Why EVERYONE should learn how to sell with eMails:
What’s the deal with emails, George?
Emails are the embodiment of “The One Arrow Mentality”:
In the world of emails, it’s often one shot, one opportunity… One chance to sell an idea… to propose something… to influence a decision.
We need to make that one shot counts!
But wait! Why Listen to Me?
So far, I’ve generated over $1 million in sales through emails and direct response messages. (If you think this is big, it’s not. So no bragging, just a compelling reason to lend an ear.)
Just Think About Emails.
People out of politeness might hear what you have to say when you share the same table…
But there is no chance they would open and read your emails, or take action out of politeness!
Be sure about it!
Emails are usually short.
Don’t underestimate their punch!
Short messages can be incredibly powerful.
The Groundwork
In marketing, we rarely work with a blank canvas.
Extensive research and data underpin every successful campaign.
The advertising man who spares the midnight oil will never get very far. […] The uninformed would be staggered to know the amount of work involved in a single ad. Weeks of work sometimes. The ad seems so simple, and it must be simple to appeal to simple people. But back of that ad may lie reams of data, volumes of information, months of research.
So this is no lazy man’s field.
— Claude C. Hopkins
So, you have to do the homework first!
(Sorry, no MadMen creativity for you — the charm part is yours for the take, though!)
An eMail’s Structure
There are as many email structures and architectures as there are businesses out there.
This one works:
Subject Line
Hook/Lead
Body/Main Copy
CTA
➤ Subject Line:
Your reason for the open. A connection, not a trick.
The attention grabber. This will make or break all you have to say.
The best message IN THE WORLD won’t have any impact if it’s hidden in an unopened email!
Something they need, a question, or a valuable tidbit.
➤ Hook/Lead:
The first sentence’s job is to keep them reading the second,
and so on.
➤ Body/Main Copy:
Think of your email as a top salesman. It should solve objections before they arise. Reverse engineer the process, think like a customer, and provide all the solutions.
Like most things, keep it as simple as possible, but no simpler.
➤ CTA:
Usually one, always crystal clear call to action.
The simpler, the better.
BONUS 1 — The BIG Idea
Keep your message tied with a powerful BIG Idea.
Every email that works, is accompanied by one.
BONUS 2 — The Escape
People don’t buy features; they buy results.
Help them escape from their current situation… to their desired one.
(credits & appreciation to Frank Kern on this one)
BONUS 3 — Formulas
Fancy For Some Formulas? Coined by Master Marketers, feel free to educate yourself more on these (not applied only in email, marketing, or sales!):
- AIDA — Attention, Interest, Desire, Action
- PAS — Problem, Agitate, Solution
- 4Cs — Clear, Concise, Compelling, Credible
- FAB — Features, Advantages, Benefits
- ACC — Awareness, Comprehension, Conversion
- SLAP — Stop, Look, Act, Purchase
That’s all!
Time to shine, friend!
Now, go out there and make that sale, even if it’s not in money…
Have some fun, and make some GOOD for our world!
George Longovitis
ADventurer & Explorer
