This 20-Email Sequence Made His Company Millions.

Discover the Proven Strategies Behind Nicolas Cole’s Million-Dollar Success

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

If you’re looking to turn your email list into a revenue stream, understanding Nicolas Cole’s strategies in his 20-email sequence can be your key to success. This sequence has driven millions in revenue for his company.

Nicolas Cole, co-founder of the renowned writing program Ship 30 for 30, has guided over 10,000 students through his program, helping them master digital writing and achieve significant online visibility. They achieved this by writing on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn and offering their readers a free email magnet: a valuable opt-in with a 5-day educational email course (EEC) that provides a smaller version of the Ship 30 for 30 curriculum.

The 5-day EEC provides free value, and on day 6, the 20-day email sequence begins.

You can also offer other valuable lead magnets such as:

1. Comprehensive Guides or Ebooks
2. Cheat Sheets or Checklists
3. Free Templates or Toolkits
4. Webinars or Live Workshops
5. Exclusive Video Tutorials
6. Quizzes or Assessments

After this opt-in, your 20-day email sequence begins.

First, understand that if you are a creator or business owner and are not converting email subscribers into paying customers after sending 1 or 2 emails, it is not due to:

1. Your product or service is too expensive
2. Or your lack of credibility

The primary reason your email subscribers don’t convert is due to an educational deficit.

Your subscribers don’t feel like they are educated well enough to know if your product or services:

1. Solve their problems
2. Answer their questions
3. Remove a roadblock for them
4. Provide the results they desire

Nicolas Cole’s 20-email sequence is meticulously divided into two crucial parts: Education and Sales. Each section addresses your audience's needs and concerns, ensuring they are fully informed and ready to purchase.

Remember to hit on the notes in each email to convert your subscribers into paying customers.

A general rule of thumb for selling digital products: The more emails you send, the more money you make. The fewer emails you send, the less money you make.

Here is the 20-email sequence strategy I learned from his recent YouTube videos about how they convert subscribers into paying customers:

Education-oriented section:

1st email (The pitch):

• Tell your reader or potential customers: Here’s what I have for sale, the problem it solves, and how you can buy (a link to the sale/checkout page).

2nd email (Who is the Audience?):

• Empower your potential customers by ensuring they can make an informed decision by thoroughly answering their questions and addressing their concerns.
• State in your email who the product or service is for.
• Speak to different types of people for whom your product or service may benefit.
• Focus on three archetypes representing different stages of the customer journey: someone who has yet to start, someone who has started but isn’t seeing results, and someone who is experienced but wants to improve.
• This email aims to make the target customer feel like the product is specifically for them.
• At the end of the email, include: “We made this product/service (e.g., Ship 30 for 30) specifically for someone like you. Here’s how we can help you. Click the link to buy.”

3rd email (10 biggest problems):

• Walk through the ten biggest problems your potential customer/reader will face.
• Problems that the person either didn’t know they had or knew they had but had yet to solve.
• Don’t talk about your product. Instead, say, “In email number two, we said we could help you. Today, in our third email, let me explain how much we know why you have these problems. We understand because we’ve been there too or know people who have.”
• Email number three focuses on educating the target customer about their problems. It explains the problems, why they occur, and past attempts at solving them. The goal is to establish a connection by showing that you understand their struggles.

4th email (Three desired outcomes):

• Write about the desired outcomes that your target reader/potential customer would attain.
• Focus on the three desired outcomes your target reader/potential customer would care about.
• Describe how their lives get better when you help them solve the problem. Emphasize how great their lives would be when the problem is solved. Focus more on solving their problems rather than on your product or services.

5th email (The story):

• Share your story by providing context in a way the reader will understand and relate to.
• For example: “Listen, I have been exactly where you are today. I know the problems you have because I used to have these problems. I know the outcomes you want because I wanted those same outcomes. Here are the things I tried that didn’t work for me. Then, here’s what changed and what I started doing differently. These are the things I show you how to do as well in our product.”
• This email builds trust and connection.

6th email (Stop-start):

• Educate the reader about all the problems they are pursuing to achieve an outcome that is not working.
• Explain why it is not working and guide them to stop and then start pursuing a different direction that will give them the desired outcome.
• Provide some education and then guide them to the full package of your product/services that covers all issues they are facing and the solution that will give them their desired outcome.

7th email (Myths, faulty beliefs):

• Identify the myths and faulty beliefs your potential customer has preventing them from taking action.
• If you can’t relate to your ideal target customer, talk to as many potential customers as possible and listen to their narratives. Bust those myths in the emails.
• For example: “Here are the faulty beliefs that most people have that keep them from [action step]. Here is faulty belief number one.”
• Take the blame for past failures off their shoulders and place it back onto the old opportunities they attempted in the past.
• Dig deep into the psychology of their beliefs and why they make the decisions they do. Please speak to your reader about their faulty beliefs and help convince them.

8th email (Quick tips):

• In this email, give quick tips and write empathetically: “I know how to help you, and I can prove it. Whether you buy from us or not, let me give you some quick tips. If you’re going to do this on your own, here’s what I would do. Let me point you in the right direction.”
• The more you give away for free, the more they will trust and want to buy from you.

9th email (Mistakes):

• Discuss all the mistakes most people make when trying to do this independently.
• Reference email eight and say: “Yesterday, I told you what to focus on if you’re doing this on your own. Here are some of the mistakes most people make when they try to do that.”
• Help them become aware of how difficult it is to do this independently.
• Once they see how challenging it is, they will naturally consider purchasing your product as a solution.

10th email (Templates):

• Provide free templates, such as a Notion page or Google Docs.
• Offer templates to help them avoid the mistakes mentioned in email nine so they can start on the right foot.
• Templates could include a cheat sheet.

Diagram by Ismael Adekunle

Sales-oriented section:

11th email (Pitching the product):

• Walk through the product or service, including what is included (e.g., modules, text, videos, templates, cheat sheets, bonuses).
• Tie these features to the problems that the customer is trying to solve.
• For example: “In modules 1–5 of your product, explain what the modules cover and the problems they help solve and the outcomes they unlock.”

12th email (Bonus):

• Identify the three biggest objections to buying your product and turn those objections into bonus ideas.
• For example, If a customer is concerned about time commitment, offer a condensed version of your product. Turn a 10-hour course into a 2-hour condensed course covering most of the material as a bonus.
• Avoid simply adding more content as a bonus.

13th email (Proof):

• Write testimonials and prove that previous customers were happy with your product or service.
• Obtain testimonials before creating this 20-email sequence. Offer the product for free to early adopters.
• Build a Version 1 of your digital product (using Google Docs and Loom videos), find 10–30 people to go through it for free, get their feedback, and make a Version 2. Collect testimonials from those who found it helpful.
• Doing this upfront work will provide testimonials for this sequence and valuable content for writing these emails.

14th email (“future pacing” technique):

Ask two questions:

1. Where will you be if you don’t take action a year from now?
2. Where will you be if you let us help you with our product or services a year from now?

• Describe the outcomes in these two scenarios.
• Generate excitement about the positive outcomes of using your product and the negative outcomes of not taking action.

15th email (Deep dive into one of the testimonials):

Take one of your successful customers who has given testimonials and enjoyed the product.

Highlight their transformation by detailing:

• Where they started
• The problems they faced
• The faulty beliefs and mistakes they had
• How they used your product
• The positive outcome they achieved

16th email (The tale of two archetypes approach):

• Present two contrasting scenarios: one where the customer doesn’t use the product and one where they do, highlighting its benefits.
• Write the email as a fable. Create fictional versions to let your potential customers see themselves in the scenarios.

17th email (Addressing potential customer objections):

• Identify why your reader is on the fence. What is their objection?
• Set up a survey or collect data to understand objections.
• Write a tailored email addressing these specific objections with a call to action to overcome them.

18th email (Another testimonial or success story):

• Share another testimonial or success story, ideally from someone initially skeptical but saw success with your product.

19th email (Disappearing bonus):

• Offer a special bonus that disappears, creating a sense of urgency. For example, a limited-time discount or exclusive content that will no longer be available after a certain date.

20th email (Disappearing discount):

• Offer a time-sensitive discount that expires. Make it clear that this is the final chance to get the product at the discounted rate.

Diagram by Ismael Adekunle

Final Thoughts:

In conclusion, mastering this 20-email sequence can drastically improve your email marketing results.

Educating your audience and addressing their concerns through a structured approach can turn hesitant subscribers into loyal customers.