying to sell anything, im trying TO BUY.

I know. But the emails still won't get passed on.

Are the emails personalised? Do they refer to the company you are contacting and are they tailored to match the services offered? Anything generic will get junked.

 

[Conn]

I know. But the emails still won't get passed on.

Are the emails personalised? Do they refer to the company you are contacting and are they tailored to match the services offered? Anything generic will get junked.

We are a travel company and our customers keep asking for things to do when they get to the destination. Trips out, places to go etc.

I emailed local attractions, parks, tour operators etc asking if we could sell tickets to our customers for them. I can't imagine any business saying no assuming the email gets to the correct person.

Basically I want to purchase tickets on behalf of our customers before they go.

 

[fisicx]

Things don't work like that anymore. Try calling Alton Towers and asking them if you can sell tickets and they won;t even bother to reply. Same with all major attractions in the UK - they all use ticketing systems or third party providers. The rest of the world is very similar. If you want to buy tickets it's all done online and very often the ticket is an email attachment.

 

[Conn]

Things don't work like that anymore. Try calling Alton Towers and asking them if you can sell tickets and they won;t even bother to reply. Same with all major attractions in the UK - they all use ticketing systems or third party providers. The rest of the world is very similar. If you want to buy tickets it's all done online and very often the ticket is an email attachment.

Hmm yes that may be the case. If that is how they sell tickets you'd think they would at least reply and tell me how to get them....

 

[fisicx]

Have you looked at their websites and tried to buy tickets?

 

[AllUpHere]

I'm not trying to sell anything, im trying TO BUY.

Makes no difference. Whether you want to buy or sell it's all marketing. Try looking into 'stakeholder marketing' to get a better understanding.

 

[Erminoli]

I strongly recommend you to build relationships at eye level first.

As a startup in the travel business, try to find attractions, that are quite new as well. Team up with people who can relate to your situation, who can identify with you and your company.

I won't contact the New York Times either, if I'll set up an online newspaper. ;-)

 

[Conn]

Have you looked at their websites and tried to buy tickets?

Yes you can purchase from their website but I would prefer a way to automate this. Either purchasing through an API or purchasing in bulk.

Makes no difference. Whether you want to buy or sell it's all marketing. Try looking into 'stakeholder marketing' to get a better understanding.

Thanks ill look into it.

I strongly recommend you to build relationships at eye level first.

As a startup in the travel business, try to find attractions, that are quite new as well. Team up with people who can relate to your situation, who can identify with you and your company.

I won't contact the New York Times either, if I'll set up an online newspaper. ;-)

Good idea thank you. I've decided to create a new position for a partner relations manager. This is more work than I expected so I'll bring someone else onboard to handle that side.


Thanks for advice.

 

[ChristineJoy33]

How about you do some advertising? Sending emails eats a lot of time. One thing also is that your are not really sure if that is their real email address or just a spam. I think its better for you to learn social media management and try to post in various social media sites.

 

[paulears]

Not trying to be funny, but in English we all misunderstood your intentions - having this in a foreign language seems to suggest it's not going too be understood.

I'm currently trying to buy some specific chinese products but all my questions they translate into chinese badly and I get rubbish responses. Clearly, there's a breakdown in communications, but even the ones who do reply don't seem to understand at the level I need. As a result I cannot buy safely, and they are dubious of sending the wrong products that they too realise might not do what I want and then they have to accept them back. Easier to just do simpler business.

 

[fisicx]

Yes you can purchase from their website but I would prefer a way to automate this. Either purchasing through an API or purchasing in bulk.

Nope not going to happen. So you need to look at alternate ways to book tickets.

 

[Gecko001]

Perhaps learn a foreign language.

I am not joking as your competitors probably can speak the language of the suppliers. Even making the effort to speak in their language could help greatly if you have not the time to learn the language.

 

[NLondonTranslator]

It is of course entirely possible that the people you are contacting are not interested in the kind of arrangement you are proposing. I really wouldn't know. I do know about language and translation, however. And I'm sure most of us react negatively to any emails we receive where the standard of English is poor. Are you sure your translated emails are up to snuff? Have they been produced by native-level speakers of the languages in question, or merely churned through Google Translate?
Looking ahead, if you received a foreign-language reply to one of your emails, how did you plan to proceed?

 

[Chris Needham]

I wouldn't take it personally, have they opened the email. You can tell nowadays if you use tools like mailchimp. If they have opened them you can follow up with a call. If not, break the door down.

 

[EricBrokk]

If they ignore your letters, it might be worthwhile trying to write a letter differently. A lot depends on the form of writing.
But if you need a quick result, try to negotiate a personal meeting.

 

[gingerdad]

there are a number of trade shows you can visit, and plenty of attractions who are willing to work with you. i'd be hitting the phones and visiting them, finding out who is the sales manager.

making sure your e-mails, phone calls and or visits are too a named person - in most cases you can just google, sales manager/marketing manager and the attraction name to find the contact.

trade shows you should look at would include - Group Travel & Leisure Show, British Travel Trade Show, Great for Groups, World Travel Market and i'm sure there are a number of others

 

[gingerdad]

Nope not going to happen. So you need to look at alternate ways to book tickets.

But that's where you are wrong, Alton Towers/Merlin use loads of local business to sell on their tickets for a commission, as do lots of other attractions.

 

[TheConsulter]

The most important thing is that your e-mails reach the right persons. Otherwise they are most likely to get ignored. Your e-mails should go to the person who is responsible for sales. Normally, it's the sales manager. In most cases you will get that information by browsing their website. If that doesn't work you could use a search engine.

However, e-mails have a big chance of being ignored. They pile up in the inbox and nobody seems to have the time or interest to read them. So, you might have to try a different approach. You should try to get in touch with them through Social Media, if that's an option. It's more likely that you will get a response.

At last you should try to send one of your e-mails to yourself and check if they are being flagged as 'junk mail'. In that case, you will have a definite answer to why your e-mails are being ignored.

Good luck.

 

[Mike_Cartwright]

You might want to know why your emails are being ignored.

From my experience with email marketing, I always focus on three things so that my email wouldn't be marked as Spam:

1. Subject lines
2. Preview Text
3. Timing

Keep your email subject lines short, so that it's mobile-friendly. Make it personalize, add the name of the recipient, or add their company. And make it catchy. Ask a question or highlight the benefits that they can get.

The email preview text is an extension of your subject. It has limited characters but it is also important. Again, personalize and do not sell immediately.

Lastly, research about the best time to send emails to your specific target market. I usually send mine early in the morning or at night. That's the time that they open emails and reply.