After taking a month off to gather my life together and move it 1,600 miles north, its tough to get back into old habits.
Six weeks ago everything was comfortable. I had a rhythm. Things fit onto a calendar, they got done like clockwork without reminders. Now, I’m resetting todo lists to rebuild habits so I don’t forget which day to what thing. I have to admit its been tough. Not because I don’t want to do them, but because I’m not just trying to rebuild habits, I’m also trying to stop my new bad habits. I started sleeping later, staying up later. I had a few more beers a week than normal, more fast food than a human should consume.
Disruption takes two forms. It can be easy, slipping into the path of least resistance and allowing any change to happen – Good or bad. Or it can be hard, being intentional with the changes and morphing something into a better form. This takes patience, forgiveness and a vision.
So, how intentional are you going to be?
Onto this weeks newsletter:
– Getting cold emails read.
– The second most important emails you should send every week.
– The super secret trick to writing more effective emails… Hitting send! – A mash of hot links.
Starting cold
Personalization matters more in emails than anything else. But, there’s a difference between being personal and being a stalker.
Being personal means you’re direct and honest, talking straight and clear with your intentions. It also means you are being clear with how it will benefit the other person while showing your humanity. Be professional and succinct, don’t dox them. In the end, you want them to take action, not just open. If you’re only measuring open rates, then spam away. But, if you actually want to achieve something meaningful, stop doxxing and start personalizing.
If you’re ending your email with, “if you’re not the right person, can you point me to who is” you need to stop. Talk to the person directly and value them. Using this line is just signaling that you actually want to speak with someone else and any other person is just in the way.
How To Write a Great Cold Email That Will Actually Get a Response
A proper ending
This is an amazing guide for sending follow-up emails. I say that not just because I love the Brass Ring newsletter and its author (who also wrote this guide), but because it gets to the most critical point. The best follow-up email is the one you actually send! “These follow-ups are designed to elicit responses. But even if it doesn’t work out in your favor, there’s an additional benefit: You did everything possible. You didn’t leave open loops, wonder “what if,” or let opportunities dangle.”
Perfect Your Post-Interview Follow-Up Email With These Templates | Forge
Hitting send
I think we undervalue email. Over the last month I’ve sent a lot of emails. Hundreds. More emails a day than I ever have in a 30 day timeframe. In that time I’ve learned that the most important email is the one we don’t send.
There are so many guides to teach how to send the perfect email. All of them are fine, but they miss the main point. If you’re thinking about sending an email to someone, maybe for business or personal, don’t worry about its layout or structure or anything else. Just hit send. That is the most important step. We miss so many opportunities by not sending more email. This is true for us personally and is true for our communication with customers in a marketing/sales role.
The biggest trick to getting your email read? Send it.
Hot links
- Digital Marketing in 5 Steps: cutting through the noise — from campaigns to strategies
- Top 40+ eCommerce Case Studies
- How To Implement a Keyword Strategy – Nick Eubanks
This is a great guide and totally worth your time to read and review your current strategy. I’ve also added this to the Digital Marketing Resources Google Sheets repo. If you haven’t already, give the resource list a look. If you have anything to add, ping me!
Throwback: Taking risks when your stuck in a loop | Get Better Friday
I’m still setting up my studio/office/WFH space/gaming nook, so no video this week. Instead, here is a video I made waay back in October of last year about when you feel like you’re stuck and can’t move. I know I was feeling this way recently! How do you make a change when you feel stuck? Email me!
The times when you feel like the tide was pulled out and your boat is stuck in the sand. These are good moments because they give us the chance to look at the macro. But sometimes we have this feeling not because we have free time, but because we’re stuck in a loop. Recently I heard the phrase, “If you want the things you’ve never had, you have to do the things you’ve never done.”
Taking Risks When You’re Stuck in a Loop – Leadership in Marketing
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