Automation - Tech Touch Email Best Practices

Wyatt Taylor

Hi all - we're early stage CS and working on implementing automated engagement and tech touch journeys. Can anyone share any resources, best practices, tips, or examples of really effective email templates/formats for CS engagement? Even just principles or guidelines you use.

I'm obviously trying to do some research on the latest in email marketing and working with our marketing team, but our intuition tells us we want CS engagement emails to be distinct from marketing generated content as customers will be more likely to engage.

Would appreciate any advice or resource you could share. Thanks!

Jeff Breunsbach

A few things I consider when thinking about email strategy for customers:

1. Write like you talk - read the emails out loud and this will make sense to you
2. Make choppy sentences and cut up the information flow
3. Avoid multiple CTAs in one email - make it as specific as you can

Just a few thoughts @Wyatt Taylor!

Bri Adams

Hi Wyatt! I wanted to post my two favorite links on this topic in case they are helpful!

• Q&A: Why High Touch and Tech Touch Should Be Friends, Not Enemies
• Webinar: Digital Customer Success Strategies to Drive User Adoption

Brian O'Keeffe

1. Be as personable in each message as possible. Like Jeff said, write like you talk.
2. Have explicit and short subject lines that clarify who you are and what you want. Example: Do you need help training your users with [Insert Company Name]. Often that is all they will look at before they decide to open or delete it. I know I want to know what you want and who you are or I will delete it unread if I do not know who you are or, only have a slight familiarity with you.
3. Avoid internal jargon, acronymous or other language that has little or no value to the customer. I find it very irritating when I see things like "Your software license allows you to..." instead it is "Here is what you can do in [insert company name]" (an example I recently dealt with) and remember, as you write think of who the audience is. A good practice is to keep track of things you find confusing, unclear or irritating from your vendors. My cable company would send me the most annoying messages that were full of internal jargon and acronyms. It was a good lesson learned and as soon as I had the chance, I ditched them!
4. Be honest and clear. Do not offer misleading or omit unpleasant things. If you have an explicit choice to make, for example, make it clear it is their choice and whatever they choose it is fine with you. Of course you want them to attend the event, become an advocate/do the G2Crowd review. Build trust and the relationship by being respectful in how you present it and avoid the high pressure, slipper slope of omission or misleading direction.

What is the feedback option and how will they be managed? I see a lot of tech touch that assumes no ability to respond, ever, and they are written like pizza fliers slipped under the dorm room door. If you go that rout, as many do, fine. But I advise assume there will be questions, responses, or requests for help. Determine exactly how they will be handled before you roll out a campaign. You want customers to respond. It is a great way to catch minor issues and avoid the rolling snowball of dissatisfaction, and cancellation, early.

This is what comes to mind and I hope it helps!

Devon Lee

Brian's comment about how to handle feedback is just as important as the messages. Similarly, if you have links in your email track who is clicking what. Depending on whether you get a few or a flood of responses this could be managed by a 1:many CSM or further redirected to resources that will provide assistance. This will give you a view into engagement that can help shape future interactions and give you an idea of what topics are resonating most with your audience.

Erika Villarreal

@Bri Adams thanks so much for sharing these resources, that ChurnZero webinar is amazing!