On this fine Monday morning, I’d like to issue you a friendly challenge:
Write an email. Send it to your list today. And get some sales.
I’ll show you how…
First, think of a close friend whom you love corresponding with.
Second, tell that friend in written words what you did this past weekend. Keep it short, but descriptive. Did you hang out with family? Did you try a new activity? Did you catch the banned documentary, “Vaxxed” at your local theater? Did something crazy/interesting/scary/fun/poignant happen?
Tell your friend about it! Use the exact language you’d use if that friend were with you person.
Third, write “It reminded me of…” and then say something about your business, your products, your quality control procedures, or your brand. [Example: “The hip hop dance class I took this weekend reminded me that it’s not about getting it perfect; it’s about getting it DONE. Just like in email marketing, the goal isn’t to write a perfect email that wins awards and appeals to critics world-wide; the point is to just DO it, send the email, put it out there, and get sales…rinse and repeat.”]
Third, end the email with your professional signature.
Fourth, put a P.S. that says “By the way, [YOUR PRODUCT HERE] is a fan favorite and for good reason. It [LIST 1 BENEFIT HERE]. Order a box/bottle/packet here: [LINK TO YOUR PRODUCT SALES PAGE HERE].
Fifth, send this email to your entire list. That includes everyone who has ever purchased anything from you, and everyone who has ever subscribed to ANY of your newsletters, opt-in pages, and freebies.
Send it to everyone.
Don’t bother segmenting lists. Don’t overthink it.
Don’t worry about unsubscribers or people who haven’t heard from you in a while who complain that you’re now emailing them. Hit delete and save space for the paying customers.
Just write the email, hit send and repeat this process every day, or at least a few times a week.
If this doesn’t get you some quick sales, then forward your email to me, and I’ll personally edit it so that it does.
Oh yeah…what to put in the subject line? ANYTHING. Put whatever you’d normally send to a friend. Put a benefit. Put a key point you learned. Or anything, really. Don’t overthink it.
You don’t need a graphic designer, a fancy newsletter layout, or a proofreader. Plain text only.
Keep it simple.
Michelle
P.S. Even if you don’t have a big list, try out this exercise anyway. Write an email and send it to your list today, using the outline above. Remember, anyone who has ever purchased anything from you counts as part of your list. I bet you’ll still get a few sales….then you can use the money you get, to pay for a lead magnet and sales funnel — which will increase your list and generate even more sales, automatically. Crazy simple, right?
Michelle Lopez Boggs is a copywriter, copywriting mentor, and author of "The Anti-Marketing Manifesto: How to Sell Without Being a Sellout." She's helped her clients sell millions of dollars' worth of products and services online by using the MEI(S) principle — motivate, educate, and inspire, and sell. 