By

(Author, Direct Response Copywriter, Online

Entrepreneur)
 Copyright © Bill Knight 2018

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or
electronic including photocopying and recording or by
any storage and retrieval system without the express
written permission from the author.

Legal Notice

While all attempts have been made to verify information

provided in this publication, neither the author nor the
publisher assumes responsibility for error, omissions or
contrary interpretations of the subject matter herein.

This publication is not intended for use as a source of

legal or accounting advice.

The purchaser or prospect of this publication assumes

responsibility for the use of these materials and
information.

The author and publisher assume no responsibility

whatsoever on the behalf of any publisher or prospect of
these materials.

THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL EARN ANY

MONEY USING THE TECHNIQUES AND IDEAS IN
THESE MATERIALS. EXAMPLES IN THESE MATERIALS
ARE NOT TO BE INTERPRETED AS A PROMISE OR
GUARANTEE OF EARNINGS. EARNING POTENTIAL IS
ENTIRELY DEPENDENT ON THE PERSON USING OUR
PRODUCT.

ISBN: 978-0-244-06914-8
Published in the UK 2018 by Anglox Publications

2
 Contents Page

Introduction 5

Before Electronic Mail 11

Why Email? 15

Making Email Work 18

Can-Spam, Compliance US & UK (& 27

GDPR)

List Generation 33

Autoresponders 38

Email Management Software 44

Html Email Or Plain Text? 51

Product or Service Promotion 56

Email Structure 61

Subject line 69

Body copy 77

3
 Contents

Crafting The Email 86

Emailing To A “Warm” List – Examples 120

Emailing To A “Cold” List – Examples 136

Resurrecting An Existing List 157

Follow-up Emails - Retaining 160

Subscribers

Nurturing The List 163

Up-sells And Cross-sells 167

Growing The List 171

Lifetime Value 174

Ensuring Your Emails Get Delivered 176

Further Considerations 180

4
Introduction

Who am I and why did I write this book?

I’m a freelance Direct Response Copywriter with

more than 30 years’ experience. I’ve worked with
individual entrepreneurs and multi-national
companies. I’ve written hundreds of sales letters for
both online and offline marketing, many hundreds
of articles, hundreds of advertorials, hundreds of
video scripts and press releases. I’ve written
content for over 100 websites and I’ve lost count of
how many emails I have written… So why did I
write this book?

Well, there are several reasons but without doubt

the main reason is because I have seen so many
poorly written emails, and that doesn’t even include
all the spam I see every day. With all the best
intentions, many individual online marketers and
small business marketing personnel are writing
emails every day that will never get read. That’s a
tragedy. It’s time and energy wasted and nothing to
show for all the effort. It shouldn’t be that way. So,
hopefully I can help you change your approach and
increase conversions or engagement, whichever it is
you want to achieve.

When I first began writing this guide, I came up

with the title “Email Marketing Millionaire”. Why?
Because I have worked with clients who, having
grasped the concepts in this book, went on to make
a small fortune from selling products and services
online with email marketing. Since then I have

5
created successful email campaigns for a broad
range of clients from a diverse range of industries,
using the very same email formats I explain in this
book.

Now, one thing I want to get straight, right from the

start or right off the bat, depending on which side
of the pond you reside. Successful email creation
strategies are universal. People are people wherever
they live or operate from in the world. We are all
human with feelings and emotions and to some
degree, we all respond in similar ways. There are
however, fundamental differences in the way we
might react to a personal email and to a business
communication, although there is evidence of some
cross-over in terms of emotional reasoning.

For example, if you received an email from a retail

company offering you a loyalty discount on a
product you would most likely buy, then chances
are you will go through a series of emotions before
you arrived at your decision. On a personal level,
we tend to buy what we want and not necessarily
what we need. So, if buying this product is going to
make you happy, then you will probably buy with
much less resistance, even if the purchase still has
to be justified in your mind.

If on the other hand, while you are at work you

received an email from a supplier offering to save
your company money on their next order, then
your emotions move onto a different level. If the
decision process is going beneficially affect your
position or your future, your brain will switch to

6
survival mode with emotions being rationalized and
questioned as to whether the decision you make is
really justified. That’s especially true if you have to
answer to others.

I don’t want to get too deep into the psychology

aspect of buying, but I’m sure you can see where
the difference. Human emotions are at play
whenever buying decisions have to be made and
because of this you must always be aware that
when you craft your email, this very human
element must be taken into account. After all, your
email is intended to be read by a flesh and blood
human. At least it was at the time of writing.
Let’s now move on…

Well, love it or hate it, email marketing is the

undisputable number one method for highly
effective online marketing. If you think differently
then it’s probably because you have not
experienced much in the way of success, which
could simply mean you haven’t been doing it right.
Or, you have been living in one of those social
media marketing bubbles for a while. Don’t get me
started on Facebook ads….

Now, in my capacity as a freelance direct response

copywriter I have written many hundreds or it
could even amount to thousands of emails for my
many clients over the years, (I don’t keep count).
During this time I have learned a few valuable
tricks, which have helped to overcome almost all of
the main obstacles associated with email

7
marketing, the most obvious one being, getting
your emails opened.

Every day, I see so many totally useless emails,

with most of them getting no further than the spam
filters of my 9 email accounts. However, some do
get through and some are okay but many are
poorly written with no thought or respect towards
the recipient. If there’s one thing I just cannot
abide, it is “bad” emails. By that I mean, poorly
written, poor grammar, poor layout, poor structure
and useless content. I just cannot see the point of
going through all the effort to create and then send
someone an email that is never going to get read.

With that in mind, together with so many clients

coming to me for email writing, I have finally got
around to creating this book. This is a guide based
on all that I know about successful email
marketing. It’s simply a success blueprint or as I
like to think of it, an Email Marketing
Masterclass. Simply read it, digest it and
understand it then you will discover the “secrets”.

As mentioned earlier, no matter what business

you’re in and what country you reside in, these
principles are universal. They are tried, tested and
proven. Proven to convert, proven to make sales
and proven to build valuable lists of subscribers
and buyers.

Once again, I want to state that these principles

will never change because we are all human and we
all react in similar ways when we read, or are

8
confronted by, specific words. That said, there are
several potential problems that individual
entrepreneurs and companies need to understand
and then overcome before they can begin to make
email marketing work. Hopefully, I’ve covered all of
the main issues in this book. I’ve certainly covered
every type of problem that I have encountered, and
for which I have found solutions that really do
work. I know they’ll work for you too.

I recommend you read all of this book and not just

skip to the parts you think might only apply to you.
By going directly to a particular chapter, you might
only find part of the answer to a specific problem
you are experiencing, but to find the complete
answer you will need to see the bigger picture. You
will only be able to do this by reading every page.
Later you can use the book for reference purposes.

So, who is this book for?

I work with clients from all over the UK, US and

Europe. Some are individual sole-traders and some
are SMEs (Small to Medium Enterprises). The
contents, help and advice offered within the pages
of this book, equally apply to anyone who currently
uses email marketing and all those considering
email marketing. More importantly, I should add
that it doesn’t really matter whether you are
promoting one product or multiple products, or
whether you are promoting a service or a
subscription. You WILL learn about valuable
techniques and strategies that can be successfully
applied to your business.

9
I should also point out that I have used a
combination of UK English and US English
vocabulary herein… simply because I don’t want
anyone feeling alienated.

Okay, let’s get started…

10
Before Electronic Mail

What on earth did we do before email? How did we

manage to get our sales message out to our
prospective customers and how did we keep in
touch?

Well, the answer was “snail mail”. We simply sent

letters in the post and then we waited and hoped
for some kind of positive response.

Fact is, before email, the Internet and websites, we

relied totally on printed sales letters, brochures and
printed ads in newspapers and magazines.
That’s how I started my copywriting career…
It was a very different world back then and
although it sounds like it was hundreds of years
ago, it was actually less than 40 years ago.
Although it all began back in the 1960’s, it wasn’t
until the early 1970’s that email began to very
slowly catch on.

However, at the time email was still just a means

for sending simple messages to your friends or
work colleagues. Sales emails were still years away.
Email became more and more popular as more
people began to use computers and has grown at
an astronomical rate, whilst the cost of postage has
increased just as dramatically, sealing its own
fate… I would say.

Email was quite cumbersome and unreliable back

in the 1970’s but has now, thankfully, evolved into

11
a very fast and convenient means of online
communication.

So, in less than 4 decades the majority of us

(marketers) have moved on from sending out sales
letters and waiting for a response, which could take
all of 7 days, to sending an email and getting a
virtually immediate response.

In the days of mail order and print, on which many

of us then relied, building a list of prospects was a
long and tedious affair. It would mostly involve
putting a classified ad in a newspaper or magazine
offering information about a product.
If the reader was interested they had to reply to the
ad by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope
so that the seller could send them more
information. This was known as the 2-step
approach.

Once you received their name and address, these

details would be added to your mailing list. You
would then send out offers as often as you dare.
Prospects would have to complete an order form
and enclose payment by way of a cheque (check) or
money order (Postal Order).

It makes you wonder how the heck anyone made

any money doing business this way… but actually
some did… in fact some people made a lot of
money!

Some Mail Order Gurus went on to become

millionaires and even multi-millionaires simply

12
because they managed to get the formula right.
However, their success secret was quite often down
to the direct response copywriter who wrote the
sales and marketing material.

Going back to the early 1900s, copywriters like

Robert Collier (1885-1950) made a fortune from
selling books using his unique direct mail sales
letters. Victor Schwab (1898-1980) was a
copywriter before his time, testing everything and
tweaking until he found perfection in all that he
wrote. John Caples (1900-1990) had the knack for
writing brilliant headlines like the one, “They
Laughed When I Sat Down At The Piano But When I
started To Play!” His unique style ensured he would
dominate advertising in the US for almost 50 years.

Others like Eugene Shwartz, Fairfax M Cone, Albert

Lasker, Mel Martin, Bill Jayme and the great, great
Gary Halbert, all contributed in making direct
response copywriting a combination of art and
science. David Ogilvy, Claude Hopkins and John
Powers are credited with bringing some scientific
wisdom into the world of advertising and
marketing, from which some very exceptional
copywriters still use today, in order to hone their
special craft.

In both the US and the UK, mail Order and Direct

Mail was the business to get into during the 60’s,
70’s and 80’s… so what about now… today?
Can you still make serious money from Mail Order?
Yes you can, but it costs so much more to set up
and therefore you need much more financial

13
investment now, and that’s just one reason why
email has become so popular as an alternative
means for selling products and services.

Now, although email is cheap and convenient, it’s

far from being a 100% guaranteed method worthy
of selling anything. You do have to work at it.
That’s what I’ve been doing for years now. Writing
emails, sending and testing every component.

Testing offers, A-B split testing… Test! Test! Test!

In this book you’ll discover what I’ve learned about
email marketing both good and bad. You’ll learn
about what works and what doesn’t.
My absolute intention is to turn YOU into an email
marketing guru, so let’s get started…

14
Why Email?

In January 2017, an Email Statistics Report

produced by The Radicati Group stated that 269
billion emails are sent every day. That equates to
over 11 billion emails per hour, every hour of every
day. This astronomical figure is set to rise to 319.6
billion emails by 2021. Despite other means of
communication such as social media, instant
messaging, text and video chat, the number of
emails being sent year on year is continually rising
on average 4.4%.

In the report it was also highlighted that all the

metrics used to measure open rates, click-through
rates and conversions, indicate that email
marketing is as powerful as ever. In the US, 81% of
companies polled, say email marketing drives
customer acquisition and retention.

Email has replaced the printed sales letter and

brochure, and is now the preferential means of
communicating offers to prospects. Yes! Much more
than social media marketing, including Facebook.
However, as mentioned previously, email is also
preferred to print mail simply because of cost and
convenience. Compare the cost of sending one
email to sending out one printed sales letter. Even
if you had to rent or buy the email list… it’s a no
brainer.

It doesn’t take a mathematician to instantly see the

advantage of email… but there is a little more to it

15
than that. Email certainly has advantages but also
some disadvantages over a mailshot. Let’s quickly
examine these differences…

The most obvious advantage for a printed sales

letter or any other type of printed mail-out is, you
can say more. And surprisingly, many people still
like to receive letters, as long as they are not bills.
However, this sentimental attachment to the letter
is not as strong as it used to be.

That said, there is still a place in marketing for the

sales letter. Not so the junk mail, flyers and leaflets
that are constantly fed into our letter boxes. These
are rightfully regarded by many as printed spam.
The printed sales letter has a very calming effect.
Especially if it has the recipient’s name and
address on it. And especially if the salutation
addresses the person directly by their first name.

Personalization is key!

The sales letter can make a case for the product

being offered using the A.I.D.A formula (more on
that later). It can include relevant images, and
appear to be signed off by a real person. It can also
include an order form, which can be used for
additional leverage.

You wouldn’t realistically be able to do all this with

an email. In fact you would have to do the opposite
in terms of length of communication.
Remember what I said earlier about the 2-step
approach to mailing?

16
That applies to successful email marketing more
than ever, as I’ll explain shortly.

Now, let’s take a quick look at the advantages of

email…

We have already ascertained no cost or very low

cost… convenient… fast… can reach a lot of people
instantaneously and can use images, if sending
html emails… however not always the best option
as I’ll explain later.

The main disadvantages of email are, they must be

concise and it’s difficult to sell anything directly by
email… emails could also end up in spam filters
and not get seen or read at all.

Add that together with how easy it is to

unsubscribe from an email marketing list and some
might wonder why we spend so much time
bothering to write and send emails at all. Why do
we? Because an email is the best possible vehicle to
drive highly targeted traffic to your offers.

In that case, let’s focus entirely on the advantages

of email and how to make it work to our benefit…
There’s no doubt that cost and convenience do play
a big part in the popularity of email marketing, and
despite the pitfalls it can still be a very profitable
means of communication if done the right way. You
just need to know how to make it work… so here’s
how…

17
Making Email Work

To make email work effectively, you should first

realize what will definitely NOT work, and that
includes bulk emailing to a cold list of email
addresses that have been scraped from the
Internet. Why on earth do “email marketers” waste
their time and effort gathering emails of real
PEOPLE from all walks of life and then proceed to
continuously spam them with rubbish about sex
and drug related products?

Can you imagine if you were just called up at

random on the phone and someone was trying to
sell you Viagra? How ridiculous is that? Would they
really expect you to hand over your credit card
details on the promise that they’ll send you your
order right away and that it will be 100% genuine?
What are these people on? (Viagra?)

Do they really think they can spam us all into

submission? Do they think it’s simply a numbers
game and eventually some sucker will pay up? Do
they really think anyone is in the slightest bit
interested in what they are offering to sell? They
are nothing more than a nuisance and I relish the
thought that perhaps one day they will all be
brought to book for annoying so many decent,
hardworking people.
Okay, rant over…

To make email effectively work for you, remember

first and foremost that you are communicating with

18
another human being. It’s also wise to remember
that nobody likes to be sold to, and especially by a
complete stranger.

So, lesson one is be nice, be polite and be

respectful. Lesson two is don’t try to sell. Instead,
inform your reader about a product or service or
offer. Okay, let’s look at these 2 lessons in more
detail…

Think about the demographics of who you are

writing your email to. Is it a male or female? Could
it be both? What age group are they? What are they
interested in? Consider segmentation to better
target your offers. If you‘re sending emails to a list
of existing customers then you obviously have a big
advantage because they already know you and to a
degree will trust you… but only to a degree. You
will also know something about them.

However, if you have absolutely no idea about the

person you are sending your email to then you
have to be patient and you have to be courteous at
all times. A cold prospecting email should almost
be apologetic in its design and state a good reason
for the intrusion into the prospect’s inbox.

In real life, if you wanted to get ahead of someone

in a queue, you might say something like, “Excuse
me, I wonder if you wouldn’t mind if I went in front
of you because…” Give a valid reason and the
person in front will almost certainly let you go
before them.

19
In the email then, this would translate as, “Please
forgive the intrusion. I know you are very busy but
I was just wondering whether you might be
interested in….” Then go on to explain the product
or service in a friendly and informative style, not as
a sales person.

It’s very important to understand that you are

trying to communicate with another human being
who is fed up to the back teeth with spam and
phishing emails, phone scamsters and dodgy online
and offline sellers of all descriptions.

The email recipient is constantly on their guard,

looking out for the bogus email, which more often
than not will stand out like a beacon, and which
will then be promptly deleted without a second
thought.

To get email marketing to work, whether it’s a B2B

or B2C email, the principles are the same although
the structure and tone of the email will be different.
One obvious aspect I am focusing on here is the
end game, which is making sales, regardless of the
list type.

However, there is no “one email fits all” solution to

making email work. Every email has to be
individually crafted to suit the target audience and
then the email campaign has to be designed so that
it delivers the content in a way that the recipient
might expect, and accept.

Here’s what I mean…

20
Email Recipient List – B2B

List Status – Warm. This is a list of selected

business clients, with which you have already had
some previous communication or positive
interaction. They will have already expressed an
interest in your product or service or they have
already bought a product or service from you. This
is by far the easiest B2B list to work with.

This is a list you need to nurture by keeping in

contact on a regular basis. This can be via an email
newsletter with the latest industry information,
special offer mail-outs and lucrative discounts etc.

Once you have established a contact and converted

them into a sale then you need to stay in touch
because chances are they will buy from you again
and many more times over. That is providing you
sold them a great product or service in the first
place and backed it up with a guarantee, support
or a great after sales service.

List Status – Dormant. If you don’t stay in touch

with your customers then you risk losing them to
your competitors. An email list that hasn’t been
contacted for more than 2 months can be
considered a dormant list. However, because you
have failed to stay in touch the value of the list will
have become diminished. To try and get your
customers back on board and interested in your
next product offer you will have to send them a
special email.

21
This will something like, “Come back we miss you”
or “Sorry we have been away so long”. I have even
used subject lines like, “Don’t be a stranger” and
“Been missing you madly”. You have to sometimes
work hard to get your list rejuvenated and rekindle
the initial interest in your products or services.
Believe me, it’s better to keep the emails flowing
instead of having to grovel later.

List Status – Cold. This is the big test for all email
marketers. Anyone can get a Business email list
these days for a few dollars and some of course will
do it the long and hard way by searching through
the online directories or by simply searching for
likely prospects via a search engine. However you
come by your list of “prospects”, this is a very
difficult list to convert. The recipient will not know
you or your products or services so even if they
read your email they will be thinking…

I don’t know this person or company…

Can I trust them?

Are their products any good?

Can they really deliver the service they say they

can?

Any proof?

Any testimonials?

Any guarantees etc., etc.

22
Nobody is going to make a buying decision until all
these questions and more are answered to their
satisfaction. Remember! Never imply or hint that
you want to sell anything in an email to a “cold”
list. It never works and they’ll blacklist you.

The very best response I have had from a cold B2B

list is 2% but the average is 0.5%. If you can
manage a 0.5% positive response then you are
doing well.

To make email work effectively you have to be

patient, write to inform, build trust and credibility
and the sales will follow.

Just to be clear. A conversion is getting your

email recipient to take some form of positive
action, like clicking on a link. It’s not about
making a sale because emails are not designed
to make sales, they should be designed to
generate leads.

The same applies to B2C lists…

Email Recipient List – B2C

List Status – Warm. This is a list of customers who

have bought a product or service from you in the
past. Ideally you will want to sell more to these
customers but be careful not to push your luck. If
these recipients sense they are being sold to by a
pushy salesperson rather than have products
recommended to them, they will unsubscribe from
your list.

23
Once again, you need to nurture this list by
keeping in contact on a regular basis. An email
newsletter with special offers and discounts etc,
plus useful information. Typically, customers who
have bought from you will buy from you regularly if
you offer some good deals.

List Status – Dormant. As with any list, if you

don’t stay in touch with your customers then you
risk losing them. A B2C email list that hasn’t been
contacted for more than 6 weeks can be considered
a dormant list. You will need to give them a very
good reason for buying from you again if you have
neglected them for so long, and sorry… an excuse
like, “I haven’t been very well” just won’t cut it.

Some serious grovelling will be called for but you

can make it humorous and friendly. This is one of
the rare occasions when humor just might work.

List Status – Cold. Again this is the big test for all
email marketers. In fact if you are able to get a
positive response at all from a cold B2C list then
top marks. This will usually be a list of consumers
that you have either rented or bought from a list
broker. The best approach is to offer some valuable
information and link it to some stats like, “In the
last 12 months more 300,000 people bought this
particular product. Check the website to find out
why.”

Another approach is to politely ask if they would be

interested in receiving information from you about

24
whatever they are interested in, rather than
thrusting it on them.

It is notoriously difficult to get a favourable

response from this type of list without first
befriending the recipient. Empathy and
understanding are useful starting points, so get
familiar with their interests, wants, needs and
desires.

Cold lists will always be very much harder to

convert and so you have to use every little trick at
your disposal in order to get the email opened and
read. I’ll walk you through this in a later chapter.

Also, later in this guide I cover the subject of

generating your own list. This is the only sure-fire
way to make email work and it does work BIG time.
That said you still have to work at it. You have to
consider email marketing as an ongoing process,
just the same as you might post regularly to your
Facebook page or Instagram or Twitter.

Email marketing is not a “one off” exercise. I know

many small business owners who have tried email
marketing just once and because it didn’t produce
the number of enquiries or lead to a specific
number of sales they were expecting, they
concluded it doesn’t work.

A one off email is very rarely going to work…

period!

25
There will be times when you will have to test or
split test your subject lines for the best response.
This is especially pertinent for cold email
marketing. Subject lines are so important that I
have also included a section to deal with that
fundamentally, significant and all-round key aspect
in this guide.

So to round off this section, remember that to make

email marketing work for you, takes some effort
and commitment on your part. The most success
will come from knowing your customer and
building loyalty.

26
Can-Spam Act, Compliance US & UK (&
GDPR)

Spam is unsolicited email…

Now, before we proceed further, I thought it

appropriate to include here some information about
what you can and cannot legally do when it comes
to email marketing. I’m also including some
important information regarding data protection.

First of all, and this applies to all emails whether

B2B or B2C, you must include in the email a
means to unsubscribe from a list or a means to
request no further contact from the sender. If you
are using an email sending program to send out
mail to your list then the unsubscribe option
should be provided by them as standard. It will
usually be a simple link at the bottom of the email,
which just reads “unsubscribe”.

If for any reason the unsubscribe link is not

provided or if you are sending email directly from a
private or business email account then at the
bottom of your email, include these words. “If you
do not wish to receive further emails from us then
please respond with the words REMOVE in the
subject line”. Be sure to remove the recipient’s
details if they do ask to be removed.

Now, under the Can Spam act of 2003, which

applies to all businesses in the US, you must
provide an unsubscribe link in the email and

27
ensure the request is carried out within 10
business days. Your subject line must relate to the
content of the email and you cannot send emails to
harvested email addresses. None of these
compliances are enforced however and there is no
effective policing of the act. Needless to say, spam
continues to be a major problem in the US.
However, violation of the Can Spam act carries
penalties amounting to over $40,000, so it’s best to
comply… just in case.

Many US online marketers, who use email for B2B

prospecting rightly take the precaution to advise
business recipients that the email they are reading
is a one-time B2B communication. This procedure
is highly recommended and is very simple to do.
So, just below the salutation of your email, if there
is one, write, “This is a B2B communication in
accordance with Can Spam Act 2003” By adding
this one line of text you are informing the recipient
of the nature of the email and its content, thus
complying with the act.

So, in the US, it is currently okay to send

unsolicited email as long as there is a mechanism
for recipients to opt out. In the UK and many other
countries including Canada and most of the EU
countries, consent is required before you are
permitted to send emails. In other words
subscribers or recipients must opt in. There are
other regulations that also apply to the UK, Canada
and the EU including the unsubscribe link at the
bottom of the email, plus there must be clear

28
identification of the sender and also a full postal
address must be included.

Each country has its own stipulations and the

onus is on the email sender to familiarize
themselves with the rules pertaining to the country,
in which they reside, and to the email receiving
countries. If in doubt, always check. Simply do a
Google search to ensure you know where you stand
in terms of the law.

In the UK, rules concerning the anti-spam law are

laid out in an EC directive known as the Privacy
and Electronic Communications Regulations. The
laws are enforced by the Information Commissioner
and non-compliance carries financial penalties of
up to £5,000. Remember, unsolicited email is
spam. So, if the recipient has not agreed to receive
email from you then you are sending spam.

Now this specific law does not apply to B2B emails,

which are allowed, providing the email content is
business related. For example, if you are a sending
email on behalf of a company that supplies widgets
for business use, to other businesses then
unsolicited email is fine.

However, I would recommend you use the US

approach and inform the recipient that the email is
a B2B communication, so as to avoid any
confusion and to ensure there is no doubt about
the content and your intentions.

29
I recommend you read more on the subject
concerning spam by searching for relevant
information. I’ve covered some of the basics here,
which are correct at the time of writing but I’m not
going to go into too much detail in this book
because that is not my objective. In any case, laws
concerning spam might change, rendering anything
I write here useless. So please do your own
research.

Note: With sending unsolicited emails to

individuals you are most at risk of falling foul of the
law, and individuals can bring civil action against
you, so best avoid this approach.

Instead, adopt the permission marketing strategy

whereby prospects or subscribers have to confirm
they want to receive emails from you. This a two
stage approach and is favoured by most email
sending software programs. More on this later.

Now, I just want to touch on another subject,

which concerns the UK and the EU, and will be a
game changer for some businesses who use email
marketing. It’s the General Data Protection
Regulations (GDPR) which will take effect on May
25th 2018 and will override the current Data
Protection Act. This new legislation has got many
small business owners and managers in a panic
because they simply don’t understand whether it
applies to them or what they have to do and also,
there just doesn’t seem to be enough time to
implement everything that is required by law.

30
However, the main reason why there appears to be
an air of anxiety about this regulation is because
businesses that are not fully compliant by the 25th
May 2018, and are found to be in breach of the
regulation, are liable to fines ranging from €10
million to €20 million (£8.9 million - £17.8
million) or up to 4% of turnover, whichever is the
highest. These are scary figures so all unrest within
the business community is fully justified.

Again, I’m not going to go into too much detail

about GDPR here, as that is not the intention of
this book. However, the issue needs to be
highlighted and so here are a few guidelines for
anyone who is unsure or yet to implement the
directive. Basically this is what you have to do…

1. Establish an accountability and governance

framework
2. Scope and plan your project
3. Conduct a data inventory and data flow audit
4. Conduct a detailed gap analysis
5. Develop operational policies, procedures and
processes
6. Data protection communications
7. Monitor and audit compliance

The GDPR demands much more accountability and

transparency from organizations of all sizes in the
way they collect, process and store personal
information. This does however, also have wide
implications for any business that uses email
marketing simply because of the data they hold in
their email lists.

31
The larger the organization, the more complex it
will be to implement full compliance over all
departments. Nevertheless, proof of compliance will
be required by law.

There is obviously much to do in order to avoid the

wrath of the law concerning data protection and it’s
up to the individual, business owner and
management team to learn everything they can
about this. The worst possible thing you can do is
completely ignore it.

The big question being asked is, “Does it affect

me?” The simple answer, is not that simple because
there are so many variables to consider. That said,
is your data, which includes names and emails,
safe? Could anyone hack into your computer
system and steal this data? If you hold much more
than just names and email addresses of your
customers, clients, patients, subscribers etc, then
you will certainly be affected by this new
legislation.

With Can Spam and GDPR there is much

information all over the Internet so if research is
needed, the information is readily available in the
public domain.

* I will be writing a simple guide dedicated to GDPR

in the very near future aimed at demystifying the
regulations and advising how to implement all the
key elements required for full compliance.

32
List Generation

Have you ever heard the expression, “The money is

in the list”?

Well, it’s absolutely true. A list of responsive

prospects can make you seriously rich and the
bigger the list, the richer you can become.
When I used to write for the direct mail market,
long before email became a popular means of
online marketing, we used to build our lists in a
very different way to how it is done today. However,
the principle remains exactly the same.

We would typically place a classified ad in a

newspaper or magazine announcing a product and
all its benefits. The ad would then include an
address for people to write to for more information.
I know it all sounds a bit long-winded but life
moved at a much slower pace back then. Okay
moving on…

We were still placing ads in the press up to just a

couple of years ago, only these latest ads would
state, “for more information email us at:
xxxx@xxxx.com” In the first example I mentioned,
we began to build a list of names and addresses,
which we would then use to send out sales letters,
in order to convert our interested prospects into
buying our products. (Mine were business
manuals).

33
In the second example we would gather names and
email addresses so we could email out all the
information to our new prospects. Same principle
but faster… thank goodness! And a lot cheaper I
should add.

Now by far the best method for generating a

millionaire’s marketing list is as follows. This is a
tried and tested method and will work for any type
of product or service you are offering. However,
again… patience and persistence are prerequisite.

This method involves having a website, which will

become your standard advertisement. It also acts
as a vehicle for capturing valuable names and
email addresses. It’s what we would term as being
a landing page, which resides at the head of the
sales funnel. Now most businesses will have a
website already, but if you don’t have one then you
MUST get one… simple!

The website content will obviously vary depending

on whether you are promoting a service or range of
services, or a standalone product or multiple
products. Now this is where many companies lose
out or fall flat because if they are selling multiple
products, they generally fail to focus on email
capture and follow-up. Instead they focus on
pushing as many products at you as they possibly
can.

In all cases, successful email marketing will

commence proper, with a web page that offers all
its new visitors something for free. This could be an

34
ebook with more information, it could be a discount
voucher on the prospect’s first purchase or a
product report. It can be anything of value, which
can be instantly downloaded, and either printed off
or saved on the recipient’s PC, in return for their
name and email address.

Remember to comply with all the rules as

mentioned in the previous chapter, relating to opt-
ins. This must be permission marketing.
Once you have this truly magnificent and highly
valuable snippet of information, you are on your
way to making sales and making money.

Now, the email capture form is something that you

will create from within your email management
software program. This can be any email program
such as Mailchimp, Get Response, aWeber,
Constant Contact or any one of the other myriad of
email programs out there. So, typically this is how
it works…

Prospect visits your web page. Prospect likes the

idea of getting a free ebook with information about
the subject they are interested in.

Prospect puts name and email into a 2-field form

and clicks on the “Get Free Ebook” link or button.
Prospect is directed to a “Thank You” page that
reads, “Thank you for your interest in our product
range (or whatever). Please check your email now
and confirm your request.”

35
Prospect checks their email account and finds an
email from the company or the individual
seller/trader.

In the email the prospect is asked to click on a link

to confirm that they have asked for the free ebook.
(They have to give their permission to receive your
mailings).

Prospect clicks on the link and is then sent a

further email instantly (by autoresponder)
containing a download link to the ebook.
Prospect downloads ebook… happy days!

In the meantime, your email program automatically

sent them the first thank you email. Then when
they responded and clicked the link to confirm,
your email program sent them the second email
with the download link.

Their name and email was captured and is added

to a list in your email management program or
CRM program (Customer Relationship
Management).

You can replicate this formula as many times as

you want for as many products or services you
want to offer. What you have created here is a
system, by which you have opened a line of
communication with your prospect. It’s the neck of
your sales funnel.

The best part is, your prospect has given you

permission to email them. This now becomes a

36
RED HOT list. It’s what is known as a double opt-in
list. From this type of list, serious money can be
made.

When the prospect confirmed that they wanted the

ebook, they said, “yes”, and as I’m sure every
salesperson will agree, that one word is music to
their ears.

Once you have generated a list of interested and

willing prospects, they are yours for the taking. Of
course they are not all going to buy from you right
away but the fact that they are interested in your
products means they are a hot lead.

The next point I want to focus on is autoresponder

emails. The autoresponder is one of the most time
saving, money making, and deliciously fabulous
inventions ever to be invented.

The autoresponder works for you 24/7, bringing in

new prospects and making sales for you while you
are sleeping, working on something else, while you
are away on holiday or just sitting on your patio
having a cold beer or a cup of coffee.

The autoresponder is your 24 hour salesperson, so

let’s take a closer look at it…

37
Autoresponders

If time is of the essence, if time is money and if you

just don’t have enough hours in your day, then
employing the services of an autoresponder to
handle your email communications is definitely the
answer.

For anyone who doesn’t know what an

autoresponder is, it’s the part of your email
management program that lets you send out pre-
written emails on pre-set days and times,
automatically. That means it sends out emails
without you having to do anything. Is that cool or
what?

Here’s how it works…

First you sign up with an email management

program. I’ve already mentioned some of them like
Mailchimp and GetResponse etc.

You generate the email capture form code, which

you email management software provides, and
place it on your web page. Then you write all the
emails that will populate the autoresponder,
starting with the “Thank You” email.

You will then need seven follow-up emails. Why

seven? Because it has been proven many times,
that if your prospect does not convert to a buyer
after receiving seven email communications from
you then chances are they will never buy.

38
The autoresponder is part of your email
management software program and will also allow
you to personalize your emails by providing you
with mail merge type code. Of course this can only
be effective if you have the names of your
prospects. If you do have them, then definitely use
the personalization feature, and especially in the
subject line because it almost guarantees your
email will get opened.

The autoresponder should be set to send out

emails every three days starting on a Tuesday or
Wednesday. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
are the best days to send email, and I also
recommend they go out at 3 pm. Why?
So many questions already!

Okay, the reason I am suggesting these days and

times is because my own tests have shown that
Tuesday is a good day. Wednesday is not quite as
good but Thursday is as good as Tuesday. Monday
is the worst day because everyone is back at work
and psychologically the first working day of the
week is a “down day”.

Friday is not, as you might expect, to be a good day

because it’s the end of the week and happiness has
begun to creep in. Subsequently, work is not on
people’s minds. They’re thinking about getting off
work early or meeting up with friends for a drink or
planning some weekend outing. Chances are, if
they read your email on a Friday, they might think
it can keep until Monday, by which time they will
have forgotten all about it.

39
Wednesday is the middle of the week and so is not
always a good day because there’s still half the
week to go until, Friday. Thursday however is a
good day. I hope you can see my logic. Don’t think
that this rule only applies to B2C emails either
because it applies equally to B2B emails also. After
all, we are all human regardless of the type of job
we do.

Now what about timing? Well, before 10am

everyone’s going through their emails and cleaning
out all the spam. You don’t want your email to get
lumped with that lot of junk. Between 11am and
lunchtime it’s time for phone calls, meetings and
prioritizing the day’s tasks. If lunch is between 1pm
and 2 pm then come 3pm it’s time to have a cup of
coffee or tea and check the emails again. That’s the
logic.

For all new sales campaigns, your first proper email

communication should be an introductory email,
describing your products or services and offers.
This should be a friendly email with no hard sales
pitch. You have to get to know your prospects and
they have to begin to trust you so keep it
informative and conversational.

Email #2 can include an offer. If you are selling

multiple products then just give some insight into
the product range and state the benefits… ALWAYS
STATE BENEFITS! Then include a link back to your
website where they can view the products and get
more information.

40
If you are selling a single product, for example a
course, a DVD set or even SaaS (Software as a
Service), then focus your email content on the
benefits and lead them to your website via a link in
the email. Then write email #3.

This is the one most new marketers struggle with.

DON’T SELL!

That’s right do not try to sell anything in this email.

Instead offer some free valuable advice or give them
something else for free. It’s time to cozy up to your
prospect before making the next attempt at a sale.
Email #4 is for selling. Be bold and promote the
offer with all guns blazing. Highlight the features
and remind them of the benefits. Go for it.

In the next email, DO NOT SELL! Instead use email

#5 to let your prospects know about other
customers who have benefitted from your product
or service. Use testimonials if you have any.
Mention your after sales service, your customer
service and any guarantees. The purpose of this
email is to build trust and confidence within your
prospect. Make it sound reassuring.

Email #6 is another sales email but with a sense of

urgency. Let your prospects know that prices will
be going up or the offer will be withdrawn or the
discount will expire or you only have 2 or 3
products left. Do whatever it takes to make your
prospect think they might lose out on a great deal.

41
Finally, in email #7 remind your prospect of the
product or service on offer and summarize the
features and benefits. A soft sell approach with this
one just might clinch the sale.

You can also use this last email in the series to let
your prospects know that you will be keeping them
informed about special offers, end of line offers,
clearance sales and news about new and exciting
product launches. Let them know they will have
priority on any limited discounts or other related
offers.

Of course if a prospect does make a purchase at

any time during the campaign then you should
remove them from the list of prospects and put
them into a new customer list. You will then have
created a sales funnel, where you convert and move
your prospects onto paying customers and convert
paying customers into multiple product buying
customers.

It would be very difficult to manage all this without

an autoresponder, so consider it one of the most
important weapons in your armoury. The
autoresponder can be a devastatingly effective
mechanism for generating huge profits, so write
your emails carefully.

Don’t try to rush your prospects into buying

anything. Warm them up, make them feel safe and
secure. Make them trust you. Sell them great
products and they’ll love you, which means they’ll
gladly come back for more.

42
For B2B campaigns the principles are the same but
the structure and tone of the emails will be
different. I’ll cover some of the differences in later
chapters.

Remember, it may be a business to business

communication but that doesn’t mean it will be
read by a robot or some form of artificial
intelligence. It will always be read and responded
to, or not as the case might be, by a flesh and blood
emotional human being.

Okay, so now we’ve looked at the role of the

autoresponder, let’s take a brief look at all the
email management software options, and see if we
can determine exactly what you might need from
these magnificent software programs.

43
Email Management Software

There are so many email management programs

around today and so if you’re wondering which one
is best… then you’re not alone.

Email management software has, in some cases,

also merged with Customer Relationship

Management (CRM) software. The result is an all-

singing, all-dancing, bells and whistles, do-it-all
program that virtually runs your business. That’s
fine, especially if you have a large business with
perhaps hundreds of thousands of customers, and
an endless range of products, in which case you
may find CRM absolutely essential.

Obviously the more a program like this can do, the

more it will cost to keep it running in terms of
monthly subscriptions. However, this guide is not
about CRM systems, so we’re only going to take a
brief look at those EMS programs, which I think
are more than suitable for the average SME or
individual trader. If you are looking for something a
little more powerful then you could try Sendinblue
or Front. Both programs are very multi-functional.

So, what does the average email marketer need

from an email management program? Well, first
and foremost they need a way to capture names
and emails. It needs to be able to automatically ask
the recipient to confirm their email, confirm their

44
permission, and provide an unsubscribe link so
that they can opt out of receiving your emails.
It should be able to allow you to personalize your
emails by adding code into the subject line and the
body copy. Personalization is absolutely key to
getting your emails opened, getting them read and
getting sales. Don’t ever send an email without
personalization if it is an option. A personalized
email will out-perform an email that is not
personalized… 10-fold.

Personalization of printed sales letters back in the

1980’s and 1990’s helped many mail order
companies double and even triple their profits. Now
it’s even easier to implement with email and it’s
just as powerful.

Your EMS or CRM also needs to allow the user to

filter emails, either manually or automatically, into
different folders. For example, customers that have
bought a product and those prospects who have
not. Also, a list of opt-ins and opt-outs, a list of
specific product buyers and so on.

The user will need a built-in autoresponder, to

which they can upload prewritten emails that can
be sent out automatically and sequentially. There
must be a way that each email can be sent out at a
specific time and on a specific day of the week.

It must allow the user to personalize the emails

with salutations. I know I’ve mentioned this already
but I really must stress that if your system doesn’t

45
have this basic feature then you will miss out on a
massive opportunity.

This feature will allow you to address your recipient

by name, providing you already have it. For
example, Hi Robert, or Hello Mary etc. This is done
by simply placing a small piece of code in the email.
This “mail merge” is provided by the email
management software, when setting up your email
sending campaign.

And your EMS needs to allow the user to carry out

all manner of filtering, testing and tracking. For
example being able to track open rates and click-
through rates gives the user an insight into how
well the emails are performing in terms of at least
getting opened, which is 80% of the objective. The
other 20% is down to the email copy, which has to
then do its job. And yes! The 80-20 principle does
apply to emails too.

So, you’ll need your email management software

program to do all this, more or less, so let’s look at
some programs that are up to the challenge.

At the time of writing, and for as long as I can

remember, Mailchimp, which although a bit
clunky, has come out on top because it allows you
to collect and manage as many as 2000 email
recipients or subscribers before you have to pay
anything. Free is great for anyone just starting out
or for anyone who only needs the basics. It’s ideal
for marketers who manage a relatively small list.

46
So, Mailchimp is a good starting program. You can
of course upgrade your Mailchimp account should
your list grow above the 2000 limit. Upgrading
gives you access to many other useful features.

Another program I have used is aWeber. This

program might seem a little daunting at first but it
doesn’t take very long to learn the basics and all
the other features you will need are there and
waiting. Most email management programs allow
you to have a 30 day free trial. aWeber and
GetResponse and many others will let you try
before you buy..

GetResponse is very similar to aWeber, and is one

of the first I used many years ago. It has numerous
features but became a little too pricey for my liking,
so I migrated all my contacts and subscribers over
to ConstantContact.

Like all programs, ConstantContact allows you the

option to send either text or html emails. I found
this program easier for creating html emails but
then that’s a subject I will cover a bit later in this
guide.

Other alternatives are Campaign Monitor,

iContact, and Campayn. However programs like
Infusionsoft and Vertical Response are, in my
opinion two of the best all-rounders.

I’ve just touched on a handful of email

management systems or if you prefer, “email
marketing programs”, most of which I have first-

47
hand experience with, and there are many, many
more out there. I’m not advocating or supporting
any particular one and I’m sure there are now
many, which are in some ways better or more
efficient than the ones I mentioned.

The point I’m making is, you will need to choose

one if you want to manage your email campaign
effectively.

I should mention here that most of these email

management software programs will only allow you
to manage double opt-in email subscribers. That’s
the 2 step practice where recipients have to confirm
that they do want to receive your emails. So they
are not much good for anyone who has bought or
rented a cold list or generated a list outside the
program that you want to use.

If you just want to manage single opt-in email lists

then I recommend you look at Campaign Monitor,
MailGet or Sendy.

Now, there are other email programs that you

might want to consider, especially if you want a
more of a hands-off approach. There are “Bulk
Mailers”, which I absolutely detest, and there are
fully managed programs, where someone else does
the sending work for you.

If you absolutely must send out a blast to

thousands of unsuspecting email recipients then
Sendblaster and Bulkmailer are two that spring to
mind. There are free versions available but you

48
have to link the software up to your Internet service
provider, which can get you into trouble. In my
opinion I wouldn’t risk using any of these services.
Instead, you can send out small blasts with your
standard email management program and stay
safe.

Managed email services, designed for high volume

senders, include Mailgun and EmailCenter. These
services take care of all your emailing for a fee. If
you’re happy to trust a third party with your
precious list then by all means do.

Whatever email management software you decide to

use is entirely up to you. I cannot really say for
sure that any particular one is better than any
other. The programs I’ve mentioned are some that I
have either personally used or I have setup for my
clients and with my service providers. The point
is… you will need one.

Most businesses would benefit from a cloud based

CRM system, with 24 access from any location
worldwide and access for any number of employees
or key staff. If your company already has a system
in place then all you need are some compelling
emails to set the sales charts on fire.

The focus of this guide is to explain how to make

email work effectively for you, in whatever business
you are in. If you want to find out more about the
actual software programs you need, I suggest you
do a little research.

49
Next we’ll look at the 2 options you have for
creating emails, including the advantages and
disadvantages…

50
HTML Email or Plain Text?

There was a time when the only type of email you

could send was a plain old text email. With plain
text you could write your simple message and
include live links to websites and attach
documents. What more do you need?

Well, along comes html emails, which allow you to

include images, videos, interactive forms and polls.
You can create image headers and footers and list
products with thumbnail images… great! Or is it?

* Tests have proved that open rates for HTML

emails are 25% less than for plain text. You have to
weigh up the advantages against the obvious
disadvantages… read on.

Although an html email may look dynamic and

glossy and interactive, not many email reading
programs will actually open them automatically.
Some email accounts will display a link, indicating
that if you want to see the images then you have to
click on it. Some won’t display html emails at all,
and some will show every detail in all their glory.
So what’s going on?

Basically, you have to configure your own email

account to allow images to be displayed if they are
not showing. There are several ways to do this and
each case may vary according to the email service
provider you are using. For example, with gmail
you will have to click the gear icon in the top right

51
corner of the page, select Settings, then on the
General tab, click the “Always display external
images” radio button. Then save your changes.

In most cases, with those email service providers

that do not automatically display images, you will
find the answer under Settings. One reason why
images are not displayed automatically is because
most email service providers don’t have their own
html rendering engine.

They have to be re-routed through a secure proxy

server. Trying to explain the intricacies of
POP/IMAP and mail servers is not really going to be
very useful for you in this guide, and there is plenty
of information all over the Internet, which could do
a better job than me.

However, an html email can be like a Trojan horse,

carrying web bots and other nasties. For that
reason alone, I’m against html emails. You see,
html is a code, in which other bits of code can be
added, undetected. When you open the email the
code is executed and you are infected. It’s true
many email service providers will now scan emails
for viruses and if yours does then fine but some
don’t.

So, if your email service provider blocks html, then

that’s usually the reason. Security is paramount
and who wants their PC infected at the expense of
looking at a few images? Email clients such as
Outlook or any other desktop email client, offer
little or no protection. If you do use a desktop email

52
client you must ensure you have maximum
security protection installed on your computer.
I should also mention that all email management
programs, such as those already mentioned, will
allow you to create stunning html emails. However,
not all email readers will display the html email
exactly as you intended it to be presented.

Okay, so what about the plain text email option?

Personally, I love ‘em! That said, they too can be
carriers of doom and destruction. A hyperlink in an
email could take you anywhere, so if you don’t
know who the email is from then you know what
not to do. Also, NEVER open an attachment in an
email unless you trust the sender or you have
specifically asked for documents to be attached.
Attachments are perfect vehicles for carrying
viruses.

Your email recipients will be wary of attachments

and hyperlinks too, so only include them if
absolutely necessary. A link back to a website is
fine but don’t expect your email recipient to click
on any link that does not correspond to a genuine
destination.

Okay enough scaremongering…

If you have a list of clients or customers who know

and trust you then by all means send html emails,
if you know they can open them. With some email
management systems, it is possible to send a copy
of both html and plain text or you can give your

53
recipients the option to choose by including a plain
email text link in the html email.

Otherwise, plain text is the only alternative.

Everyone with an email account can open and read
a plain text email without any worries, so for that
reason I suggest you focus on this method for all
your email marketing.

I know a picture is worth a thousand words but

when you want to get your marketing message
across quickly, do you really want the distraction of
images, taking your reader’s eye off what you have
written?

I never use html and always use plain text… if

that’s worth anything.

I mentioned also, that email attachments can be

carriers of viruses and for that reason don’t bother
attaching anything to an email that you’re sending
out unless the recipient is expecting it or has
specifically asked for it. I know it’s tempting to send
attachments but remember the recipient will know
before he or she opens the email that there is an
attachment, which will put them on their guard
right at the outset.

Okay, so now we’ve dispensed with the

preliminaries, let’s get down to where the action is.
This guide is about how to make continuous sales,
profits, hard cash… call it what you will, from email
marketing. From here on in, that is the main focus.

54
In the following sections you’ll find out what has
worked for me and many of my clients over the
years. These methods have been tried, tested,
tweaked and perfected, although I always assume
there is further room for improvement. Improving
conversions, albeit incrementally, comes with split
testing and continual tweaking until you achieve
the results you desire.

Let’s take a look now in more detail…

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Product or Service Promotion

First off, what are you selling or promoting? Is it a

product, a range of products or a service or a range
of services? Perhaps you’re promoting other
people’s products for commissions. If any of the
above applies to you or your company, then now is
the time to special attention.

Next, consider who you are marketing your

products or services to. You MUST know who your
ideal customer or client is or likely to be, if you are
ever going to stand a chance of making your email
campaign work. The more you know about your
prospect the more likely it is you will be able to
offer them exactly what they want or need. This is
email marketing by design.

In the case of B2B emails, the same applies but in

a much broader sense. For example you might have
a product that your B2B prospect doesn’t yet
realize they need. Your job is to convince them. And
remember, when it comes to promoting products or
services to business, saving time and money are
the two most important considerations. All
businesses strive to increase efficiency whilst
saving on overheads and expenses. Cash flow is
also very important, especially to the smaller
business. Can your product or service address any
of these issues?

Now, if you have generated your own list of

subscribers, that’s great because they will know

56
you and you will at least know something about
them. If you are planning to send an email out to a
“cold” list however, then you must be certain that
what you are promoting is going to be of some
interest to them.

Let’s first look at product promotion to a “warm”

list. So, you have a widget that you know your list
might be interested in. How do you present it? How
do you effectively make a case, or pitch your
product?

The answer to this question is simple… you sell

them the benefits.

Any professional salesperson will tell you that

selling benefits will ultimately sell the product.
Many people often get confused with benefits and
features, so I just want to make a point here about
what is what and define the difference.

Benefits are what someone will receive when they

use the product. It is the end result. For example, if
you were selling a software program that saved
people time and money, then saving time and
money are clearly the benefits. The program might
also have some of features that enable the user to
save time and money, such as uploading files with
one simple click, or being able to store 10GB of
data etc. If this is the case, then the features will be
mentioned in promoting the benefits.

Let’s look at another example of benefits and

features. For example, a beauty product that

57
makes you look younger. Looking younger is the
benefit. The product comes in in a handy dispenser
that you can easily carry around in your pocket.
That’s a feature.

It’s important to remember that benefits have an

emotional relevance. It’s more important to
remember that any personal buying decision is an
emotional decision. So, to make a case for a sale
based on benefits you have to tap into your
prospect’s emotions. You may remember I touched
on this subject much earlier on in the book.

With the software product I mentioned you might

say something like, “Why spend all your precious
time manually inputting data, when you can just
use XXXXXX product, which virtually does
everything for you. You’ll then have more time to
spend on doing the things you really want to do.”
Or, other more important things.

This is designed to get the reader thinking, “Yes, I

don’t want to spend all my time doing this, I want
to go play golf instead.” Or something else.
With the case of the beauty product, you might say,
“Imagine how your friends and family will react
when they see the new, younger looking you. Treat
yourself to a little self-indulgence, you really do
deserve it.”

Selling benefits really does sell products. Selling

features doesn’t cut the mustard because features
are all factual statements about what the product
is and how it is packaged or used. However, there

58
are times when you might easily turn some specific
features into benefits. This little trick works by
telling the reader about the feature and how it will
benefit them, saving time, money etc.

So, whatever the product is, even if it’s an

industrial dishwasher, the benefits will sell the
product every time. Because understanding
benefits is so important, I suggest you write down a
list of benefits and features relating to your product
before you write any email message. That way you
will be able to see instantly, exactly what to focus
your email content on.

Highlight the benefits first and then back up your

pitch with the main features. The same principle
applies to promoting a service. Benefit driven copy
will always out-perform any other copy when
promoting a service.

For example, a cleaning service that promotes itself

like this, “Why get all hot and bothered trying to get
your carpets clean, when we can do the job in a
fraction of the time allowing you to sit back, relax
and enjoy your time knowing your carpets are
completely clean and fresh.”

This type of statement is intended to get the reader

thinking, “Yes, I want to sit back and not worry
about my carpets. I’d rather read a book.” (Or
whatever). That’s the benefit of getting someone
else to do the work.

59
However, a cleaning service that promotes itself like
this, “Carpets cleaned, established 10 years, low
rates, all areas covered and free quotation.” Is only
stating the features of its service.

The customer always wants to know what’s in it for

them so you MUST tell them. It’s especially
important for a service business, to work on
highlighting the benefits of their service because
the benefits are not always immediately obvious.

If you put yourself in the position of your customer

or client and see things from their perspective,
you’ll get a better understanding of how you should
construct and word your email.

In the next section of this guide we’re going to be

looking at how to structure your email. Again this
is a tried and tested method and a proven sales
winning formula.
This is the design aspect of creating sales winning
emails…

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Email Structure

When it comes to actually writing or designing your

winning, sales generating email, whether it’s to
promote a product or service, to a cold or warm list,
B2C or B2B, there are some major points you must
remember. I call it the 7 point rule. Every email you
write should have all of these vital elements. This
structure is essential in getting your email opened,
read and acted on… so no cutting corners.

We’ll be looking at the 3 most important aspects of

this formula in more detail a little later but for now
I want to outline them here and briefly explain the
important parts each of them play.

1. The subject line

The most important aspect of any email is the

subject line. Ideally this should be limited to 45-60
characters (including spaces). Any less could
decrease the chance of it being read. Any more and
you risk the possibility of losing the last few words
as they may be cut off. However, there is a neat
little trick that can work with the latter, which I’ll
explain in the next section.

The subject line is very similar to that of a headline

in a sales letter, in that it has to attract attention.
So how do you attract the attention of a prospect
who receives hundreds of similar emails every day?
That’s a big question and deserves a thorough and
in-depth investigation. Now, because subject lines

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are so important, I have dedicated much more time
and space to the subject in the next section.

2. The salutation

The subject of a salutation is quite often up for

debate. Does an email need one or not? What if you
don’t know the recipient’s name? What if you do
know the recipient’s name? How do you address
them? For example, “Dear Jim”, Hello Jim”, “Hi
Jim” etc., etc. My feeling is, if you know the
recipient’s name then use it. “Hi Jim” is friendly
and informal so I would go with that. Emails don’t
have to be 100% “professional” in that respect,
unlike a printed letter, which might need a more
official approach.

If you don’t know the recipient’s name then what

do you do? Some people use “Dear Friend”, A little
presumptuous I think, as they don’t know you. The
salutation, “Dear Friend” has been used with print
form sales letters for as long as I can remember
and never did any harm. However, it doesn’t work
well with email for some reason. Another tried
method is simply “Hi” or “Hello”, which is okay if
you then follow with a valid reason why you are
contacting the recipient.

For example, “Hi, as you are involved with

promoting health products, I was wondering
whether you might be interested in a brand new
facial cream that does exactly the same as the more
expensive creams but for half the price.”

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If you were writing to the owner of a small business
you might think that a salutation like, “Dear
Business Owner” is okay but I have found that
doesn’t work very well. Instead I tend to use
something like, “Dear Overworked and Stressed
Business Owner.” Many small business owners will
identify with this statement and be encouraged to
read on.

There is no golden rule when it comes to

salutations but if you know the name of the
person(s) you are writing to then ALWAYS address
them by their name. The reason being, it looks like
you are writing a personal message targeted just at
them.

You can sometimes get away without any

salutation, if you lead straight onto a statement or
headline. For example, “Announcing a major
breakthrough in software development.” Then go on
to create a report type email. In fact this approach
is best for all email communications to anyone or
any company involved in technology. It can also be
used to address recipients in the Finance,
Automotive and many similar industries.

3. The body copy

Once you’ve decided on the best salutation or none

at all, it’s time to look at how the main content of
the email should be structured, and there are
many variations depending on the product, service
and demographics of the recipient. The body copy
must always be concise. I personally limit all my

63
marketing emails to 350 words. Now that’s not a lot
of verbiage so you have to make it count. An email
is no place for verbosity.

Okay, so the question is why are you sending an

email and to whom?
We’ll look at this and other aspects of body copy in
more detail shortly, but for now I want you to get a
grip on understanding the important basics of this
subject.

If you want to send an email to a list in the hope of

making sales then you need to take into account
the “warm” and “cold” list aspect and write your
emails accordingly. Remember, the “warm” list is a
list of customers, clients or subscribers with whom
you have already been in contact with and perhaps
sold to already. In other words, there has been
some previous interaction. This is by far the best
type of list and will be the most responsive and
productive in terms of response, conversions and
sales.

However, you still need to make a case for your

product, explaining what it does and how the
customer will benefit from owning it. In the case of
a “cold” list, forget about trying to sell anything,
especially with just one email.

It’s virtually impossible to convert cold prospects

into buying customers so don’t waste your time
and effort even trying. Best to give them as much
information about the product or service being
offered and focus the call to action (CTA) on visiting

64
your website to collect a freebie or find out more
information. Once you get them onto your own
email list you can change your strategy.

Now, the body copy of an email can be a short and

punchy sales letter or an information piece or even
an introductory letter. You must decide which it is
to be, and how it should be constructed in order to
get the recipient to take the action you want them
to. Can you see how confusing this can be? That’s
why I’ve written a whole section on this aspect, in
which we’ll drill right into the psychology behind
the formulas and then analyze the reasoning.

4. Sub headers

Are sub headers necessary in an email? I didn’t

used to think so but recent tests have proved that
sub headers can increase the chances of the whole
email being read by as much as 64%. Why?
Because everyone is busy and nobody wants to
read a long block of solid text.

By breaking up the text up into sections and then

inserting sub headers you actually improve the flow
of the copy overall. This makes it easier to read and
satisfies the busy human scanners amongst us.

Scanners are people who will just visually scan the

email looking for something of interest. The sub
header can stop these guys in their tracks and
persuade them to go back and read the email
properly.

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5. Call to action (CTA)

Every email must have a call to action. Otherwise

what is the point of the email? A call to action
could be something like, “Click here now for more
information”, which would be hyperlinked to a
website or a specific web page containing more
details about your offer. It could be a request for
the recipient to pick up the phone and call for more
information or to make a booking. It could be a
request to reply to this email for more information.

A call to action is whatever you want the prospect

to do after they have read your email. Quite often it
can be a link leading to a long sales letter or a video
or video sales letter (VSL), which gives more details
and works on the prospect in order to elicit a
purchase.

6. The sign off

Do you need one? Does it matter? What should it

be?

When I, and I would say 90% of other people too,

read an email, I like to know who it is from… don’t
you?

Do I hear echoes of “YES”…? I hope so, because

you should always sign off with your name rather
than something like, “Regards, The Management
Team”. It’s so impersonal to do that and the idea
behind an email is to get into someone’s email box
and make friends with them on a personal level.

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Remember, people buy from people they like and
trust, not some faceless company.
There is an exception to this rule, which only
applies to B2B promotions. But even then I think
having a person’s name as the sender of the email
can outscore an email without one. Maybe a split
test will reveal the best way for you.

I think if you are sending an email on behalf of

your company then it’s far better to sign off with
something like, “Kind regards, John Smith, Area
Marketing Manager”. Below your name, put the
name of your company and contact details. If you
don’t put your contact details… are you trying to
hide something? People are naturally suspicious so
there’s no need to make them even more so.

7. The P.S.

I would have to admit, I’m not bowled over by a PS

in an email and I don’t think the PS is entirely
necessary. However, when you consider that, when
a PS is used in a printed sales letter it has proved
to dramatically increase conversions, I think there
may well be a place for it in the email. It doesn’t
have to be anything elaborate. Just something
simple like, “Remember, this offer is only available
until midnight tonight.”

The PS acts as a reminder and therefore I

recommend it only be used when you actually need
to remind your reader of something important. It
still makes it into my 7 point rule because of its

67
proven importance in printed sales letters, of which
an email is a kind of mini e-version.
Okay, so they are the 7 rules of engagement, which
you must consider when structuring your sales
winning email. Now, let’s move onto the first of the
3 priority aspects of your email, and look at them
in much more detail starting with the subject line.

Remember, the subject line is of paramount

importance. You cannot write an effective email
without first understanding and appreciating the
extremely high level of significance applicable to
this subject alone.

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Subject lines

This is it! The make or break of your email

campaign starts here.

If you plan on sending emails to a “cold” list then

this particular aspect of your email is absolutely
crucial. Even if you are planning to send emails to
your own generated list, this is still a vitally
important consideration.

It doesn’t matter how well you have crafted your

email and how well you have structured your
message, all will be lost if the email does not get
opened and read. So, let’s first look at subject lines
concerning sending emails to a cold list or email
prospecting as I prefer to think of it.

Everyone in business needs to make sales and yet

more sales. The big problem however, is getting
complete strangers who don’t know you from Adam
to open up your email and read your offer. It’s a
mountain to climb but it’s not impossible. Now, I
want to try and differentiate here between sending
emails to a targeted cold list as opposed to sending
out bulk email to every living soul with an email
address.

If bulk mailing to a scraped list… or to use the

correct definition, “Spamming” is your thing, then
sorry I can’t help you. Spammers are nothing but a
nuisance and there is no place for them in email
marketing. However, a targeted list will consist of

69
prospects that will have been identified as having a
need for your product or service… but perhaps not
realise it yet. I cover “cold” and “warm” lists in more
detail in other sections so I won’t delve too deeply
into the subject here.

Let’s now focus on subject lines to a targeted cold

list…

I would wager that whoever you want to target, is

also being targeted by many others just like you, all
promoting similar offers. So how do you stand out
above them all? You will have to put your thinking
cap on here because you have to get noticed or
your emails will get trashed. Don’t worry, I’m going
to help you.

Okay, so imagine your prospect sat at his PC or

laptop or checking his mobile phone for emails. He
sees the name of the sender, which he doesn’t
recognize, followed by a subject line, which doesn’t
interest him. He scans all these emails in seconds
hitting the delete button at every opportunity. Then
all of a sudden something grabs his attention. It’s a
subject line that asks a question or states a
relatively unknown fact or hits an emotional
button… or mentions him by name.

He stops and wonders whether it might be worth

opening this email just in case there is some
valuable information he could benefit from. He
reads the subject line again and checks the
sender’s name and then curiosity gets the better of

70
him and click… it’s opened. The subject line did its
job.

People are naturally curious creatures so arousing

curiosity works as does intrigue and pertinent
questions.

Is there any one type of subject line that will

guarantee a “must open” reaction? No… however,
there are some types of subject lines that will, and
some types that just cannot be ignored. One of
these is definitely a question. Why?.. Exactly…
because a question demands an answer. For
example, “Is your business losing out because of
this one mistake?” Sent to a targeted list of small
business owners.

Another question example is, “Why is this one

diet 10 times more effective than others?” Sent
to a targeted list of weight-loss prospects.

And here’s another, “What is far more important

than work and even your family?” Some might
immediately think this subject line is about money.
However this is targeted at a list of prospects
interested in healthy living.

Another type of subject line could be based on, as

previously mentioned, arousing curiosity. For
example, “Confessions of a back street fashion
designer”. Targeted at clothing retailers.

Arousing curiosity can also include intrigue or

suspense like, “Why someone close could be

71
spying on you right now”. Targeted at consumers
interested in home security systems.

And who could possibly ignore a subject line like

this? “John, you’re not getting any younger but
don’t let that stop you”. This subject line is laser
targeted at John, using the recipient’s name. It’s
also just on the length limit of 65 characters. If you
can get a person’s name into the subject line, using
personalization code, you stand a great chance of
getting the email opened.

A long subject line with… (Ellipsis) can make

readers want to know what’s coming next. For
example, “7 days plus 14 breaks less 84 hours
adds up to one…”. Okay one what? This could be
targeted at the self-employed small business owner.
Oh really? Yes, I’ll explain how this works in just a
minute.

If possible, try to link the subject line to the body

copy in some way by making it relevant. Ideally,
whatever the subject line is saying, it must
continue into the first paragraph of the email copy.
So, let’s look at all those subject lines again and
see how this whole structure thing works…

Is your business losing out because of this one

mistake?

[salutation],

Many small business owners tend to make this

mistake without ever realizing it. It’s being TOO

72
competitive. There’s a limit to how much you can
afford to lose just to keep your business alive, so
why not try a different way of approaching your
market…

Written for an online marketing agency.

Why is this one diet 10 times more effective

than others?

[salutation],

The answer to the question is simple. Every

component and every ingredient of the new Meta-
Diet is based on natural, fat burning enzymes that
literally feed on body fat. These enzymes are
biological catalysts, which speed up weight loss
dramatically, due to increasing your body’s
metabolism….

Written for a company marketing their new diet

plan book.

What is far more important than work and even

your family?”

[salutation],

Well, that’s an easy question to answer. It’s your

health, obviously. Without good health how can
you work effectively and support your family?
Without good health how can you care for your
family and spend quality time with them? Your
health must come first if you want to enjoy all the

73
benefits most of us take for granted. That’s why we
at…

Written for a health supplement supplier to

individuals interested in healthy living.

Confessions of a back street fashion designer

[salutation],

Yes, it’s about time I got this off my chest. I started

the fashionable label, xxxxx xxx, back in 1988 from
a tiny room above a shop in the back street of a
London suburb. My passion to create high quality
custom children’s clothing has not faltered or
wavered one iota since those early beginnings. Now,
the company has grown steadily due to high
demand so we are delighted to offer you…

Written for a small individual designer to High

Street clothing retailers.

Why someone close could be spying on you right

now

[salutation],

Burglars are generally opportunist thieves but

some are not. Unfortunately for us, some house
burglars are very successful because they only
target properties, which are empty of occupants.
They know this because they watch the property
over a course of days and even weeks, keeping
records of comings and goings and making notes of

74
the times you leave and the times you come back. A
wide angle security camera from SecureCam can…

Written for a CC camera security company to

affluent home owners.

7 days plus 14 breaks less 84 hours adds up to

one…

Very tired small business owner

[salutation],

Too tired to keep your accounts up to date? Pushed

for time? Don’t worry, let us do the maths for you.
We’ve been looking after the books of small
business owners like you for more than 20 years so
we know what you’re up against. Because we only
work with small businesses, we are able to….

Written for a small accountancy firm to small

business owners.

John, you’re not getting any younger but don’t

let that stop you

Hi John,

Another day has gone by and as we head into a

new year, have you considered your financial
future? It’s never too late to start your own
business working from home. You can start part-
time and then go full-time when you are earning
more than you are making from your regular job…

75
Written for a business opportunity marketer

(All the above emails were written by me for

genuine clients)

There are other rules you must adhere to when

writing subject lines and that’s never to use words
that trigger spam filters.

Words like FREE, MONEY, CASH, PORN, DEBT,

SALES, INCOME, VIAGARA, SEX, SPAM, CHEAP,
PHARMACY, CONGRATULATIONS, WINNER,
DISCOUNT and there are many more. Your
autoresponder software should flag up words that
trigger spam filters and some will rate your emails
or give them a spam score. Ignore them at your
peril.

If you use certain words repetitively in the body

copy of your email then you’re email could also get
flagged up as spam. Avoid repetitive language if
possible.

Once you’ve mastered the skill of writing great

subject lines you will then have to think carefully
about the body copy of your email. We’ll look at this
aspect next…

76
Body copy

I mentioned in the last section that the subject line

should link to the body copy. This is important if
you want your email recipient to read beyond the
first line. If there is no immediate link then the
reader could think they’ve been hoodwinked into
opening the email and will most likely not read the
remainder.

Put yourself in their position… You’re checking

through your emails and there is one with a subject
line, which reads, “Your Mother Might Be
Ashamed Of You If…” You would probably be
tempted to open it, but when you do, the first line
of the email reads, “We are a health food supply
company, providing highly effective diet pills…”

This has absolutely nothing to do with the subject

line and so you can’t blame the reader for thinking
they’ve been tricked or conned into opening the
email. Next, they’ll be looking for the unsubscribe
link or your email will be hastily redirected to the
junk folder.

Now if the body copy started with the line, “She

thought you were dealing in illegal medications but
if she knew you were actually helping people deal
with their weight problems, she would probably be
very proud of you.”

You could then make a case for misconceptions, as

a way to explain and promote your product.

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Here’s another BAD example, “Are You Really Paid
What You Are Worth?” Followed by, “Manhattan
Investments is a leading Real Estate management
company that can help you plan for your
retirement…”

A GOOD example of following on from the subject

line might be, “Although many people today feel
they are paid much less than they are worth,
Manhattan Investments can help make your money
go further by…”

Hopefully, you’re getting the idea…

Okay, let’s now move on and look at how the rest of

the body copy is best written.

Remember to try and limit your email to 350 words

maximum. 300 words is probably better if you can
get your message across within that limit. If you
can, then think of the additional 50 words as
allowable excess.

So, the first sentence should follow on from the

subject line and then the next sentence should,
ideally elaborate on the first sentence. That means
you should try to add more power to it by stating
facts and figures if possible. Basically your first
paragraph, which should be no more than 3 short
sentences in length, should attract the reader’s
attention and compel him or her to want to read
the next paragraph.

78
The second paragraph should focus on creating an
interest in the product or service you are
promoting, and again be limited to around 3 short
sentences.

The third paragraph should focus on creating a

desire to want to know more about the product or
service. This paragraph will be much more effective
if you can tap into your reader’s emotions in some
way. I’ll explain more about this very important
aspect in just a minute.

The final paragraph should tell the reader what to

do next. It’s the call to action paragraph. Tell the
reader to pick up the phone and call a number,
send an email to… or visit your website for more
information. Don’t ever assume the reader will do
any of these things without being prompted.
Now, the formula I have just described is known
amongst seasoned Direct Response copywriters as
the AIDA formula.

It needs some explanation, which I will now provide

but take it from me and many other successful
Direct Response copywriters, this formula really
does work. It has been tried, tested and proven to
work over many decades and was instrumental in
creating many millionaires in the Direct Mail
industry some years ago. It has endured over the
years because there is simply no better formula.

At least that’s what I believed until I incorporated

two other well-known principles.

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One is known by the acronym KISS, which stands
for Keep It Simple, Stupid. This just means don’t
get too carried away with too much information or
too much technical stuff. Keeping it simple is a
formula that resonates with many people. Everyone
likes simple, nobody likes complicated.

The other principle I have successfully incorporated

into marketing emails is the Problem / Solution
angle. This is simply highlighting a problem early
on in the email and then offering your product or
service as the solution.

This works because people want to eliminate

problems by looking for solutions. It’s a simple
concept and works more effectively where a real
problem has been identified. Even if there is no
immediate or obvious problem, you can still use
this principle.

Where no actual problem appears to exist you can

point out a potential one. It can be something the
reader didn’t realise was or could be a problem
until you do actually point it out. For example,
“Don’t you just hate it when your bathroom steams
up when you take a bath or shower? And so you
should. This condensation is responsible for black
mould on your tiling, around your window frames
and on your ceiling.” Now with the xxxxxx product
you can eliminate condensation instantly and say
goodbye to black mould forever.

In this case, although black mould is a problem,

condensation has been identified as the cause and

80
so condensation now becomes the problem, which
when cured will eliminate the black mould. You
can make this work for countless products and
even some services like electrical services. Here’s
an example, “Have your interior lights failed yet? If
your wiring is more than 10 years old, chances are
your lighting could fail at any time. It’s a real
inconvenience having to be without your lighting
for a few days while your electrician tries to fit you
in…”

Old wiring itself is not an immediate problem but

when it fails, it causes an immediate problem that
needs an immediate remedy or solution. Replacing
old wiring with new will resolve a potential problem
by providing a solution to something that hasn’t yet
happened. That’s one example of highlighting a
problem the home owner may not have realised
they had or could have.

Okay, let’s get back to the AIDA formula. Using this

formula by itself is sufficient but if it can be easily
combined with the KISS and Problem/Solution
principles, then you will have the advantage of
creating a devastatingly effective marketing email.

I should mention here that the AIDA formula can

be used for all types of emails, even those sent to a
cold list. Just don’t ask for the sale. Instead, send
them to a website for a free trial, ebook, more
information or whatever.

The AIDA principle explained in detail…

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A is for attracting Attention. Actually, it can be
Attract or Attention. They mean virtually the
same thing. So attracting attention is the job of the
first paragraph. The best way to attract attention is
to put the main benefit of your product or service
right up there. You don’t have much time to engage
your email recipient, a few seconds in fact, so get
right to the point and tell them what’s in it for
them.

Here’s an example, “This tried and tested product

has been proven to make you look at least 10 years
younger in less than 24 hours.” The benefit is
looking younger fast.

However, don’t make a claim like that unless it is

actually true. Here’s another example, “You can
now learn to speak Spanish in just 24 hours with
our exclusive accelerated language program.” The
benefit is obvious. Here’s one more, “The xxxx
software program is guaranteed to save you time
and is exceptionally cost effective.” Saving time and
money is the benefit.

Attracting attention can also apply to highlighting a

problem. For example, “Is your computer running
slow? Many older PCs and laptops will experience
this problem…” Another variation you can use to
attract attention is by announcing something new.
For example, “Still using the XXXX model
smartphone? The next generation XXXX
smartphone is twice as fast and has 10 times more
features…”

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So, try to mention the main benefit in the first
sentence if possible and definitely no later than the
second sentence. Other benefits and features can
be mentioned throughout but only if they are likely
to stir an interest in the product or service, which
takes us to the second part of the AIDA formula.

I is for Interest. In the second paragraph focus on

keeping the attention of the reader by creating
interest in your offer. Yes, features and benefits will
do this but always keep in the back of your mind
that the reader is looking to find out what’s in it for
them. For example, “You can download the
software instantly and begin using it right away. It
takes just 3 simple steps and less than 60 seconds
to get up and running.”

Don’t mention cost at this stage. Products and

services that are sold solely on price very rarely
keep the attention of the reader. You might be
surprised to know that price is not always a main
feature or the best selling point. What comes before
price is reliability, followed by backup, support and
after sales service. In fact I recommend you do not
mention price at all especially in a “cold” email.

Creating interest is done effectively by providing

features and benefits driven copy. It might take a
bit of practice to get this right but it is worth the
time and effort.

D is for Desire. If you are crafting your email

correctly then by the time you get to the third
paragraph your readers should be feeling like they

83
really want or need this product or service. So, in
this paragraph MAKE them want it. You do this by
telling them how they will benefit and what it feels
like to benefit from the product. For example, “With
so much extra time on your hands, you’ll wonder
why you didn’t use this software program years
ago. Now you can concentrate on the things you
want to do most.”

Creating desire is about using words that makes

the reader visualize himself or herself using the
product. It’s about creating a feel good factor.
Feeling good, looking good, feeling confident and
saving time and money are all feel good factors. In
the case of a service make the reader see
themselves relaxing in the knowledge that the job is
being done professionally by someone else and to
an exceptionally high standard.

Desire is the emotion that sells. You can create

desire by making the reader imagine themselves
using the product and experiencing the benefits.
For example, “Imagine driving the latest BMW 7
series down your street.” “See it parked on your
driveway.” “Smell the new leather upholstery” etc.
Use sentences that will make the reader visualize
and imagine… tantalize the emotions.

A is for Action. Every email must have a call to

action. It’s what you want the reader to do next. Do
you want them to call you? Do you want them to
email you? Do you want them to visit your website?
Whatever you want them to do… TELL them! For
example, “To learn more about the highly effective

84
DS500 software program and all its benefits and
features please visit our website at
www.xxxxxxxx.com.” Or, “Please call Freephone
0800 xxxx xxxx now and ask to speak with one of
our friendly customer service advisors, who will
answer any questions you might have.”

If you craft each email based on the AIDA formula

you will dramatically increase your chances of the
email recipient taking some kind of positive action.
If you can also incorporate the KISS principle and
weave in the Problem/Solution aspect, then you
will have a winning email.

With B2B emails you might not want to focus too

much on the desire aspect so instead, work in the
scarcity principle. For example, “With only 200
widgets left at this very low introductory price, this
exceptional offer has to be based on first come first
served.” In the case of software products, offering a
free 30 trial is the way to go. However, ensure you
use words like “no-cost trial” instead of “free”.

In the next section we’ll look at crafting your email.

Basically, this is how all the elements come
together to create a powerful message that just
cannot be ignored.

85
Crafting The Email

A summary

In this section, you’ll hopefully find all the answers

to your questions about creating a sales winning or
high converting email. However, if you skip the
other chapters leading up to this then you will not
fully understand the process, and it is the process
that is so important. Once you get this process
hard-wired into your brain, you will be able to
create sales winning emails at will, for any product
or service imaginable.

Let’s start with the subject line and remind you

that this is about 80% of the task. If it is 80% then
that means you need to spend 4 times longer on
creating killer subject lines than you do creating
high converting body copy. This applies to both
B2B and B2C emails.

In fact, there is little difference between crafting a

B2B and B2C email. If you adhere to the principles,
as outlined in this guide and then apply to both
types of email, you won’t go far wrong. One very
important aspect that apples to both is putting the
recipient’s name in the subject line. This can
increase the open rate by as much as 70%.

All email management programs will allow you to

mail merge the first name into the subject line and
into the body copy, so take advantage of it if you
can.

86
For formal business emails however, don’t go
overboard with personalization. Perhaps stick to
putting a name in the subject line only.

Also, if possible, try to incorporate a benefit into

the subject line if you can and if not, then ask a
question or make a bold statement. The subject
line must be compelling or intriguing or even
sensational as long as it relates to the subject
matter of the email. Remember to limit your subject
line to around 50-65 characters and that includes
spaces.

Next, do you need a salutation? Yes, if you know

the recipient’s name and no if you don’t. There are
no hard and fast rules but as mentioned
previously, I have found using a salutation like
“Dear Friend”, when addressing someone you don’t
know and they don’t know you, as a little
patronizing and presumptuous.

I must admit I have used “Dear Friend” many times

when writing sales letters to Business Opportunity
Seekers but in hindsight I think it might have put
some people off right from the start. That’s not
what you want to do with your emails, so my advice
is not use this type of address.

So, reminding you once again, if you don’t know

the recipient’s name then don’t have any
salutation, and I mean NONE. You won’t get any
special dispensation for addressing a small
business owners as, “Dear Small Business Owner”
or a “Dear Health & Fitness Enthusiast” for

87
someone interested in losing weight. I’m not saying
it won’t work. What I am saying is it’s not for
everyone so best omit the salutation in these cases.

Next, the first paragraph. Remember, ideally the

first sentence should relate to the subject line and
include a main benefit, if possible. In the second
sentence you can highlight a problem and then
expand on the problem in the third sentence. Try to
limit your paragraphs to 3 sentences. If each of the
first 3 paragraphs is limited to around 80 words
and the last paragraph is about 60 words you will
be somewhere on the right track.

Now, something I haven’t mentioned in any detail

yet is sub-headings. Does your email need them?
Absolutely!

I mentioned earlier, the reason why sub-headers

work so well is because most people are scanners.
Everyone is busy and they need to ensure they
don’t waste valuable time reading an email that has
nothing to offer or nothing of interest to them. So
sub-headers help people who quickly scan emails
to determine whether the email is worth reading.
Remember I said, this is your opportunity to stop
them in their tracks and draw them in. It’s true…
Think of a sub-header as being like a mini subject
line.

Ideally each sub-header needs to contain a snippet

of information, which might help to do, whatever
the paragraph is designed to do. For example, a
sub-header for the first paragraph can contain a

88
main benefit in order to attract attention. The sub-
header leading the second paragraph can contain a
benefit or a feature that is likely to interest the
reader. And yes you’ve got it… the third
paragraph’s sub-header contains a salivating
benefit or feature that creates a sincere desire. The
AIDA principle works in mysterious ways.

I always tend to use the same or similar words for

the call to action sub-header like, “Here’s what to
do now”. Or, “Here’s what you should do next.” It’s
important to guide your reader through the process
and then tell them what to do next. This Call To
Action (CTA) is what your email is all about. It’s the
end game.

Sub-headers then, are an essential part of crafting

your email. I also always prefer to end each sub-
header with an ellipsis (…), unless it ends in a
question mark. An ellipsis suggests there is more to
the sub-header than I have just written. You’ll see
what I mean in more detail, with examples in the
next section.

Now, in case you don’t know already some email

programs will cut off parts of a sentence and put
them on the next line. This can also happen
depending on the type of device, on which the email
is being read. For example, if reading an email on
an old Smartphone then the line limit might be as
short as 27 characters. On an email account reader
like Yahoo Mail it would be 46 characters and on
Gmail it is more likely to be 70 characters.

89
This can make your work of art look shabby and
difficult to read. For that reason I suggest you
format your emails by limiting each line to a
specific number of characters relating to the device
your readers are most likely to use. I know that’s a
big ask and how the heck would you know, which
device your recipient is likely to use?

Well, I limit all mine to 60 characters, which seems

to suit most readers. I’ve also found that because
newer Smartphones will now automatically fit the
text into the screen size, whether that’s portrait or
landscape orientation, there’s no problem with 60
characters.

If you are designing or writing your email in a MS

Word document then simply set the right-hand
stop at 11.5 cm as displayed on the top ruler of
your page, and you should be fine.

Another tip, and this one is quite important.

Always use a font type such as the Arial font.

Why? Because an Arial typeface is known as a

Sans Serif type font, which means the letters don’t
have any extensions or small lines added to them.
Those that do are called Serif fonts.

A a (Sans Serif)
A a (Serif)
90
Why is this so important? Well, it has been proven,
through testing, that a Sans Serif type font is much
easier to read on a screen or monitor. A Serif type
font, such as Times New Roman or Garamond is
much easier to read in print form. When I’m writing
anything on a word processor I always use the Arial
font. If the piece is to be used in print then I
change all the fonts to a Serif type before printing.
Just as I have done with this book.

Another consideration is font size. What is the best

size? Most email editors will have point 10 set as a
default size and this is okay. However, what about
those recipients whose eyesight might not be as
good as it used to be? I’m not going to get into an
ageism debate here but there is no doubt that
eyesight can and does deteriorate with age. With
that fact in mind wouldn’t a larger font be best? I
think so and so always prefer a point size 12.

A large majority of people can read this size without

having to search around for their glasses, even if
they happen to need them. Your email needs to
appeal to as many people as possible. I find that
Arial point size 12 is about as reader friendly as
you can get.

Okay, enough summary talk about crafting the

email, let’s now take a look at some actual
examples…

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91
[Typical introductory B2B email]

Subject line: Shocking News About Food Safety

Training

[Body copy]

Important issues relating to food…

Compromising on safety can be a risky business,

especially when it comes to the subject of food and
food handling. With all manner of technology at
your finger-tips, there’s really no acceptable reason
for being unaware of best practices within the food
industry, and that applies especially to company
employees.

Are your employees aware of food safety

regulations?

We offer short, quality online training courses in

Food Safety, Food Allergens and Health & Safety, to
ensure all your staff are familiar with the principles
of food handling procedures, and much more.

Heavily discounted courses…

You might also be interested to know we are

currently offering substantial discounts on selected
courses to all new clients. Enrol your employees
now and save a massive 33% on the usual cost of
Food Safety, Food Allergens and Health & Safety
courses. If you decide to partner with us we can
also offer you further valuable incentives.

92
Courses available in 10 languages…

All courses are Level 2 CPD accredited and are

conveniently available in 10 different languages
including English, Spanish, Polish, French,
Portuguese, Chinese, Greek, Russian, Italian
and German.

What to do next…

Simply visit our website at: www.xxxxxxxxxxx.com

and enrol your employees on any of our selected
short e-learning courses. Just enter the word
“TRAIN” to receive an immediate discount. You’ll
also be very surprised at our low prices.

Please reply to this email and one of our

Partnership Managers will get right back to you.
Should you need further information, please don’t
hesitate to contact us during office hours on
0XXXX XXX XXX – We’ll be more than happy to
help and offer professional advice.

Kind regards,

The Food Safety Training Team

www.xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.com
Tel: 0XXXX XXX XXX

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93
The above email was sent out to fast food chains
and small businesses that deal with food handling.
Many of these businesses also employ foreign
workers and so it’s important that all their staff are
properly trained and qualified in handling food.

The company obviously offers training courses at

discounted prices and the email puts this benefit
across quite boldly. Now let’s look at the structure.

The headline: “Shocking News About Food Safety

Training”

Use of the word ”shocking” gives the subject line

more impact and is just about acceptable because
it could be shocking to learn that some food
handlers were neither trained nor qualified. If the
subject line read, “News About Food Safety
Training”, it would not have the same effect.

The first line of the body copy, “Important issues

relating to food…” tones down the message but
doesn’t detract from the importance of the news.

In the first paragraph we identify a possible

problem by saying, “Compromising on safety can be
a risky business”. Anyone involved in food handling
would or certainly should know that there are
consequences for not taking food safety seriously.

In the next paragraph we are offering a solution.

“Are your employees aware of food safety

regulations?

94
We offer short, quality online training courses in
Food Safety, Food Allergens and Health & Safety, to
ensure all your staff are familiar with the principles
of food handling procedures…”

Then we highlight the features and benefits such as

discounts, further discounts, courses in 10
languages etc. Discounts might be important to
these companies who might have many employees
who require food safety training.

The call to action is to visit the company website,

reply to the email or call the number.

So this email has been structured to tailor the offer

for a specific type of business customer. Let’s look
at another B2B example…

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---------------------------------------------------------------

Subject line: How Secure Is Your Personal &

Company Data?

[Body copy]

Let’s all take security seriously…

In today’s fast paced digital world it’s easy to forget

about your company’s security vulnerabilities or
become complacent to the risks. Industrial
espionage is not something that’s been

95
banished to the archives of the sixties and
seventies, it’s very much a problem of the 21st
century. In fact the digital age has made it even
easier to spy on competitors or for your competitors
to spy on you.

How safe is your data?

If you are responsible for the security of your

company’s data then how certain are you that
someone is not hacking into your files right now at
this very moment? Would you know for sure? And
even if you do consider your computer systems to
be hacker proof, how safe are your mobile devices?

All devices can be hacked…

Mobile phones and laptops are an easy target for

cyber criminals of all persuasions because quite
often they are not as protected as your company’s
main computer network system. These devices
could pose a risk to the security of your company
because they represent an unsuspected “backdoor”
access, which can often go undetected.

If there is a way in, we’ll find it… and close it…

We are an independent, highly specialized IT and

Communications Security Company with expertise
in providing corporate strength security for
companies of all sizes. We can also ensure CEOs’
and directors’ mobile devices are not inadvertently
allowing access to secure data or personal
information. We can carry out a thorough

96
examination of all your systems and close all
possible access points eliminating every type of
threat or breach.

Comprehensive tailored security packages…

We can offer our clients a fully bespoke security

package including disc encryption, privacy filters,
VPN, secure USB, email encryption, anti-malware,
software firewall, secure file backup, software
patching and laptop tracking. Investigation and
forensics together with email and password
protection are high priority services in the vast
range of specialist security facilities we provide.

What to do now…

To find out more simply visit our website today at:

www.xxxxxxxxxx.com

Kind regards,

xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx
www.xxxxxxxxxx.com

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

This email was sent out to thousands of medium to

large companies and was targeted at those
responsible for IT security. Online security is
obviously an important aspect of the day to day

97
running of every type of business, so this is a
subject that should be taken seriously.

The subject line is a simple question designed to

make the recipient think. “How Secure Is Your
Personal & Company Data?” Well, how secure is it?
Hmm… this email might have some easy or cost
effective way to ensure I am doing my job properly.
Best check it out…

The first sub-header reinforces the serious nature

of the email. “Let’s all take security seriously…”

The first paragraph states the obvious but again it’s

designed to get the recipient thinking. The next two
paragraphs highlight the problem and then comes
the possible solution in the third paragraph backed
up in the fourth paragraph.

Call to action is simply to visit the company’s

website for more information.

This is a lead generating email and not an out and

out sales email.

B2B emails work best on the problem / solution

structure because all businesses face some kind of
problem that they need to overcome. Even if they
don’t realise they have a problem you can find one
or invent one and play on it with words so that it
sounds like their business will suffer in some way
or lose out big time unless they use your solution.

98
Many B2B products and services being offered
today are just improved or upgraded versions of
existing products and services. So you have to find
every reason why the company should upgrade to
the latest version.

Let’s take a look at another B2B email example

before moving onto B2C emails.

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---------------------------------------------------------------

Subject line: Legal Translation Risk Assessment

Alt. Subject line: Why Your Legal Reputation

Could Be At Risk

[Body copy]

Legal translation risks…

Accurate translations of your legal documents are

absolutely vital to the credibility of your company
and to the satisfaction of your fee paying clients.
It’s hard to believe then that some legal firms will
actually seek out the cheapest translation services
available.

What about your reputation?

Your clients have most likely chosen you to act on

their behalf because you have gained a good
reputation based on trust and reliability. It makes

99
good business sense then, for you to only use the
most trusted and reliable translation services. It’s
nothing less than your clients would expect.

Assurance and peace of mind…

What price peace of mind? Knowing that important

documentation has been accurately translated and
passed on to your clients, means you can rest
assured you will not have to face any embarrassing
questions or queries. The added advantage is, they
will only need translating once.

Who we are and what we do…

XXXXX Translation are trusted legal translation

specialists. During our 13 year successful track
record we have translated almost 12,000
documents in over 30 major world languages.
Documents translated include, contracts and wills,
criminal, civil and commercial case documents,
patents and trademarks, intellectual property and
birth, death, marriage and divorce documentation.

Why choose us?

Why not? We’re the best in the business and our

reputation proves it. All our translators are highly
experienced and specialize in their own native
language. All our work is 100% accurate,
guaranteed and delivered on time, every time. We
don’t take risks because our success depends on
your success.

100
What to do now…

Visit our website today for a no obligation quotation

and get a 10% discount on your first order:

www.xxxxxtranslation.com/ or call us now on xxxx

xxxx xxxx to speak to one of our friendly advisors.

Kind regards

Xxxxx xxxxxxxxxx
www.xxxxxtranslation.com

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

This email was sent to a list of legal firms that

handle important documents for overseas clients.
Accurate translation of these important documents
is vital to all concerned.

Two subject lines were created for this email so

that it could be split tested. Both subject lines
make it clear what the email is about with “risk”
being the operative word.

The first sub-header leads with the same subject,

confirming the relationship between the subject
line and the forthcoming body copy. Then the first
paragraph explains what it is that could be at risk.
It’s the loss of “credibility” and the client’s trust.

101
The possible problem, which is being highlighted, is
by using cheap translation services, documents
may not be translated properly and therefore cause
confusion, embarrassment, loss of credibility, loss
of time and possibly some monetary loss.

The solution is to use the xxxx translation

company because they have been involved in doing
this kind of work for many years and guarantee
success, accuracy and satisfaction and all at very
reasonable rates.

The call to action is to visit the translation

company’s website and get a free quote.

It’s a similar format and structure to the other B2B

emails simply because I have found over the years
that this formula works best for business.

Now, what I haven’t shown in the above examples

is how to personalize the emails, so let’s take a
quick look at this…

With the first email, you could write the subject

line this way:

{!firstname}, Shocking News About Food Safety

Training

The example mail merge code is {!firstname} but

there are many variations of this depending on
your particular email management, CRM or
autoresponder program.

102
So, if the first name of the recipient is John, the
subject line will become:

John, Shocking News About Food Safety Training

Then also use the code in the salutation so that it

becomes, “Hi John,”

I cannot stress strongly enough just how much of a

BIG advantage personalization can be for both B2B
and B2C emails.

Okay, let’s now look at a typical B2C email…

I always think that B2C emails as a little easier to

craft because you are almost always dealing with
an individual on a 1-2-1 level. It can be written on
a more personal basis but must still adhere to
some of the rules already covered.

Unlike a B2B email, in which you could be

addressing the CEO or a HR executive or some
other company representative, a B2C email can be
more “relaxed”.

What do I mean? Well, let’s take a look…

First off, it doesn’t matter how you came by your

list of B2C prospects, just remember they are
individuals, like you. They will react to spammy
emails the same way you do, so be courteous,
friendly and don’t be too pushy.

Here is an example of a typical B2C email…

103
Subject line: How Hot Do You Want To Be This
Summer?

[Body copy]

Hi [[firstname]],

Feeling the urge?

Now that the weather is gradually getting warmer

are you tempted to expose a little more of your
skin? It’s a fact that when we wear less clothing we
attract more attention to ourselves. However, as the
layers come off you could be getting noticed for
more reasons than you think.

Body hair a problem?

Shameless flaunting of unsightly facial or body hair

is probably not how you’ll want to portray yourself
to your growing number of admirers this summer.
What you might think is an appreciative glance
could actually turn out to be a look of total
disbelief.

Razor rash and stubble trouble…

Of course you could decide to go for a quick fix and

give the razor a whirl but is it really worth the
possibility of getting a painful and itchy rash,
quickly followed by unsightly stubble? Waxing is
another option but it’s not for everyone especially
those with very sensitive skin.

104
Have you considered IPL laser treatment?

The most effective way to remove unwanted facial

and body hair is simply IPL laser treatment. For
more than twenty years both women and men have
experienced the pleasure of soft, smooth and
hairless skin with this safe, quick and highly
effective hair removal remedy.

Facts about IPL…

● IPL laser treatment is tried, tested and perfectly

safe
● Individual IPL laser treatments can be carried out
quickly
● IPL is very effective on the face and just about
any other part of the body
● The result is smoother hair free skin for longer
● In-growing hairs are also removed in the process

Probably the best reason to choose a course of IPL

laser treatment with xxxxxxx Spa right now is you
can get six treatments for half price. Want to look
really hot this summer?

What to do now…

Call xxx xxxx xxxx now to book your no cost patch

test and take full advantage of our half price offer
when you book six treatments. Find out more
about IPL laser treatment here:
Facts about IPL laser treatment

105
Call in to see us again soon.

Kind regards,

Sue & The Team

www.xxxxxxx.co.uk

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A straight-forward email message to existing

customers of a beauty salon. It’s not pushy, it’s
informative and there’s a special offer in there too.
Having a list of existing customers who know you
and trust you is your ticket to a stream of
continual wealth.

I’ve often thought small local service companies

would do well to build a list of local subscribers to
a newsletter. For example, a ladies’ hairdressers
could ask customers for their names and emails in
return for a discount on their next visit.

They could then send out monthly newsletters

offering further discounts on a certain day of the
week, or notify customers about some special offers
such as manicures, highlights or tanning sessions
etc. This would be a relatively hot list.

It’s all very well if you have a warm list or a hot list
of email subscribers or newsletter subscribers but
what if you have just rented a cold list of
prospects? How do you convert them to customers?

106
The first and main problem with mailing to a cold
B2C list is they don’t know you. They have never
heard of you and will instantly not trust you. They
will be rightly suspicious of your message. They will
suspect some kind of scam right away. Well,
wouldn’t you?

Put yourself in the position of your cold prospect

and try to think how they might think and then
address these fears in the first sentence or at least
in the first paragraph.

And what about that all important subject line?

How do you even get your emails opened? It’s not
easy but it’s not impossible either. Let’s take a
closer look at this…

Here is an email sent out to a cold list of prospects

from an investment company offering opportunities
in the Forex market. These prospects are on a list
of people interested in FX trading.

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

Subject line: Need a Superfast Return On Your

Investment?

[Body copy]

It will only take one minute to read this…

Hi {name},

107
We know you’re busy but we thought you might be
interested in this breaking news…

Newly launched Forex signal service

Our existing clients asked for it… now we’re

making it available to you too.

● Set and Forget style trades

● Up to 14 markets available on a daily basis
● Average win rate since inception has been an
incredible 87%
● An average risk of only 70 pips
● An impressive 1677 pips in just 13 weeks

Some more great news…

Forex strategies, daily market reports, online

webinars, access to a private mentor, Forex
signals… Like everything, everyone has to start
somewhere and because FX trading is a continuous
learning curve, we have tailored our training to best
suit you.

If you are simply curious and want to know more,

there are no fees whatsoever. This package comes
with a host of valuable products and services and
is worth checking out right now before we remove
it. Find out more here

No-cost special trading workshop

108
You are very welcome to come and join us for a
day’s trading at our offices. Discover how the full-
time FX traders assess and analyze the markets,
and learn how to trade like a pro.

Custom training that best suits you

Not everyone learns at the same pace and not

everyone wants to trade full-time. Whatever your
trading aspirations, we can tailor a training
package that best suits you. Talk to us about your
ambitions, objectives or targets.

Your trusted FX partner

At FX Investments we only have your trading

interests at heart, because if you’re successful, we
are too. It’s a trusted partnership and one we
highly value.

We only want to help…

Because you have expressed an interest in

investing, why not find out about our bespoke
training with no obligation? Please ask us any
questions and we’ll do our best to help and advise
you.

What to do now…

Simply click on this link and visit our new website:

FX Investments
Browse our website and find out for yourself how
much we have to offer.

109
Kind regards,

Mike Caulfield

The FX Investments Team

www.fxinvestments.com
Tel: xxxx xxx xxx

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

This is a friendly email with no hard sell tactics. In

fact it’s quite obvious that the company are offering
some free training. This will be a basic introduction
and then the prospect will be offered a tiered level
of fee paid training at a later stage.

It can be quite difficult to generate a list of

subscribers from a cold B2C list unless you offer
something for free. Then just to make it more
difficult, you can’t mention the word “free”
otherwise your email will get trashed.

In the above example I have used no fewer than 8

sub headers and dropped some bullet points in
there too. This example gives the impression of a
pacey email message, skipping along in a timely
manner. It’s written this way because you don’t
want to lose the prospect’s interest. Keeping your
readers engaged throughout the email is
paramount.

Let’s look at another B2C email example…

110
This one is for a national UK home improvement
company that is offering free cavity wall insulation
under a UK government backed and government
financed incentive.

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

Subject line: Could This ECO Scheme Affect Your

Property?

Alternative: Is Your Neighbour’s House Worth

More Than Yours?

[Body copy]

Why the UK Government wants you to have

this…

The UK government is committed to hitting their

targets on climate change and they desperately
need your help. This is great news for you because
for your part, all you have to do is accept their offer
of cavity wall insulation for your home at
absolutely no cost to you whatsoever.

There’s no catch… everyone wins!

By simply doing this you will help the UK play a

vital part in energy conservation whilst
substantially reducing the cost of your heating
bills. This ECO funded scheme is being rolled

111
out, right across the country and is open to all
homeowners subject to a quick ‘no fee’ survey to
ensure you qualify.

Now you know why the government is backing

this scheme but what’s in it for you?

● You could save hundreds of pounds on your

energy bills every year
● Adds real value to your property
● You could also qualify for no-cost loft insulation
● Will keep you and your family warmer this winter
● A genuine no-cost home improvement
● Taking part will also help towards gaining an EPC
certificate, which makes selling your home much
easier in the future.

Cavity wall insulation could save you as much as

£275 or more a year and if you qualify for loft
insulation too, you could save a further £155 a
year. Now isn’t that worth a few minutes of your
time to find out more?

What to do now…

Call us now on Freephone: 0800 689 4483 and

speak with one of our friendly advisors.

Or visit our website for more Information:

www.xxxxxx.com

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

112
This is email has 2 alternative subject lines for A/B
testing. In the first one, “Could This ECO Scheme
Affect Your Property?” We’re trying to get the
recipient’s attention by using “alarm” tactics. The
words “affect your property” is enough to get
anyone who owns a house just a little edgy and so
they would have to open the email to find out what
it’s about.

In the second subject line option, “Is Your

Neighbour’s House Worth More Than Yours?” We
have once again gone with a question and it needs
an answer. Well, is your neighbour’s house worth
more than yours? Why? (We are attracting
attention through curiosity)

This type of email can work regardless of country,

it’s the fact that the government are financing the
scheme that makes it work so effectively. It would
probably work just as well if it was only part
financed or came with a substantial discount. Can
you see where I’m going with this and how it could
easily be applied to many other services?

Okay, let’s take a quick look at the rest of the

email…

The first paragraph begins to explain the reason for

the subject line and then continues the justification
into the second paragraph. (Interest is being gently
stirred)

The third paragraph consists of mainly bullet

points stating all the main benefits of the scheme.

113
(Working up a desire to want this offer). *Note:
Bullets are very useful in keeping the email moving
along, as each one screams to be read.

Then it’s time for action… simply call a Freephone

number and speak to a friendly advisor.

I know this email performed extremely well for this

company. In fact response was far better than
expected.

This type of email can be adapted for many similar

government incentives, both local and national…
and many other schemes.

I want to use one more example of a successful

B2C email because I know many people reading
this book will be looking specifically for this
information because they are either an affiliate
marketer or a sole trader.

In the great scheme of things, many B2C emails

can be more difficult to convert than B2B emails
because you are dealing with a prospective
customer who is at best very cautious and at least
very suspicious. With B2B emails you are writing to
someone who works for a company and therefore
the recipient is not quite so personally involved.

However, that said there are some types of

businesses that would benefit enormously from
learning about both types of email writing,
especially if they have a mix of both personal
customers and business clients.

114
In this next example then, we’re looking at an email
sent to a list of business opportunity seekers.

These are people who want to escape their dead-

end jobs and work an online business from home.
They want to be their own boss, earn good money
and have all the trimmings and trappings that
money can buy.

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

Subject line: Everyone Laughed About My Wealth

Creation Formula Ideas

[Body copy]

They’re not laughing now…

With millions in the bank and still only 42 years

old, my wealth creation formula proved everyone
wrong. Now I have just retired and I’m living the
dream. It’s my dream of not having to work for a
boss, having a nice home in the country, having a
range of luxury cars, taking exotic holidays
whenever and to wherever I want. Needless to say,
my wife and kids are spoilt rotten... but they’re
worth it.

When you hit rock bottom…

115
My name is James Kenny, and for years I slogged
away in a factory earning minimum wage. Some
months we couldn’t pay the rent and some months
we went hungry. I couldn’t take it anymore and so I
decided to do something about it. When you hit
rock bottom there really is only one way to go, and I
was determined I was going to change my life
forever.

I deserved this… do you?

I discovered a simple, secret formula to making a

living online that proved to be successful beyond all
my expectations. I have to admit it was quite by
accident that I came by it but I can tell you this. I
feel like I really deserved it. Okay, so I have been
very fortunate but now I want to help others
achieve the same level of success that I have
enjoyed. It’s only fair that I share this with people
like you who deserve it just as much.

Let me show you…

Do this now. Click here to visit this special web

page that I have set up for you and all will be
revealed. I promise not to leave anything out or
keep anything back. It’s all yours for the taking.
Please note this web page will only be available for
the next 24 hours. Don’t miss out, otherwise you’ll
regret it forever.

Click here now.

I look forward to meeting you on the inside,

116
James

www.secretwealth.com

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

Okay, so what’s different about this email? Answer:

It’s a sales letter. It’s basically a condensed sales
letter with the sole aim of getting prospects to visit
a website, where they will be greeted with a full
blown long form sales letter promoting a wealth
creation manual.

So let’s look at how this email has been

constructed…

The subject line, “Everyone Laughed About My

Wealth Creation Formula” begs the question why?
Why did everyone laugh about this formula? So,
although it doesn’t directly ask a question, it’s still
a kind of question. I always think questions make
the best types of subject lines, as opposed to the
ones you see most often like, “5 Ways to Make A
Living Online” or “ 10 Reasons Why You’re Not
Rich”.

These latter subject lines are fine and will work of

course but I just think that questions have to be
answered, and many people are very inquisitive. I
also think they work well because many people
send emails to their friends with just a question in

117
the subject line. For example, “Hi John, are you
going to the club tonight?” Or, “Are you working
today Andy?” Or, “Are you available for a quick
chat later?”

Let’s now look at the body copy…

The first paragraph starts with the sub heading,

“They’re not laughing now…”, which as many
people will know is a bit of a cliché. However it
works into the copy perfectly and is tied into the
subject line, which then leads the reader into the
first paragraph. What more could you possibly
want from a sub header?

The first paragraph is intended to identify with the

reader, who as a business opportunity seeker, is
looking for a better, easier life. You might notice
that I haven’t mentioned money but instead I talk
about wealth. This is obviously intended as a way
to get passed the spam filters.

In the second paragraph I come clean and identify

myself because I have nothing to hide, and I want
to come across as an ordinary individual who went
through a bad time. I’m drawing the reader deeper
into the story. Many people can identify with
struggling financially month to month.

Next, I’m implying I discovered something that

made me rich and I deserved it. Now I want to
share my secret with you because I’ve already made
it, and now because of what I’m about to share
with you, this will help you too. The reader is

118
getting drawn in now to the point where they just
have to know what they have to do to find out
more.

The call to action is, Click Here and I’ll show you
everything. However, I want the reader to do this
now and so I’m telling them that the web page is
only going to be available for the next 24 hours.
Sometimes you just have to create a sense of
urgency to get your prospect to take action now…
not next week!

I’ve signed off with my first name and I’ve added

the web address (for demo purposes only). The job
of this particular email is complete. The linked
sales letter however has much more to do and
that’s for another book, on another day.

Let’s take a look at more examples…

119
Emailing To A “Warm” List – Examples

Although every seasoned marketer will tell you that

the money is in the list, what they fail to tell you is
that this really only applies to a “warm” list. So
what is a warm list exactly?

Well, just to confirm… this is a list of names and

emails of real people that have had some form of
contact or interaction with you already. They might
be subscribers to your newsletter. They might be
customers who have purchased from you or they
might have just requested further information from
you about a particular product or service, in which
they are very interested.

The fact is, they have willingly given you their

details so that you can contact them. What’s better,
is they have confirmed that they want to receive
information from you. This is known as the “double
opt-in” lead, which I covered earlier in this book.
When you market your products or services to this
type of list, it is known as “permission marketing”,
and the results can be devastatingly effective.

The most obvious way to generate a “warm” or even

“hot” list of prospects is from a website, where they
enter their name and email in return for something
that is usually free but has some value. Free must
not mean useless or inadequate or worthless. For
example, a free download of an ebook, which has
some hints and tips that could save the prospect

120
time and money is considered valuable and
therefore worth giving up a name and email for.

You should never skimp on the free download

because this is your opportunity to make a good
first impression. You want your prospect to think
that if this is the standard of information you are
giving away for free, then imagine how good the
paid stuff must be.

Now, with the money being in the list, it stands to

reason that the bigger the list the more money it
can generate in terms of sales. There is no reason
why a warm list shouldn’t generate a conversion
rate of say 10%, as opposed to around 0.5% or less
with a cold list. So, if you have a list of say 10,000
subscribers and you offer them a product at $47,
and only 10% buy then you’ll make a cool $47,000.
Kerching!

If you had several lists of the same size but with

different interests, just imagine how many times
you could repeat the process. It wouldn’t take long
to make your first million this way. In fact, as I
mentioned right at the start of this book, I was
going to use, “The Email Marketer Millionaire” as
the title but then that might imply the book was
written only for individuals or sole traders, when it
is actually for email marketers of all persuasions
and applies to both B2B and B2C markets
everywhere.

Of course the principal of generating a warm list

works equally well for B2B traders. The only

121
difference is the company will make the sales and
profits instead of the individual.

Now, if everything you have learned thus far about

crafting the perfect email, is applied to marketing to
a warm list, you are virtually guaranteed maximum
return on your time, effort and money (ROI). For
example, you MUST use personalization when
addressing the recipient in the subject line and
throughout the body copy. I say throughout the
body copy but don’t overdo it. Simply mention them
by name a couple of times within the copy just to
ensure you are maintaining their attention.

I often get asked, how many times should you try

to sell something to your list? It’s a question I
cannot possibly answer without knowing what
exactly you are selling but here are some
guidelines.

If you are selling information products then you

can offer your product to the list once per month.
That means you send out three emails at weekly
intervals to keep your subscribers informed and
entertained, and then one email with an offer. If
you try to sell something every week then you risk
the chance they may unsubscribe. Unsubscribes
NEVER or very rarely come back.

Some successful online marketers find that a

monthly subscription newsletter is a good way to
drip feed their customer base with valuable
information, for which they will quite happily pay a
small fee. Of course the insider information

122
provided has to be worth the monthly fee. This is
however, a great way to develop a regular monthly
income. Here’s an example:

10,000 subscribers, each paying just $9.99 a

month will bring in $99,900 a month, which is a
staggering $1,198,800 a year. Want to be a
millionaire? That’s one way to do it! Monthly subs
for information or for something else like software,
or videos, articles etc., is guaranteed income. Many
people will happily pay for monthly magazines, so
there is an obvious market.

It’s no wonder subscription website owners are

making so much money. Once set up with a list
that is being continually generated, the content
creation can be outsourced to a third party, making
the business completely hands off with a
guaranteed passive income stream. Over the years,
I have helped a number of entrepreneurs get this
type of business up and running.

A passive income stream is the ultimate goal of the

individual online trader and is how you can become
seriously rich in a very short time. It’s equally
important for businesses of any size to develop a
marketing system that generates repeat sales
month after month. So, whatever type of business
you are involved with, in this section you can
cherry pick the aspects that can best be applied to
your customer base and market.

Because we are on the subject of “warm lists” the

marketing strategy explained here is adaptable and

123
customizable. By that I mean, the information is
applicable to all types of marketers regardless of
industry, size or type of business. You could be an
individual trader selling items on ebay or you could
be the marketing manager of a multi-national
corporation. It doesn’t matter which. At the end of
the day you are all focused on making sales with
email marketing.

Okay, let’s now look at a typical marketing email

you might send out to your own warm list. This is
the one offer in four strategy, in which you make
an offer every 4 weeks. The other three weekly
emails are focused on keeping everyone in the loop
with hints, tips and stories about whatever their
particular interests are.

Again, if you are promoting small ticket items, then

you might get away with selling twice a month but
you really need to closely monitor response to your
offers so that you get a clear picture of how your
customers are responding.

Know your list… nurture your list… sell to your

list.

Okay, take a look at these examples…

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

124
Subject line: John, Could This New Strategy Help
You?

[Body copy]

Hi John,

When I heard about this new money-making

system I immediately thought of you. After all, the
reason you joined my syndicate was to find out
more about making money online, and I promised
you I’d help you.

No gambling involved…

This new strategy involves working with an online

betting company called Betfair, but don’t worry,
there’s absolutely no gambling involved whatsoever.
Gambling is when you trust to chance that you will
make money, and your stake is always at risk. This
method guarantees that your initial stake is never
at risk, so you never actually gamble.

So many options…

You see, unlike a bookmaker, where the odds are

stacked in their favour, Betfair is an exchange,
which only ever charges a small commission when
you win. The best part about an exchange is they
let you cover every possible outcome of your bet.
For example, with football, which this system is all
about, you can bet on the scores, the final result,
the number of corners, and the number of yellow
cards and so on.

125
£1100 profit in just 2 weeks…

I have tried it myself John and I must admit I was

astounded at how easy it is to make money. In just
2 weeks I turned my £300 bank into £1,400. The
strategy has been completely documented in a book
entitled, “The Betfair Cash Generator”, and I’m
recommending it to you because it 100% works and
is 100% fully guaranteed.

Grab a copy and get a discount too…

Just pop over to this web page and get a copy. I’ve
managed to negotiate a 20% discount for you but
only if you purchase a copy from this web page.

I’ll be in touch again soon John to find out how

you’re getting on.

All for now,

Mike Monrow

www.xxxxxxxxxxxxx.com

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

The above email was sent out to a list of money

making business opportunity seekers who
subscribed to a list to find out about ways to make
easy money online.

126
The offer is for a book, which outlines a strategy for
making risk free money on a betting exchange.

At first glance it might appear that we have broken

all the rules about email marketing but you have to
remember that this email is sent out to a double
opt-in list, so it’s warm. It’s very warm, almost
“hot”, and the sellers email address has been
whitelisted by the recipients, at his request, in
order to ensure they receive information from him.
That’s how he gets away with using words, which
would otherwise be considered as spam.

“White listed” means you are trusted and therefore

your ISP will not treat your emails as spam or block
your emails from getting to the recipients. This will
generally only work with double opt-in lists,
however you must still NOT use spam words in the
subject line.

You may have also noticed that the recipient’s

name has been used a few times throughout the
mail. This is personalization on steroids! It reads
just like I am sending out a special email to a close
friend. Think these guys will buy a copy of The
Betfair Cash Generator? You bet they will!

Now, many B2B email marketers miss out on a

huge opportunity to make sales by not
personalizing their emails. It’s hard to believe this
especially when virtually every email sending
program and CRM program allows you to
personalize every email you send. I really don’t
know why more businesses don’t take advantage of

127
this option. Perhaps if their marketing managers
read this book, then all that would change. We’ll
see!

We need to look at a couple more examples of

marketing to a warm list because a warm list can
also be a single opt-in list. Although many email
management programs insist on all subscribers
being double opt-in, some do not. However, the
subscriber could have still asked for more
information or downloaded a free ebook or
brochure and ended up on a single opt-in list. That
means they didn’t need to actually confirm that
they wanted to receive information from the
marketer.

With this type of list you will still need to adhere to

the formula for avoiding the spam filters but you
can use personalization to increase your chances of
making sales. You just have to be a little careful
about how you handle this list because
unsubscribes are commonplace.

Here is a typical email sent to a “warm” single opt-

in list…

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---------------------------------------------------------------

128
Subject line: Can You Help Us Out Mike?

[Body copy]

Hi Mike,

I hope you don’t mind me contacting you about this

but I thought you might like to take advantage of
our product clearance sale. You see, we
overstocked with the Black & Decker Z8 cordless
drill and now we have to make some room asap, for
a new item arriving in just 5 days’ time.

Look at this Mike…

As a subscriber to “DIY Man”, I know you could

probably make use of this excellent drill and
because we need the space we can offer you a great
deal. The Z8 cordless drill retails at £39.99 but I
can ship it out to you for just £29.00. I know we’re
just about covering our costs Mike, but it’s what
we have to do if we want to create the space we
need.

Handy piece of kit…

The Black & Decker Z8 cordless drill is super

lightweight and ideal for jobs around the house and
garden. It comes with a selection of drill and screw
driver bits and has a keyless chuck for quick and
easy bit changes. It also has a LED work light for
those dark spaces.

You’re one of the first to know…

129
I’m sure we’ll have no problem clearing them at this
ridiculous price but I wanted you to be one of the
first to know. We have a few other offers coming up
soon and I’ll be sure to keep you informed about
those too.

Same day despatch…

So, if you want to grab yourself a bargain Mike,

just pop over to this special invitation web page
here and place your order before the deadline,
which is next Tuesday. As soon as I receive your
order I’ll ensure it is despatched to you the very
same day.

Thanks so much for your time and I’ll be in touch.

Kind regards,

Ben Sinclair
DIY Man Customer service advisor
www.diyman.com

P.S. I forgot to mention there are no packing or

shipping charges.

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

The above email is for promoting a tangible product

as a special offer with a discount. I have given a
valid reason for wanting to clear these items and

130
I’m implying that the recipient is getting to know
about the offer first. I want them to feel special and
important.

I’ve mentioned the recipient by name several times

throughout the email to reinforce the
personalization aspect. I’ve also added a PS, which
confirms there are no other charges involved in the
deal. It’s a straight-forward, friendly email with a
solid sales pitch. This type of email could be
customized to suit virtually any kind of tangible
product.

Let’s now look at a B2B email that could be sent

out to a targeted “warm list”. There are many
similarities to B2C emails except you have to
remember you are dealing with someone at the
receiving end who has to make a decision about
whether the offer is good for their business.

Sometimes the recipient will be someone in the

buying department, and if they have the power to
make purchasing decisions then appeal to their
self-esteem.

What do I mean by that? This person who is

responsible for buying products or services for the
company, (procurement), is first and foremost a
real live person. This person has feelings and
emotions. This person is in a position of trust and
is part of the company’s human organizational
structure. Basically they are part of a hierarchy
and nothing would increase their job satisfaction

131
more, than getting a proverbial pat on the back
from the boss for making a good buying decision.

So, with B2B email marketing it’s very useful to

know what part the recipient plays in the
company’s human resource chain. However, let’s
assume you are sending the email to the company
CEO or MD. You have their name in your B2B
warm list and whatever name they gave when they
signed up, whichever way that came about, is the
name you must address them by.

For example, if they signed up as Mr James

Hanson, address them as Mr Hanson. If they
signed up as James Hanson, then address them by
their first name.

Now, this email is from a company promoting

Software as a Service (SaaS). This has become a
very popular business format over recent years as
cloud based software allows instant access to the
service at any time and from any location in the
world.

In this email we are trying to persuade the client to

upgrade to a more robust product, with many
additional features and benefits.

---------------------------------------------------------------
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132
Subject line: Welcome To The Next Generation
CRM James

[Body copy]

Hi James,

I just wanted to touch base with you about the new

CRM upgrade, which will be released in a few
weeks’ time. I’m sure you’re happy with the system
you have been using now for the past 2 years but
like everything these days, innovation drives
technology and so we have had to ensure we stay
ahead of our competition and be able to offer you
the very best possible software solution available.

Welcome to the next generation CRM…

It’s not surprising that CRM has moved on. Just as

smartphones have become more feature packed
and user friendly year on year, the next generation
CRM has become faster, more powerful and much
more essential to successful customer relationship
management.

I’m happy to say we are leading the way in both

innovation and the development of state-of-the art
CRM technology.

The most cost effective CRM system available

today…

Our new CRM is cloud based so there’s no

downloading onto computers. It’s accessible by as

133
many users as you want, from as many locations
as you need, and it’s probably the most highly cost
effective CRM system available today. And it’s
much more than that. It has many more features
than any other CRM in its class, making it the only
option for serious business owners, sales managers
and CEOs anywhere in the country.

CRM for multiple sales lead generation…

Our CRM system is not only fully customizable, it

has been specifically designed to ensure you and
your key staff are effortlessly able to manage your
customer data efficiently from anywhere in the
world 24/7, and on any device. It’s also designed to
maximise sales through customer retention and
by generating further sales from existing leads.
There’s no other Customer Relationship
Management software like it.

Seamless migration in 24 hours…

I’d like to offer you this new upgrade at just $2.99

per user per month, which I’m sure you’ll agree is
incredible value based on what this CRM can do for
your business. We can simply migrate all your
existing data to the new system within 24 hours
and with absolute minimum disruption. I know
you’ll be really impressed with all the additional
features James, but if you have any questions
Whatsoever, please call me or request a call back
on our contact page here.

134
Welcome to the next generation CRM.

Kind regards,

David Wilkes
CEO BespokeCRM Ltd.
www.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.com

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

This is a typical email a CRM company might send

out to all its existing users of their CRM software
system. It can be modified and customized to cover
any type of upgrade or add-on, and even for an
additional service.

You can see that there is a different tone to this

email because it is business to business. However,
it’s still a friendly type of email and there’s no hard
sell. The email focuses on making the user assume
they have to upgrade and so the sale is made
without much effort. Even if the client questioned
the decision to upgrade, they would be reassured
that it was in everyone’s best interest to stay ahead
of their competition by using only the very best
CRM system available.

A “warm list” means you have an opportunity to

make the most of the personalization features,
which your email management program provides,
so I would suggest and highly recommend you
make full use of them. That applies to both B2C
and B2B lists.

135
Emailing To A “Cold” List – Examples

To remind you then, a “cold list” is a list of names

and emails of people who don’t know you from
Adam. They don’t know about your business, your
products or your services and they will be naturally
suspicious of you. The first impression they will
have is that your email is spam or some kind of
scam. So you have it all to do…

However, the purpose of you buying and reading

this book is so that you can find solutions to
problems. That’s exactly what you will find here.

Now, a cold list is one that is not generated by

yourself but rather rented, licensed or even bought
outright.

Why anyone would want to buy a list is beyond me

because at least if you rent or lease, which is
generally much cheaper, you will know from the
first mailing just how responsive it is. Any positive
responses will then become part of YOUR own list.

A cold list can be either a B2C or B2B list. A cold

B2C list is notoriously difficult to sell to and needs
a different approach to a B2B list, which we will
now look at first.

136
The above graphic relates to one of several email
campaigns I created for a client whose business is
CRM. This is a Software as a Service (SaaS)
business, where companies sign up to use the
online CRM, which is cloud based, and then pay a
monthly fee per user.

The CRM Company approached me and asked if I

could help them with their email marketing
campaign. They had bought a limited (time) use
license to a cold list of 12000 UK companies and
wanted to get their marketing message out to them.
Their first attempt at email marketing failed
miserably, with not one click-through and a very
low open rate.

137
CRM is a very competitive business and I knew I
would be emailing companies that already had
CRM up and running and were probably happy
with the service they had in place and therefore
reluctant to change.

Others might be wary of CRM and afraid to work

with technologies they didn’t fully understand. I
accepted the challenge however.

I wrote a series of 7 emails and loaded them into

their email management software. I set the day and
time for the first email to be sent, and then set the
frequency of subsequent emails to be sent out
automatically thereafter.

Now the benchmark for click-through rates, for

promoting software and as determined by the email
management company Mailchimp, is 2.29%.

My emails achieved a constant 6% click-through

rate throughout the duration of the campaign. Also
an average of 17% open rate with a 12% unique
open rate also resulted. Remember, this was a cold
B2B list that had already been emailed and
received absolutely no response.

138
You might have noticed there was quite a number
of bounces. The list was verified beforehand and so
these were identified as soft bounces. This is
usually a case of full inboxes.

I achieved these results by using the formula I have

outlined in this book. Here is a copy of the first
email sent out, with the company information
obscured to protect their brand.

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

139
Subject line: [firstname], What Was Doing
Business Like Before CRM?

[Body copy]

Hi [firstname],

Databases, spreadsheets and even ledgers…

It’s hard to believe that although CRM has now

evolved, some companies are still trying to figure
out how to get the most out of the old systems. And
some companies are not even using CRM at all…
Many old CRM systems, which are regarded as
nothing more than elaborate clunky software
designed to do basic information storage, are now
virtually obsolete.

Welcome to the next generation CRM…

It’s not surprising that CRM has moved on. Just as

smartphones become more feature packed and
user friendly year on year, the next generation CRM
has become faster, more powerful and much more
essential to successful customer relationship
management.

Leading the way in both innovation and state-of-the

art technology is xxxCRM

The most cost effective CRM system available

today…

140
xxxCRM is cloud based so there’s no downloading
onto computers. It’s accessible by as many users as
you want, from as many locations as you need, and
it’s probably the most highly cost effective CRM
system available today. And it’s much more than
that. xxxCRM has more features than any other
CRM in its class, making it the only option for
serious business owners, sales managers and
CEOs anywhere in the country.

This is multi-dimensional CRM for multiple

sales lead generation…

xxxCRM is not only fully customizable, it has been

specifically designed to ensure you and your key
staff are effortlessly able to manage your customer
data efficiently from anywhere in the world 24/7,
and on any device. It’s also designed to maximise
sales through customer retention and by
generating further sales from existing leads. There’s
no other Customer Relationship Management
software like it.

Why not take it for test drive?

xxxCRM is everything we say it is and much more,

but don’t take our word for it, try it and see for
yourself. We invite you to try xxxCRM for 14 days
at absolutely no cost and with no obligation
whatsoever. Simply visit this link:

https://www.link to free trial here and get started

today.

141
You can also pick up your CRM guide too. It’s right
here:
https://www.link to free crm guide here

Kind regards,

The xxxCRM Team

www.xxxxxx.com
Tel: xxxx xxx xxxx

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

Yes, I referred this particular email earlier but you

see it above in full.

You can see there were no hard sell tactics used

here, no spammy words and not even the word
“free” for the free brochure download. I used the
firstname personalization feature to maximum
effect both in the subject line and in the salutation.
When using this feature on a cold list, definitely
use it in the subject line and only ever use it for the
salutation, and not in the body copy. Otherwise it
can make the recipient feel uncomfortable, simply
because they don’t know you.

The main focus of the email was on upgrading to a

new, more modern version of CRM, and it worked
very well. The other 6 emails in the series were
similar information pieces that gently converted
enquirers into sales. It’s not one of my most
successful B2B campaigns but it does illustrate

142
what can be done with an old and previously used
cold list, even when the CRM company was about
to give up on it.

The CRM Company was so impressed with the

success of the email campaign, they had the emails
translated into 7 different languages, and then
rolled out the campaign to all their European
partners. I love it when a plan comes together!

Now, before we move onto B2C cold lists and email

examples I want to show you another B2B email
example. This one was also sent to a cold list…

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

Subject line #1: Important Fire Risk Assessment

Compliancy Notice

Subject line #2: Penalties For Non Compliancy of

Fire Risk Assessment

[Body copy]

Fire Risk Assessment is taken seriously…

By both the Government and the Fire and Rescue

Authority who now enforce this law. As you are
aware a FRA is mandatory for all work places,
business premises and residential blocks of flats.
That means as an employer or landlord it is your
responsibility to ensure that a Fire Risk

143
Assessment is carried out on the building as soon
as possible.

Penalties for non-compliance…

Failure to carry out a Fire Risk Assessment of the

premises, for which you are responsible, could lead
to a hefty fine and, or up to 2 years in prison. Is it
really worth ignoring this very important legislation
and neglecting this very important task? Ignorance
of the law is no excuse.

Time is of the essence…

It is of course very important to ensure that a Fire

Risk Assessment is carried out at your very earliest
convenience, as required by law, but we
understand your time is valuable. Finding a
qualified assessor, booking an appointment that
suits you and being available during the
assessment can be a little tricky for busy people,
and then there’s the significant cost.

Have you considered the alternative?

There is a quick and easier way. A much more

efficient and cost effective way to ensure you are
abiding by the law is to visit: www.xxxxxxx.com
and complete a simple online assessment. XXX
associates are fully qualified Fire Risk Assessors
and can provide you with an online Government
approved form template. You simply buy credits,
complete the form template and then we provide

144
you with your essential and professionally verified
report.

What to do now…

Visit our website at www.xxxxxxx.com to get

started. You can complete the form template at
your own convenience. We also provide you with all
the guidance you need but should you require any
further help or advice, we’re just a phone call away
or you can email us at any time. An online
assessment is convenient and much less expensive
than calling out an assessor. So now you can save
on both time and expense, whilst still complying
with the law.

Visit us now at: www.xxxxxxx.com or call us

directly on
xxxxx xxx xxx

Kind regards,

xxxxxx xxxxx
XXX Associates

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

Now, this email was sent out (and is still being sent
out) to ALL businesses in the UK. Fire Risk
Assessment is very important and cannot be
ignored by business so the beginning of the email is
a little hard-hitting. This is to ensure we get the

145
business owner’s attention and to keep him
reading.

You will also notice I created 2 subject lines. This is

because the FRA Company wanted to split test the
email with different subject lines. The second one
got 22% more emails opened… hmmm wonder
why?

This is a classic problem / solution type email. The

problem is outlined right up front, the penalty for
non-compliance is crystal clear, and then it leads
the recipient onto a solution. It’s a concise, pacey,
no nonsense email, which had a big impact.

The recipient list is a very large cold list consisting

of every business email the FRA Company was able
to rent, together with all the other business emails
that were listed in online and offline directories.

With this type of email, there is no need to know

the recipient’s name. In fact it’s best if the recipient
is not addressed by name because you could make
them feel like they are being personally targeted or
victimized. It’s meant to look like an information
piece for business owners with no specific
demographics targeted or referred to.

This type of example email could be customized for

many other products and services like Healthcare,
Insurance, Health & Safety equipment and Legal
services. Without the threat of penalties of course
and without so much sensationalism and drama.

146
It’s now time to look at a couple of examples of
emails, which might be used to send out to a cold
consumer list. As I mentioned earlier, this type of
list is notoriously difficult to convert so you have to
use a different tactic.

You must however, always use personalization if

you are to stand a chance of getting your email
opened. So, if the list you want to rent does not
include the recipient’s name then find one that
does.

Here is an example of an email sent to a consumer

list from an online electrical product retailer.

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

Subject line: [firstname], It Must Be Your

Birthday… Is It?

[Body copy]

Hi [firstname],

Birthday?

Don’t panic, it’s only John here from

xxelectrical.com - one of the UK’s most trusted
online Electrical Retail Stores. If it’s not your
birthday then your first thoughts might probably
be… Why on earth is this guy contacting me? Well,
you deserve an explanation… so here we go…

147
Why I’m contacting you…

Everyone buys electrical goods of some sort and at

some time right? So if you’re considering buying
anything electrical within the next four weeks,
perhaps as a birthday present for someone or a
new appliance for the home, then I wanted to let
you in on a special offer we are running…

Here you are…

In fact it’s a discount coupon… you know, the type

that you can use at the checkout to save a bundle
on your shopping. Well, this offer is only available
to you because you have been randomly selected
from a large list of online consumers. Yes, Lady
Luck is shining on you today.

Let’s get to the point…

We are pleased to announce that you are entitled to

a 15% discount on any purchases made on our
website within the next 4 weeks. Now, here’s the
best part… You are still entitled to the discount
even if you decide you would prefer to spread the
costs. That’s right! Just sign up for a credit
account. The information is on our website here.

I bet you were not expecting this…

Not ready to buy just yet? Then don’t let your

discount go to waste, just pass this email onto a
friend or family member so they can benefit. This is

148
probably the only transferable discount anywhere
on the Internet.

Simply click and collect here…

Well, just click on this link, go to our website and

have a browse. I’m sure you’ll find something to
interest you.

By the way, I hope I didn’t disturb you [firstname],

and I hope you feel it was worth reading my
personal message to you.

Have a great day.

Kind regards,

John McMahon
xxelectrical.com

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

The above email example is purely a prospecting

email, even though it doesn’t seem like it. The list is
a cold list because xxelectrical don’t know anyone
on the list who has made a purchase from them.

The list comprises consumers who have agreed to

receive marketing messages from a third party.
Some might say, well this a warm list but it is not.
It’s a cold permission list.

149
The only other ways of generating a cold list other
than from a bona fide online list broker is to have
someone “scrape” a list for you, which means
scouring the internet for unsuspecting victims and
targeting them. Or by stealing them. Either way is
not the way to go for you. I would never advocate
collecting or using emails in any way other than
within a 100% legal framework… whatever that
might be.

Back to the above email then… It’s conversational

and it has a friendly tone, and there is no hard sell.
In fact the sender is contacting the recipient to give
them something of value. The ultimate goal is to
generate their own list, or expand their existing list
of prospects, so that they can continue to market to
them on a regular basis. There’s not a lot of room
for manoeuvre here. You have to offer something to
get something. That’s all there is to it with a cold
B2C email list.

Before we move on I want to show you one more

example of a cold B2C email. This one is from a
national cleaning service business. It’s actually a
franchise, which send out prospecting emails to
cold lists and then pass on any enquiries to the
franchisee who is operating in the same location as
the prospect.

Even though it uses the personalization, it’s quite

generic in its structure and less personal than the
previous example. However, it works well because it
focuses on saving time and then suggests that the

150
recipient could take time off and do something
more interesting.

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

Subject line: Clean Your Home Without Lifting A

Finger [firstname]

[Body copy]

Let us do it for you…

Hello [firstname],

We know that everyone likes a nice clean and tidy

home but for one reason or another not everyone is
able to keep up with all the cleaning around the
house. It doesn’t take long for dust to accumulate
on top of furniture, on skirting boards and under
beds and the kitchen and bathroom can take an
age to clean properly.

We clean so you don’t have to…

We also know that busy people are too tired to

clean and let’s face it, who wants to start cleaning
after a hard day’s work anyway? Fortunately that’s
where we come in. We are probably the longest
serving private and domestic cleaning company in
the country and that’s only because we are
completely dedicated to what we do best.

151
Whatever the occasion…

We are available for one off general house cleaning,

regular house cleaning, end of tenancy cleans,
spring cleaning, holiday let cleans and well, any
bespoke cleaning service you need, when you need
it. Fully insured and with enthusiastic staff all over
the UK, we are waiting for your call.

Our unbeatable guarantee…

We are so confident that you will be impressed by

the high standard of our cleaning, we 100%
guarantee that if you are not completely satisfied,
then you won’t have to pay us a single penny.
There’s not many companies that can match
that or go the extra mile as we always do.

What to do now…

For one offs to special occasion cleans, call us

today and book a convenient time for us to visit
you. Take time off, enjoy life and leave the hard
work to us.

Call us now on xxxx xxx xx or visit us at

www.xxxxxxxx.com

Kind regards,

xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

www.xxxxxxxxx.com

152
This type of email could be customized for any type
of personal or domestic service, either local or
national, depending on your business operating
area. For example, local gardening services, path
and driveway cleaning services, pool cleaning
services, ironing services, oven and cooker cleaning
services and dry cleaning or laundry services, car
cleaning etc., etc.

If the email is being sent from a national service

company, it’s imperative to mention the word
“local” in the email. People, as in homeowners,
prefer to use local tradespeople and local service
providers.

Well, there you have a couple of examples of

effective email marketing to cold B2C lists, which
I’m sure will give you some ideas of your own,
should this be your sphere of business.

Now before we move on, there’s just one other type

of email I want to mention, which doesn’t really fit
neatly into any category. It can either B2B or B2C
or both and it can be warm or cold... it concerns
affiliate emails.

Allow me to explain…

An affiliate marketer is someone whose business it

is, to sell products on behalf of someone else. They
will do this for a commission. However, they have
to generate their own lists, spend their own money
on advertising and promote the vendor’s
(merchant’s) products as if they were their own.

153
Commissions can be anything from 5% up to a
staggering 75%. There are some very successful
and very wealthy affiliate marketers around, some
of which, have been my most treasured clients.

So, when a vendor makes a product available to his

army of affiliates, he also has to provide them with
some marketing materials to help them promote
the product. Very often these will be banners or
social media ads. However, the affiliate will also
need some emails to send to his list and it’s up to
the vendor to provide them.

As you might imagine, writing emails for vendors is

one of my most lucrative income streams. Here is
an example of one of the emails I wrote for a vendor
client who had produced a book / guide about
drop-shipping.

For those of you who might not know what drop-

shipping is, it’s basically about selling products
that you buy at wholesale prices, from a
wholesaler, and then the wholesaler sends the
product out to the customers. It’s a hands off
business and it can work very well if you can find a
reliable drop-shipper.

However, the actual email only has to drive traffic

to the vendor’s landing page, which promotes the
product by way of a sales letter or VSL. When the
prospect clicks on a link in the email to visit the
landing page, the affiliate’s unique ID is tracked
and if the prospect buy the product then the
affiliate is credited with a commission.

154
Here’s the example…

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

Subject line: Set up a profitable business within

an hour [firstname]?

[Body copy]

Need a reliable drop-shipper with rock bottom

wholesale priced goods?

Hello [firstname],

It’s many people’s dream to work for themselves at

home but the big question is… what can you sell?
You need access to a range of products at very low
prices that you can then sell on to customers for a
profit.

Ebay leading the way…

There are many sellers on eBay and other auction

sites, who use drop-shippers to send out product
orders, which they buy from the wholesaler,
making a nice percentage. Could this be you? It’s
simple to get started and you could be in business
within an hour.

If only you knew how…

155
That’s what everyone says. Now YOU can find out
how other sellers get their products and how they
make their living online, all from the comfort of
their home. Need a second income? This is
something that can easily done in your spare time.

Find out here…

To learn more about how you can start your own

profitable home-based business today, just click on
this link. http://xxxxxxxxx.com

Best regards,

Jim Lloyd

Bizoppsathome.com

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

It’s a simple, straight-forward email, which can be

replicated many times over and tailored to suit
virtually any type of home business opportunity.

Of course the affiliate marketer will get a better

response if they generate their own list beforehand
with some useful free offering.

Now, let’s move onto the subject of email

resurrection…

156
Resurrecting An Existing List

In the past, I have been contacted by both

companies and individuals many times about this
subject, so I thought I’d best include a small
section in this book.

It often happens, you generate a list of prospects

and you send out a series of emails to them but
after a while you let the line of communication go
quiet. The longer you leave it before contacting your
list, the more chance you will lose subscribers, as
they will assume you don’t care anymore and then
unsubscribe or simply ignore you.

So, to ensure your prospects feel “loved” stay in

touch, regularly. However, if you haven’t contacted
your list after about 2 months or more, is it still a
viable list? Yes, of course it is, only now you will
have to do some sucking up to get them back on
your side. I always advise my clients to send an
initial email to a dormant list, asking for
forgiveness, but not in so many words.

You can use a subject line like, “Come Back We

Miss You” or “Sorry For Being Away So Long” or
“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

I once worked with a client from the US who had

not been in contact with his list for more than 4
months. I advised him to use the simple subject
line, “Sorry I Goofed Again {firstname}”. In the email
he explained how sorry he was for not staying in

157
touch, sometimes even close relatives forget to pick
up the phone or send a text once in a while. With
his human frailties and failures fully exposed and
acknowledged, he went on to offer them a discount
on their next order by way of a sincere apology. It
worked very well, with a 52% uptake up of his offer.

However, if he had not made contact within say a

year, then the response might not have been so
positive. Even after a length of time has elapsed
since you emailed your list, you should still try to
reignite the spark by making a grovelling apology to
your subscribers and at least try and retain some,
if not all of them.

B2B lists may be more responsive than B2C lists,

after a lapse of time, because there is less of the
personal element involved. Business is business
and everyone knows business people are well…
busy people.

A company contacted me and asked if I thought it

would be okay for them to try and market their new
software product to an existing list of over 12,500
newsletter subscribers, even though they had not
been in contact with them for over 6 months. I
wrote the email for them using the “Come Back We
Miss You” subject line, and explained we had been
busy working on a new software program to help
them better manage their own customers and
sales. 31% agreed to try the new software on a 30
day no cost trial.

158
Breathing new life into an existing list is not
difficult but once you have made contact after a
long absence you will almost certainly find that
some prospects have unsubscribed or will simply
blank your emails.

No matter.

Just carry on emailing them at least once a week

with some really good offers and get them back on-
board. In all cases, always give a reason why you
have not been in touch, and most people will
understand.

159
Follow up emails – retaining &
converting subscribers

How often is too often? How many emails are

enough or never enough?

Many people, myself included receive emails from

the same individuals and companies every single
day. I always make a point to unsubscribe, if this
option is offered, or direct them to the spam filter if
they don’t. I hate pushy people and I guess many
others do too.

Make no mistake, if you regularly email your

subscribers with nothing but offers, and this
applies to both B2C and B2B, they WILL
unsubscribe. That doesn’t mean you should only
ever email when you have an offer, quite the
opposite.

You may remember, earlier in this book I stated

that if you have been unable to convert your
prospect into buying from you after 7 emails then
they never will buy from you. There is a lot of truth
in that statement because again, this number has
been tried and tested. So here is what we, in the
“copywriting industry”, have concluded… or at least
I have.

If you are trying to promote a product to a cold list,

then send emails every 2-3 working days. Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday are the best days. After 7

160
emails, give up or ask the recipients if they want to
continue to receive offers from you.

There is no point in continuously sending emails

out to prospects who do not want them, so try to
establish whether it is worth your time and effort to
continue.

If you are promoting a product to an existing warm

list then send your offer every 3-4 days. That’s
because you are more likely to make sales on the
first email, and the second one will be a reminder,
and so on.

After you have sent 7 emails to your warm list,

then reduce the frequency to one email a week.
These weekly emails should include some news and
information that the recipient will find useful,
instead of you just promoting your product.

Then every 2 weeks, include a mention about the

product you have been promoting and include
some facts and stats to back up your initial claims.
If the product is something that can be used
beneficially or some benefit can be derived from it,
then ask for some testimonials from your buyers
and use these in your non-selling emails.

Always try to stay in touch with your prospects and

email them no later than every 2 weeks. Then when
you next have a promotion you want to put out to
your list go through the 7 email principle again.

161
To keep your prospects in the loop, and retain
them, try directing them to your blog and Facebook
page. That way you will build more credibility and
loyalty and also develop a closer relationship. Your
prospects will gladly receive your emails after a
short time if you engage with them on other
platforms. That too has been tried and tested.

Another good idea, which has worked well for some

of my clients, is to include links in the emails to
quizzes and contests. More engagement will help
you turn prospects into customers and keep them
buying from you over a long period of time.

You can use simple, friendly questionnaires to find

out what your list are most interested in or what
new products they might want or need. Creating
bespoke products for niche markets has always
been a lucrative and profitable channel.

162
Nurturing The List

So, we have determined that to ensure you retain

subscribers over the long term, you MUST stay in
regular contact with your list and that means
sending regular emails. Now, as previously
mentioned, these nurturing emails should not be
sales emails but rather newsletters containing
some valuable or interesting content. So, why
should you do this?

If you have generated your email marketing list by

collecting names and emails from your website,
then there will undoubtedly have been some cost
involved in this. For example, setting up the email
capture form, creating the free download etc., and
then paying to get traffic to your website. Chances
are, it has cost you a considerable sum to acquire
all the names and emails on your list, so why
would you then just ignore them?

If you have bought or rented the list then simply

work out how much it has cost you per active email
and then you’ll know how much you have to make
in total sales to recover these basic costs.

Just to reiterate, when you know exactly, or

thereabouts, how much it has cost to acquire all
the names and emails on your list, you will then
have to make at least that amount of money back
from sales in order to break even. This exercise can
trigger quite a shock for some marketers because

163
they suddenly realise how many sales they have to
begin making just to get into profit.

For example, one of my clients rented an email list

of 20,000 names at a cost of £4,600. His product
was retailing at just £27 and his margin on that
was just £19. So, he had to sell 242 products just
to cover the cost of the list. When you consider
conversions with a cold list typically run at between
0.5% and 1%, he would be lucky to recover his
basic costs.

When I asked some of my clients to do this little

exercise, they were all astonished to learn the real
cost of email acquisition and its true value.

However, when they did realise this, only then did

they begin treating their list with the recognition,
devotion and respect it deserves.

The cost of not staying in touch with your list can

be painfully high, and if you want to know how
high, then just ignore your list for 6 months or
more. I know of some list owners who didn’t stay in
touch with their email list for more than a year only
to find that when they did begin marketing again,
more than half had unsubscribed or abandoned
their email address in favour of a new one.

Staying in touch is not difficult. A simple 200-300

word message every 2 weeks is basically all it
takes. If you are operating a multi-product type
business or online store then offer your list some
discounts. Keep them informed about new

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products, seasonal products, end of line clearances
etc.

If you have generated or bought a list in order to

promote just one product then get busy on creating
another one and keep your list informed about its
progress. You must keep your email
communication lines open or risk seeing your list
degenerate. If you are struggling to think of reasons
to keep in touch with your subscribers then why
not encourage your list to send you feedback about
subjects that interest them. Ask them for opinions.

For example, if you have a list of say 10,000

subscribers and 2,000 say they would like a
software product that does this, that and whatever,
then you have a ready market for a product. I’m
sure you can guess what you have to do next.

So, the lesson here is simply to stay in touch with

your list and use your list to create ideas or
feedback that could be useful further down the
line.

Don’t hesitate to offer your subscribers a freebie

every now and then and certainly some kind of
discount offer. You not only want to keep your
subscribers on your list but you should aim at
building or increasing loyalty at every opportunity.
Your list is just too valuable to ignore.

Always remember this… “The money is in the list.”

The bigger the list the more money it can generate.

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Asking your subscribers to recommend others to
your offers is one way of increasing the size of your
list. Running competitions to see who can sign up
the most new subscribers for you and then
rewarding the top performers with a valuable prize
is another good method of growing your list.

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Up-sells And Cross-sells

Anyone who understands the principle behind

sales funnels will get this right away. This is all
about leverage and maximizing your email list to its
full potential. However, it’s not something you can
just throw together, it needs careful forward
planning. Let’s look at an example…

So, you have a product that you have sourced or

created and you want to begin selling it online. You
go through the usual steps of getting a website
landing page designed, you populate the page with
some compelling content and some relevant images
including an image of your product. You then set
up the email capture and sales page and drive
traffic to your product offer. Great… you begin
making a few sales.

Then after the initial gush of orders things begin to

slow down. So, you now think about creating
another product. Six months later you go through
the whole process again except this time you send
emails out to your list of customers who bought
your first product. Problem is, many have forgotten
about you, moved on or unsubscribed. Your initial
“hot” list has dramatically cooled down or gone
stone cold.

Here’s what you should have done…

Along with your main product you should have

another offer, which is in some way related to the

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main offer. It can be of higher value or lower value.
I refer you to Amazon’s clever bit of upselling,
where they will put several other similar products
in front of you, after you have bought one
particular product. If you have ever bought
anything from Amazon then you will remember
seeing the line, “Customers who bought this
product also bought this product.”

Now, the way many marketers make an absolute

killing with upselling, is by promoting the upgrade
offers. For example, the basic product will have an
affordable ticket price and appear very inexpensive
and great value, making purchase a no-brainer.

However, after the customer has made the

purchase they are redirected to the upsell page
where they are offered more of the same with
discounts, or an extension of the original product,
or a new product that compliments the original or
in some cases an upgrade in membership.
The same principle works with a series of
subscriptions. Basic, Silver, Gold and Platinum
membership offers are common.

So why do upsells work so well?

The answer is simple. 1). The customer has already

made a buying decision and has decided to buy. 2).
The customer still has their credit card in hand and
is in “Buying Mode”… Some people just can’t stop
buying once they start, especially if the offers
appear irresistible. However, the mechanism for

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driving these “red hot” customers to the landing
page in the first place, is almost always… email.
If you are creating a series of promotional emails,
and I recommend you do this rather than focus on
just one, then each email should be designed to
take the customer one step closer to buying your
product or service. Remember! The best way to get
anyone in the buying mood is to highlight the
benefits of the product.

Cross-sells are the same as-upsells with the

exception that the product might not be directly
related to the main product offer. Most often the
cross-sell is a complimentary product, accessory or
add-on. For example, a black & white laser printer
could be the main product offer. The up-sell is a
colour laser printer and the cross-sell is a cartridge
or copier paper.

Once the initial sale has been made, on average a

further 34% of buyers will buy the upsell or cross
sell offer. For those that don’t a targeted email
campaign could convert a further 20%, with more
than 10% still taking up the offer 3-4 weeks later.

Upsells have worked exceptionally well for online

marketers who sell software product licenses. For
example, let’s say a video creation software. The
basic license allows the buyer only, to use the
product and it costs just $27. Buy the upgrade and
the license will allow unlimited use at a cost of $37.

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Upgrade again to the white label license, which
allows you to also resell the product. This license
will cost $57.

Virtually any type of software can be marketed this

way if the product being offered for sale is actually
licensed.

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Growing The List

Your precious list of names and emails of your

subscribers or customers is a highly valuable asset.
However, it should be respected and never shared
with any third party. There could be serious
consequences for doing so as explained earlier.

Keeping customers on your list is very often simply

a matter of staying in touch via a monthly
newsletter but unsubscribes and non-responders
will undoubtedly occur. With this in mind you need
to develop a system for keeping your list topped up
with new subscribers.

There are several ways to do this including asking

your existing customers to recommend a friend in
return for a reward. I know I’ve mentioned this
already but it does make a lot of sense to start at
this point because you already have a line of
communication open, whereby you could possibly
ask thousands of people all at the same time.

Even offering a cash incentive can sometimes work

out much less expensive than the cost of acquiring
a new customer, when you consider the costs
involved in planning and implementing a whole
new lead generation campaign. Getting other
people to increase the size of your marketing list is
a bit like affiliate marketing, where you pay a
commission to your affiliates for every sale they
make on your behalf.

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Other indirect methods of growing your list will
include traditional advertising, social media
advertising, especially Facebook, and banner ads.
In fact every method available to you that will drive
traffic to your landing pages and sign-up forms.
Blogs and videos are other proven methods
alongside articles and press releases.

I don’t really want to get into all the different

advertising and marketing methods here, as that is
totally different topic. However, every lead
generating campaign needs to be totally focused on
increasing the size of your subscriber list or
customer base, not on making sales. That will
inevitably come later.

If you think about how Facebook became so

popular then you should realise it was all about
bringing people together in one place. There was
nothing to buy and nobody was selling anything.
However, with almost 2 billion users worldwide and
counting (as of December 2017), the platform
became ripe for marketing.

So, what I’m saying here is build a list, nurture

that list, build loyalty, build your brand and then
strategically sell the hell out it once you have
enough prospects all in one place.

Some of the well-known online betting companies

keep their customer lists active by offering free bets
and high odds on certain events, to their regular
customers only. Many online retailers offer
discounts and free shipping. You too should also

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make regular offers to your list because word
spreads quickly and this gesture alone could bring
in many more valuable subscribers or prospects.

Another method often used for growing a list, which

is more popular in the US than the UK, is referral
and reciprocal marketing. So, you have a list of say
10K prospects and you know someone who has a
similar size or larger list. You contact the list
owner, which will be the company or entrepreneur,
and ask if they will promote your product to their
list. You offer to do the same for them. This type of
joint venture can work very well, as long as the
products being offered are suitable for each other’s
lists.

For example, you might want to promote a

business opportunity and your JV partner is
promoting an investment opportunity. There are
obvious similarities, so it’s reasonable to assume
your respective lists will be somewhat responsive to
the other’s offers.

To find out more and to get further information

each JV partner’s list member has to sign up to the
other’s list, thus increasing the size almost
instantly.

Note, this is NOT list sharing, which is often

frowned upon and is illegal in some countries
including the UK.

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Lifetime Value

When you first begin building a list of prospects to

whom you can email your offers, the costs involved
in list generation might at first appear to be very
high. I’ve known small individual online marketers
to spend up to £5,000 on a marketing campaign
only to secure just 200 subscribers.

At a cost of £25 a head it might at first seem a

costly exercise but with the product ticket price
averaging at around £197, it doesn’t take long to
work out the profitable returns.

25% of the list (size example is 200) responds to the

upfront offer and buys the product at £197. This
generates £9,850 in sales. 20% of the 25% buy the
upsell offer, which sells at £297, generating a
further £2,970 in sales.

That’s a total of £12,820 in sales for the original

£5,000 investment. Rinse and repeat this exercise
many times over and not only are you growing a
valuable list but making some tidy profits too.

However, it shouldn’t end there…

Every customer or subscriber on your list has a

lifetime value, which means you can sell to them
over and over many times during the course of
their membership or subscription period. In the
above example, if that original list of 200
subscribers only ever buys just 2 products from

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you at £197, then the £25 a head it cost to acquire
them, pales into insignificance.

A better way of illustrating the lifetime value of a

customer is with membership websites. Here’s an
example. A customer signs up and pays £27 a
month. He stays on the list for just 4 years.

That generates an income of £1,298 during the

lifetime of that one customer. Now multiply this
figure by say 1000 and you are now generating a
tidy £324,500 year income. And let’s face it, 1000
members is not really very much, considering the
number of people online. What if you had 100,000
or more? Well you do the maths.

The lessons to be learned here are simply that of

comparisons. The cost of acquisition compared to
the lifetime value of a customer. The high upfront
costs incurred during the marketing process
should be considered as an investment.

If you have products that your customers will

absolutely love then this exercise could prove to be
a very sound business investment.

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Ensuring Your Emails Get Delivered

So, all this talk about emails and sales but what if
you encounter problems…

Of all the possible problems I am contacted about,

concerning email marketing, how to get emails
delivered is always number one on the list.

“Hey Bill, why are my emails not getting delivered

and how can I resolve the problem?” Is a typical
question I hear over and over…

There is no one definitive answer because there can

be several different reasons why emails are not
being delivered. So, let’s quickly look at the most
common issues, problems and possible solutions.

1. Spam - Your email is getting delivered, directly

to the recipient’s spam filter. Well, hopefully you
will have already found the solution to this problem
within the pages of this book. Don’t use words that
trigger spam filters, especially in the subject line,
and ensure the text of the subject line is relevant to
the content of the first sentence of the first
paragraph. Don’t use too much repetitive language,
and in my personal opinion, don’t use HTML with
lots of images.

2. Soft Bounce - This is usually a temporary

problem and most often is caused by the recipient’s
email inbox reaching its storage limit or quota. A
soft bounce can also be as a result of the recipient’s

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mail server being down or the actual email itself
being too large. This can happen if you are
including image-laden attachments or an html
email with too many embedded graphics.

Most email management programs will continue to

allow you to send emails to accounts that have
previously registered a soft bounce until a specific
number of unsuccessful attempts have been made.
In which case, the soft bounce will then be
assumed as a hard bounce and the email address
will be removed from the program. Typically, the
number of retries can be around 5-7.

3. Hard Bounce – When an email is sent back to

you as undeliverable, then it simply means the
email address does not exist or the server has
permanently blocked the email sender. It can also
be because the email recipient has unsubscribed
from your list. However, there are occasions when a
valid email will bounce back with no reasonable
explanation. Some free email accounts will block
incoming emails because the domain in a
message’s “From” email address does not match
the domain the message is actually being sent
through. This is known as a DMARC check:
Domain Message Authentication, Reporting, and
Conformance.

So, if the recipient is using an email account,

which is provided free, then hard bounces are more
likely. There’s nothing you can do about this. If you
are sending millions of emails on a regular basis
then you really should consider using a third party

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sender to avoid problems with your internet service
provider (ISP). ISPs scrutinize email sending,
especially if on a large scale, and anything
untoward could get flagged and ultimately affect
your “sender reputation”. This is carried out in
order to determine whether your email activity
could be a risk to their systems. The ISP will
monitor the domain or IP address from where
emails are being sent. If you suspect this could be
a problem for you then check with Return
Path's SenderScore or McAfee's TrustedSource.

Hard bounces and IP blocking can also be triggered

by others using the same email sending system as
you. For example, if someone is using say,
GetResponse and causing problems with spam etc.,
then because you too are using the same program
to send your emails, you may be considered to be
within the same range. This means your emails
could get blocked, if only temporarily. A possible
solution is to simply change your email
management program or use a third party sender.

Now, these are the usual reasons for non-delivery

of emails but it can get very technical when we
start looking into issues concerning a firewall or
proxy, which is not allowing SMTP traffic. There are
also possible DNS issues to consider but it is not
my intention to delve any further into technical
problems here.

If I did, then I might run the risk of getting too

involved in areas, of which I am not too familiar.

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For example, error codes and non-delivery reports
etc.

If you are running a major email operation and you

experience deliverability problems then I suggest
you first look for the obvious possible reasons,
most of them are connected to spam, spam filters,
firewalls and security.

If the problems cannot be identified then best

engage the services of a specialist technical expert.
This book is after all, about successful email
marketing and not about how to fix DNS and MX
records or similar issues.

In conclusion then, always run validation checks

on rented or leased email lists, using a company
such as Informatica, who specialize in cleaning up
email data. This will help reduce bounce backs.
Then check for spam related issues in your emails,
which could affect deliverability.

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Further Considerations

We’ve covered quite an array of subjects and sub-

sections concerning many aspects of email in this
book and I’ve deliberately tried to keep everything
as simple as possible. That’s because email
marketing has a very broad range of operators from
work at home entrepreneurs to multi-national
marketing managers.

I’ve tried to find some common ground, on which to

share my knowledge and experience and on a level
that leaves no one behind. If you have found the
delivery of my “wisdom” mundane or too simplistic
then I appreciate your forbearance. If you still don’t
quite get the message then I suggest you read the
book over again.

I haven’t spent much time discussing metrics,

which we all know are very important. The
psychology behind open rates, click-through rates
(CTR) and unsubscribes is open for analysis but to
be fair, not all analysis results will be applicable to
every specific business model or marketing
campaign.

Metrics can be industry specific and therefore you,

as an email marketer, must analyze the day
according to your campaign and expectations.
There can no real industry standards unless you
are comparing like for like.

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Every campaign is going to be different and there
will be some degree of acceptance or resistance to
your offers and your presentation, and your
proposals. Add to that the tone of language and
whether the list is a B2B or B2C list and all the
possible variables begin to stack up. Metrics are for
you to work on and continual tweaking and testing
will be forever, an ongoing process.

In theory, nobody should know your market better

than you. So, only you should know how best to
present your specific offers. I hope my guidance will
keep you focused.

Now, whilst we are on the subject of metrics, and

this is especially relevant to anyone running a
major email campaign, you should if possible find
out what specific ISP's are delivering your email to
your recipient’s inboxes. And also, which ones are
not. You might also want to determine whether the
content of your email is affecting the delivery of
your email.

How your sender IP/domain reputation is affecting

delivery of your email is also useful information
and how fast your email is being delivered can tell
you whether the emails are being filtered and
scanned for spam violations.

Of course none of this might actually matter to you

but if you are expecting all your emails to be
delivered at the same time, the reasons why they
are not will lie somewhere in the above data. Only a
complete in-depth analysis will reveal the facts.

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If you are integrating your email sending program
with other data management systems then you
might be able to uncover even more valuable
information, which could help improve
deliverability. There are some very clever data
mining and data analysis software programs
emerging, which I’m sure will become commonplace
in the background of many marketing campaigns.

Another aspect of email marketing I haven’t

touched on is receiving or reading devices. I mean
whether your email is being read on a desktop,
laptop, tablet or smartphone. A recent study by
Gartner, a leading technology research company,
revealed 74% of smartphone users have used her
mobile devices to read email. Thankfully most
modern email management and sending programs
will configure the email for reading on a variety of
devices. If yours doesn’t then ditch it.

Some testing of emails will be necessary at some

time and some formats might work better than
others. For example, short text with bullet points
might convert better than long text with sub
headers. If one method doesn’t work as well as
expected then try another. Email marketing is
relatively cheap so testing is not only affordable it’s
mandatory.

In certain countries around the world, the best

days and times to send emails may vary due to
local or national cultural traditions. For example,
sending emails to small businesses during siesta
time in Italy, might not be very productive. So, if

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sending email to another country bear this in mind
and check first.

Now, I know I’ve made it clear that I don’t favour

HTML email for reasons previously mentioned.
However, if you must present your recipient with
images of your products then why not just include
several links within the text email, which will
redirect them to specific pages on your website.
You’ll want to get them on your website anyway, so
use the safer and more likely option.

A quick note on personalization codes…

To clear up any confusion, I have, with some of the

email examples, referred to various mail merge type
codes for personalization such as {!firstname},
[firstname], etc. These codes will vary depending on
the email management program you are using. For
example, Mailchimp uses *|fname|*

Finally, well almost… I make no apologies for

repeating certain rules and advice several times
over in this book. I have intentionally done this
because these matters are so important to the
resounding success of your email marketing
campaign. In other words, it’s for your own good ☺

Remember this… If you are mailing to a cold list

then focus on generating leads not sales. If you are
mailing to a warm list then nurture your leads and
guide them to the sales process.

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Okay well that’s about it for now… but technology
does not stand still and there are bound to be new
breakthroughs in technology that will undoubtedly
affect email marketing in some way.

As they come along, I will endeavour to find out

how they are helping the email marketer to get an
edge, or otherwise. I’ll also continue testing and
tweaking, as I have done for many years.

If you would like to be kept in the loop and stay

ahead of the pack, I’ll gladly update you on any
changes, which I consider to be significant and
relevant to your email marketing campaigns. To be
kept informed and up to date about new email
marketing practices and developments, simply drop
me an email to: bill@emailsuccessbydesign.com

Finally, thank you for purchasing a copy of this

book. I hope you have found the information
useful. Should you need any further help or advice,
I am available for hire or consultation.

Visit my website for more information including

contact details.

http://topcopywriter.co.uk

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