The only thing you need to do in every email

--> everything starts with this

It’s easy to overcomplicate writing emails and newsletters I think.

It certainly seems that way if you listen to the experts with fancy products to sell you on winning with emails.

But really there are only a few things you need to do to succeed.

One is to make an offer. Because if you never actually make an offer in your emails, there’s no real reason to have an email list at all.

Well, I suppose people could buy spontaneously without an offer. They could be so impressed by the expertise you show in your emails that they reach out to you and ask if they could work with you.

It does happen. It’s happened to me.

Just not often enough to keep the lights on.

So making offers or linking to them is important. But you don’t need to do it in every email.

Because as long as people keep reading your emails, they’ll be there when you do make your offer in the next one, or the next.

The other thing it’s important to do to succeed with email is to influence. To move your readers closer to being ready to buy.

When readers first join your list they’ll be at various stages of readiness. A small number will already be on the verge of buying, but most won’t.

There’ll be a handful of things holding them back. The issue isn’t urgent enough, they don’t see the full benefit, they’re not convinced your solution will work yet, they’re unsure they’ll have the time to be able to implement it.

These are things they’ll need to be convinced of over time before they’ll be ready.

But you don’t need to convince in every email.

Because as long as people keep reading your emails, they’ll be there when you do show them how important this is, or you prove your credibility, or you show them that others just like them have been able to do this.

And often, time itself is on your side. This issue gets more urgent. They decide they need to do something about it. And they turn to whoever springs to mind that could help.

And as long as they keep reading your emails, you’ll be up there top of mind when that happens.

You’ve probably guessed already what the only thing you need to do in every email is by now.

“Because as long as people keep reading your emails” is the clue.

As long as they keep reading, they’ll see your offers. Your little drips of persuasion will take effect. You’ll be top of mind when the time is right.

As long as your emails are fun enough, interesting enough or valuable enough that people keep on reading them, you’ll win in the end.

- Ian