
Don't Send Mass E-mail Mailouts (SPAM)
You should NOT gather several e-mail addresses together and send a message to all of them at once. Importers HATE to get e-mails like this trying to sell them something. It's called SPAM and it is not an effective way of marketing your product. It called "poor man's marketing". In addition, it is illegal in the US.
Think of it this way. When is the last time you ordered a product from someone who sent you a SPAM e-mail message? Probably you never have. And importers do not order products from SPAM e-mail messages either.To find out how to use e-mail as an effective marketing tool
This is a step up from e-mailing, but is still a bad way to try to sell your products. Faxed pages are only black and white and you can send only one or two pages. Usually exporters can send a nice brochure by mail (the preferred way of marketing) for the same price as they pay for long distance telephone charges to send a fax. Avoid sending your sales letters by fax.
Don't Send Sales Letters that Have Spelling/GrammarMistakes or Use Out-of-date English
The sales letter that you send to a prospective buyer is your representative of your company. If it looks good then you look good. If it looks bad then you look bad. For a sample of a good marketing letter
Check your letter to make sure there are no spelling mistakes. Do not use abbreviations like you are using a telex. For example, using "pls" for please and "u" for you make the importer think that you are lazy.
Do not use out-of-date sentences like "Would you be so kind..." and "Under separate cover please find..." These old sentences show that you are old fashioned.
Never push the importer to do something. Sentences like, "I am looking forward to your favorable reply" are pushy and should not be used. Never use words like "prompt", "ASAP", "at your earliest convenience" etc. They are rude and pushy. US importers are professionals. They will answer you because it's the business-like thing to do. Not because you push them.
in the Opening Paragraph
Letters that start something like "We would like to introduce ourselves" are in fact screaming "I'm a boring sales letter!" Do not use the word "introduce" when trying to sell your products. It's an immediate turn off.
Here is a list of words and phrases that you should not use
because they are old-fashion or rude
(in red, like blood because if you use them your
change of success is dead).
Under it is the modern word or phrase that you should use
(in green, like US money because if you
use them you'll get orders).
Would you be so kind
Please
I would like to take this opportunity to...(thank you for)
Don't use this at all. Start with your sentence. Thank you for...
kindly
please
thank you in advance
(Don't use it. It's impossible to thank someone before they do something!)
acknowledge receipt of
Thank you for
advise
say, tell, let us know
am in receipt of
I have received
as per
as, according to
at this time
now
due to the fact that
as, because, since,
duly
(Don't use it.)
enclosed please find
enclosed, here
http://www.americanimporters.org/pages/marketing/howNOTtoselltotheUSA.html