When your prospect is looking for more information about a given product or service, they may not be ready to buy, but will be open to advice and persuasion.

Take small incremental steps to nurture the relationship between you and the prospect, as the gap between the prospect and the sale will currently be too large. Outline your intentions in order to raise their levels of interest. Highlight the big benefits, then introduce a compelling offer backed up with relevant case studies.

Each email should refer to articles on your website that help to build trust and reduce anxiety. You can link the articles together by classifying them with the same theme. That way, when an article is displayed, the other articles will appear in the related links.

How to structure the follow-up emails…

Here is an example of a series of 7 emails. The sequence does not have to be in this order, and you can even have links within the messages go to the same page every time.

1. State your intentions

   Raise their expectations by describing your intentions and motives behind the product or service in detail by linking them to a 'quality issue'. Use the Gricean Maxims to decide the enphasis of your intentions:

   • Quality: Is it the precise nature of the information that is important?
   • Quantity: Is it the amount of information that is important?
   • Relevance: Is it the story behind the information that is important?
   • Clarity: Is it the order and clarity of the information that is important?

   Refer your reader to an impartial article on your website that responds to their anticipated 'Can you solve my problem?' type questions.

2. Demonstrate in a given environment

   Explain why your product or service is necessary. Include a scenario where there is a need for your product or service. Show them where it meets their needs.

   Refer your reader to a persuasive article on your website that responds to their anticipated 'What's in it for me?' or 'Will it work for me?' type questions.

3. Outline the practical aspects and benefits

   Talk about how to use your product or how your service works. Outline the big benefits compared to similar solutions. Include supporting material where appropriate.

   Refer your reader to a differrent persuasive article on your website that responds to their anticipated 'What's in it for me?' or 'Will it work for me?' type questions.

4. Why Choose you?

   Offer proof in terms of:

   • Ability: State why your business is qualified to offer this service. Do you have any accreditations?
   • Integrity: Refer to case studies or testimonials that highlight evidence that you do what you say.
   • Benevolence: Demonstrate your concern for the success of your clients by empathising with your clients and providing useful and topical information.

   Refer your reader to an persuasive article on your website that responds to their anticipated 'Why choose you?' type questions.

5. Introduce an Offer

   Thank them for showing interest in your product or service by introducing a compelling offer. Make sure you stay focused on the major benefits and add a strong call to action.

   If the auto-responder is focused on a product, consider outlining a complimentary product. If there are any shipping charges, explain how shipping works and any tracking if available.

   Refer your reader to an article on your website that outlines the product or service in question.

6. Ask for comments and feedback

   Start by asking if the prospect has any questions. Provide as many ways of getting them to contact you to make it as easy as possible for them.

   It will also be useful to provide the popular questions with your associated answers at this point.

7. List Testimonials

   This is an opportunity to gain credibility by outlining existing happy customers and their experiences.

   This is also where you provide one last reminder of the offer. This will be the final email in the auto-responder sequence. If they don’t take this up, then the auto-responder will finish.

Write your auto-responder emails in a condensed form of direct response style copy. Include a benefit headline to pull the reader in. Instead of a promise, introduce the product or service by expressing the major benefits. Provide further benefits by explaining what the product or service does for them. Close the email with a strong call to action and instruct them to make a purchase.