Commentary

The Email Secret You Could Learn From A Liverpudlian Butcher

It was while sharing holiday drinks with a Liverpudlian (aka "scouse") butcher not that long ago that the conversation pinpointed what is wrong with most brands' customer service and marketing. As a complete aside, for those who don't know, the nickname "scouser" actually comes from a meat stew dish from Liverpool that the very same butcher would typically provide the ingredients for on a daily basis.

His point was that any marketer could learn a lot from going to a see a scouse butcher in action, particularly if they work for a brand that features a long sales funnel, and even more particularly, a delay between ordering and fulfillment. I guess we're talking about, say, cars, events and finance rather than FMCGs and groceries.

The thing any scouse butcher knows, he went on to reveal, is they can only compete against the supermarket meat counter if they do one thing -- entertain a line. Rather than become a hindrance, the queue for a pair of pork chops actually becomes part of the experience. The crucial part is, whoever joins the back of the queue is instantly welcomed and involved with the other people in the line, usually through a joke or part of an ongoing story. It's the simplest tactic in the world, but it gets people involved in the process and in touch with the next steps.

I cannot count how many times i have passed on to brands that they should go to see a scouse butcher for this very reason, and it's why I think i have found my favourite email of all time among a list of 15 that a marketing blogger recently showcased. The water charity example has to be the best I have ever seen of an email marketer entertaining a line. The email reminds the recipient where and when they donated and then takes them through a series of steps to let them know where the donation currently is and how long it will be until it moves from feasibility to building a clean water tap. Cleverly, a "you are here" marker shows progress along the six steps between donation and clean water being delivered. It even tells the person where the donation will be used and draws a map alongside pictures of the location. 

So, I may have a favourite email of all time this time next week, who doesn't change their mind, but right now this is the best I've seen to date. Any brand that can keep a customer involved in a long fulfilment window should look at the example closely and think how extra content could be used to keep a dialogue going. If it can be presented pictorially, all the better. if you've ever ordered a car and then waited months to hear anything, you'll know exactly how much you would have preferred to have known which stage of manufacture it was at and when it became a step nearer to getting picked up a the dealer. So come on, car brands, how about it?

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