You never get a second chance to make a great first impression. This saying applies to so many situations – dating, interviews, writing, reading and the list goes on.

First impressions set the tone and are often hard to reverse. This is true in almost every aspect of life, and it is especially true in B2B email nurturing.  The initial impression of your marketing campaign can make or break the future interactions and relationship with a prospect. So when attempting to connect with and nurture a prospect, how do you avoid having the door slammed in your face?  How do you drive real engagement?

Angela Hribar, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of GlobalSpec, Inc., commented in a recent post on the Chief Marketer blog on research by her company on how B2B buyers buy.  Among other findings, her company's research identified the critical importance of that 'first impression' and how it is a key element in overall engagement and in staying top-of-mind in a buyer's consideration set:

During the initial research phase, the survey showed 42% of B2B buyers evaluate four or more suppliers, but as they move closer to procurement, only 26% get quotes from four or more suppliers.  Those that drop off the list ar