(This is part 2 of a 3 part series. If you missed part 1, check it out right here.)
I decided to write this 3-part series all about email marketing so that you could learn how to design your content calendar and write emails that motivate potential clients to make a decision to work with you.
Getting prospects and clients to take a desired action based on content you’ve written is the # 1 skill you need to learn so you can consistently grow your business.
In Part 1: The Difference Between Email Marketing & A Newsletter, I explained how to setup your email newsletter and the specific ways in which email newsletters differentiate from email marketing.
I ran through a quick email marketing sequence to demonstrate the sequential storyline that the transactional emails in the marketing sequence followed.
In Part 2: How to Craft Sales Funnel Emails That Convert, I’m going to teach you a specific sequence of emails that could be used during a program launch or as a sequence to motivate prospects to sign up for a complimentary consultation.
One of the BIG mistakes I see is health practitioners, healers and coaches making is that they straight up pitch the free consults (discovery sessions) without getting the prospects to KLT them first.
It’s vital to engage the prospect in a KLT + E sequence prior to inviting them into a transformational conversion consultation (free consult). If you want more detailed info on this I’ve written an awesome guide called: Get Your First 10 Clients With Ease Report (click for instant download.)
All right, let’s dive in…
What is an email marketing sales funnel?
An email marketing sales funnel is a well thought out and well written sequential series of emails written with the intention to convert a prospect into a client by building rapport, educating and motivating the prospect.
Think of a transactional sales funnel email sequence like a story…
A good story always starts at the beginning by introducing the likeable characters. The reader gets hooked on the likeable characters because they see themselves in them and are intrigued by the story.
The likeable character resonates with the reader because they have similar starting points – – IE pain points, hopes, dreams.
Then, the plot thickens as the likeable character go through something emotional – – could be dramatic, sad, amazing or insightful.
After the emotional thing happens, it’s time for the likeable character to learn a lesson or identify a solution that will solve their problem.
Your email sales funnel should be mapped out like a story and include educational and motivational content that takes the prospect on a journey.
When should you have an email marketing sales funnel?
Email sales funnels should be used when you want to convert a prospect into a client.
You could have an email sales funnel as your autoresponder series that fires when a new lead subscribes to your lead magnet or email newsletter.
And you could create an email marketing sales funnel for any sales promotion you want to run.
Most health practitioners, healers and coaches don’t spend time creating an email marketing sales funnel as the autoresponder series after someone opts into their lead magnet.
Instead, they only have the one email autoresponder that delivers the lead magnet content. Then the email sequence stops. The subscriber isn’t follow up with until the next newsletter is published.
And the newsletter doesn’t educate the subscriber on your awesome expertise or value, nor does it invite them into transformation with you… the newsletter provides good, free content but as you now know, that’s different then engaging the reader in a KLT + E sequence (this is explained HERE.)
This is one of the reasons YOU struggle to get new clients.
You don’t take the prospect on journey. Let’s fix that now, ok?!
How to create an email sequence that converts prospects into paying clients.
Step 1: Decide what you want the end goal to be?
When you are creating a lead magnet or subscription box for a newsletter think ahead to the journey you want the prospect to take and decide what the end goal for that prospect is.
Here are 4 examples of end goals:
1. Sign up for a webinar (where you sell a program or service)
2. Sign up for a free consultation
3. Invest in a program from a sales page
4. Invest in a service from a sales page
You need to know the end goal so you can create a story consisting of sequential emails (the high-value content) that shapes the prospects journey down the funnel.
Most people just write a couple random follow up emails and throw in some pitches for their program or service… you are no longer going to do that.
Step 2: Brainstorm the motivating pain points that your ICA has and the solutions your program or service offers.
If you are writing an email sales funnel I assume you have done the work to craft a detailed ideal client avatar profile.
Based on your ideal client avatar you are going to brainstorm the top 5 to 7 pain points your ICA has. Do not mistake pain points for health symptoms; they are NOT the same.
A health symptom is being 20 pounds overweight. The associated emotional pain point is HOW being 20 pounds overweight makes that person feel. Why do they want to lose 20 pounds? What is the real underlying emotional motivator?
Once you can communicate you understand the emotional triggers of your ICA you then create 5 to 7 solutions that your program or service offers that solves those specific pain points.
Communicate that you understand the problem and then tell them how you are going to solve it.
Problem # 1 = Solution # 1 and so on.
Step 3: Brainstorm key points that the prospect must know about you and your solution before being ready to invest.
What content do you need to create that educates the prospect on why your program or service is the perfect fit for them?
Assume the prospect has no idea who you are, what you do, how you do it, why it matters to them and why you are the exact right person to solve their problem. It’s your responsibility to educate the prospect in a way that builds rapport and hooks them in so they want to know more.
This step also includes overcoming objections. Think of all of the reasons why a prospect would object to investing in your program. Phrase them as questions and then provide answers.
Below are some common objections posed as questions; think of how your program or service could support a prospect to overcome that challenge.
Q: What if I work full time and don’t have time to prepare food on a daily basis?
Q: I don’t like to cook. Will I have to cook a lot?
Q: I don’t like to exercise. Can I still get results if I don’t exercise?
Q: Will I feel hungry?
Step 4: Have a list of specific promo dates.
This is specific to a program or service launch, not if you are offering a free transformation conversion consultation call.
As you build out your email sales funnel you want to have a list of promo dates handy so that you can create content to support the promo efforts.
5. Collect testimonials and share your awesomeness.
Demonstrate how awesome you are by adding in testimonials from clients. Don’t panic if you are just starting out… you can get testimonials from friends, family or colleagues that you’ve helped.
I’m sure you’ve given free advice to at least 5 people that wouldn’t mind writing you a glowing testimonial of how you’ve helped them. It doesn’t need to be specific to your program.
The testimonials job is to highlight the fact that you’ve helped other people so you can definitely help the prospect too.
Ok, so now that you’ve done all of this upfront work it’s time to map out your email sales funnel sequence.
Map Your Email Sales Funnel
Email Marketing Sales Funnel # 1:
To get the prospect to signup for a free transformational conversion consultation (AKA discovery call/assessment/free consult).
NOTE: The goal of the consult is to have the prospect enroll in a program or service.
Prospects from social media, a blog/website, free speaking engagements, referrals etc. are directed to a lead magnet where they enter their name and email. The email sales funnel starts immediately after they hit the submit button.
After the prospect runs through this email sales funnel they will continue to receive your weekly newsletter.
Email Marketing Sales Funnel # 2:
To get the prospect to click on your call to action links within the emails that take them to a sales page where you are selling an program or service.
The job of these emails is to pre-sell the prospect and to ‘get the click’. You want prospects to click on the call to action links within your emails because they want to know more about what you have to offer.
This email sequence is designed to promote a specific program or service during a dedicated period of enrolment (open cart). These emails are created around a dated schedule to support specific promotional efforts.
Promotional efforts to include (all of these are optional):
Enrolment open
Fast action bonus announcement
Fast action bonus deadline
Early bird price discount announcement
Early bird price discount deadline
Webinar or live call announcement
Webinar or live call reminder
Webinar or live call replay
Last chance bonus announcement
Last chance bonus reminder
Enrolment deadline 24 hour reminder
Enrolment deadline/last chance
The length of your email marketing sequence and the number of days between emails will vary based on the number of emails you include. A typical launch is 7 to 10 days. You can extend the launch and add in more content emails if the price of your program is higher than $200.
As you can see it’s important to follow through with steps 1-5 before you sit down to write your email marketing sales funnel. Writing emails that convert is a work of science and art.
Here are some tips to help make email writing easier for you:
Save promotional emails from people you follow online
Study promotional emails and look for common themes
Always be yourself – add in your humor and science if that’s who you are
Don’t worry about sending too many emails
Always send two emails on a deadline day
WIIFM – what’s in it for me? How is your content providing value to the prospect?
Study copywriting
The more clear you are on your ICA and the problem/solution your program offers the more successful your email marketing sales funnel campaign will be
Phew… you made it! Save this post so you can use it as a guide as you build out your own email marketing sales funnels.
The more time you invest in doing the prep work (research and writing), the easier it’s going to be in the long run and the more clients you’ll get as a result of your efforts. I promise.
Stay tuned for part 3 where I teach how to write better sales copy. It’s kind of like mad libs where you plug in certain words to make awesome sentences and stories. Fun times!
Commit to learning this stuff. Acknowledge the overwhelm. Then take a deep breath and work through the lesson one step at a time.
Remember, it’s all about progress, not perfection. You’ve got this!
P.S. I’m going to be pumping out loads of awesome and really helpful content in the next couple of weeks as I get ready to open enrolment up for The Wellness Business Academy.
Also – if you have friends or colleagues who are struggling to startup and grow their health and wellness businesses please forward them this post. I am always grateful for any referrals you send my way!
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