Let’s Talk About Email: Anca Vasile

Our Customer Support Trainer Anca Vasile talks email: the last one she sent, the one she’d love to get, and the phrase she most uses in her messages. Plus, she reveals her biggest email pet peeve and the email she wishes she’d never sent.

Let’s talk about email with Anca Vasile!

The best email you received today: 

My mobile phone invoice. Yes, it was the best email between a lot of spam emails I get daily. What can I say? I’m someone who can’t bear the thought of my phone not being on. I always feel secure when I know it’s paid.

The last email you sent:

It was an email with a promotional link for a customer. I communicate with the ZeroBounce customers through email all the time. We’re a company that deals with email and frequently we communicate and solve problems using email.

The most intriguing subject line you’ve ever seen: 

“Flight ticket for 2 Euros from Bucharest to Milan.” I was ready to pack my bags and spend a wonderful week in Milan, but of course it was a trap!

Your biggest email pet peeve: 

When an email goes on and on. Sometimes you have a lot of information to share, but other times someone sends a long email and you realize it could have been summed up in a couple of lines. Also, when a subject line has unusual use of lower and capital letters or is written in all caps. I don’t like it when people use too many emojis.

How often do you check your email?

Shame on me, not often enough. I know for most of the ZeroBounce team, it’s all the time. Sometimes I’m reminded that I don’t check it as much as other people.

The word or phrase you most use in your emails: 

Have a nice day ahead!

The best thing about sending a newsletter:

Building a relationship with your customers. Even if it comes from a company, an email can sound personal, like it’s from a friend. It helps the people on that list and it also helps the company grow a brand.

If you would email any famous person, who would it be – and why?

Arnold Schwarzenegger, just because I would like my closing phrase to be: “I’ll be back!”

Who is the person you don’t email enough?

My mom. Maybe she’s reading this. Hi, mom.

The newsletters you look forward to the most:

Newsletters are the best way to keep informed about anything you’re interested in. I like to stay updated about the email industry, so I subscribe to a few of those. Then, of course I’m on the list of several stores. I’m interested in fashion, so I always like seeing those emails waiting for me.

An email you wish you’d never sent: 

A few years ago, I worked at a bank. I meant to press “reply” and instead hit “reply all.” My answer should have been confidential. And well… yes, I did it. I sent it to the entire bank. I was working at the headquarters.

After all these years, I still blush when I think about it.  It was embarrassing, but I think the best way to deal with that is to talk about it. It also helps me to remember so I don’t do it again!

An email you’d be happy to get: 

“You won an exotic holiday for two weeks without any COVID restrictions.” I think I need a vacation!

To inbox zero or to not inbox zero?

I would love inbox zero, but no matter how much I try, I don’t get to zero. So here’s the truth: I have thousands of unread emails…

The no. 1 reason why you unsubscribe: 

Sometimes it’s just plain spam. I never subscribed and sometimes have never heard of the company. It’s annoying! So, each time I see one like that in my inbox, I look for that magic word:  “unsubscribe.”

The biggest no-no in an email campaign: 

Don’t even think about sending your email campaign if you haven’t validated your database. That’s how you get a good reputation, not to mention superior deliverability and a good open rate. 

The best way to grow your email list:

Organically, which means not adding people without their permission like I mentioned I deal with. It’s something a lot of people overlook, but you should make sure the “Subscribe” button on the blog or website is very visible. Don’t make people hunt for it.

One thing that should change about email:

I wish all companies would stop sending newsletters and marketing emails from “no reply” addresses.  They should always allow you to hit reply. Don’t they care what we have to say? It’s kind of like inviting someone for coffee and saying “I’ll be the one doing the talking.” 

If you think about it, not having a reply button is borderline rude. 

One of the things I like about ZeroBounce is that you can reply to any of our emails, including the newsletters. Email communication is a two-way street.

A brand email you always open:

The online clothing shops I subscribe to, especially those that sell shoes. I have an obsession with shoes, don’t tell anyone, please!

What do you most love about email?

I like that it can be used either for business or personal interests. It’s really so diverse! How can companies work without using emails in today’s day and time? It’s a fast, reliable way for employees to communicate. 

When you are working on your computer all day long, using email can become your best friend. You can search through old emails when you need a piece of information. You can use copy-paste when you have to relay the same information to a number of people in separate emails. If you need to send an email to a number of people, you can use the cc function and write to them all simultaneously.

What I love the most are how email allows you to transition in and out of other apps like Google Hangouts that give you the possibility to be with your colleagues. You can click a phone number in an email and your mobile starts the call. Clicking on an address will pull up the maps app. 

I can’t wait to see what comes next in email. It’s made all of our lives so much easier.

Need help validating your list? Get in touch with Anca – and the rest of our team – via the live chat button on our website.

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