All Our Tips on Email Personalization for Reaching Local Businesses

Griffin Morris·May 18, 2022

We’ve heard from tons of customers that prospects replied to their email because it “felt personal.” We love hearing these stories because it proves the data that shows personalized emails get higher response rates. Real life tenants are telling our landlords and brokers that they felt they went the extra mile by doing research on their specific business, and it wasn’t just an email blast. So with that in mind, here are all our tips on how you can personalize your email to get more replies.

Include the specific use case in the subject line

For example, "Former Coffee Shop Available.” Including the use will drastically increase your open rates and response rates because the tenant knows the space is ready for their specific use. As mentioned previously, if your vacancy is in a highly sought-after area, you could also include the shopping center name or area in your subject line - otherwise it's best to keep it as short as possible.

Include the business owner's name in your greeting

Check the email address you're sending to, if there's a name in it, use it! For example, you see the email address you're reaching out to is Bob@BobsBurgers.com - use "Hi Bob" in your greeting to make it feel more personal. On top of that, research has shown our brains release happy chemicals, serotonin and dopamine, when we hear our names. So if you’re able to find the business owner’s name, use it to build rapport with them - after all, this business is all about building relationships!

Include details about the center and neighborhood

For example, "We are the owners of the Kroger Shopping Center on Main & Main, with the beautiful cherry blossoms at the entrance." Doing this makes your emails more personal, provides more details about the location, and also helps differentiate your email templates to avoid spam detection (remember - sending the same exact email 50 times in a row may land you in the spam folder).

Add the business name

If you're already using Resquared templates, this one is easy! Just make sure to leave the [business_name] text in your email template and Resquared will automatically pull in each unique business name into your emails, saving you time and adding personalization to your emails. If you’re not currently using Resquared, just copy and paste each business name in the email, which takes a little longer but will be worth it for the added personal touch.

Mention specifics about their business

For example, "I love your mini cheesecakes, they are to die for!" or "I noticed the pesto burrata pasta on your menu, that sounds delicious!" This will definitely make them feel special that you took the extra time to research (or visit!) their business.

Include why your property or location is a perfect fit for their business

For example, include specifics on the property itself, "This space has the perfect patio for customers to enjoy their ice cream outside." Or mention complementary businesses in the area, “An ice cream shop would do really well here near the sports complex as a nice post-game treat!” Or if none of those apply, try the location itself, “This space can be seen from the highway, a perfect road trip pit stop for local ice cream!”

Mention their Yelp reviews

For example, “I was checking out Roy's Ramen and thought you’d be a great fit (kudos on the great Yelp reviews!)” This lets the business know that you’ve done your research and gives them an ego-boost at the same time.

Our data shows these tips generate higher open and response rates, so utilize as many as you can, as often as you can, and watch your open and response rates skyrocket!