Invisible Selling Machine

1. Email marketing remains powerful, but requires a strategic approach

"Email is an incredible selling medium, but there's one big, huge glaring problem. According to Fortune Magazine, the average person receives 147 emails per day. Yikes!"

The email landscape has changed. While email marketing remains a potent tool for businesses, the sheer volume of messages competing for attention necessitates a more sophisticated approach. Gone are the days when simply having a large list guaranteed success. Today's effective email marketers focus on engagement, relevance, and strategic sequencing of messages.

Key elements of modern email marketing:

• Segmentation: Tailoring messages to specific subscriber interests
• Automation: Creating triggered email sequences based on subscriber behavior
• Value-first approach: Prioritizing helpful content over constant sales pitches
• Mobile optimization: Ensuring emails display well on smartphones and tablets
• Analytics: Continuously measuring and improving email performance metrics

2. The Invisible Selling Machine: A 5-phase email marketing system

"The Invisible Selling Machine will give you an unfair advantage over 98% of your competition by deploying a simple, copy-and-paste "method" I discovered after hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars in trial and error of selling my own products and services."

A systematic approach to email marketing. The Invisible Selling Machine is a comprehensive framework designed to nurture leads, convert customers, and maximize lifetime value. This system recognizes that different subscribers are at various stages of the buying journey and require tailored communication.

The 5 phases of the Invisible Selling Machine:

1. Indoctrination: Introduce new subscribers to your brand and values
2. Engagement: Provide value and make relevant offers to interested prospects
3. Ascension: Encourage customers to make additional, higher-value purchases
4. Segmentation: Categorize subscribers based on interests and behaviors
5. Re-engagement: Reactivate dormant subscribers or prune unengaged contacts

By implementing this system, businesses can create a more predictable and scalable email marketing strategy that continuously nurtures relationships and drives sales.

3. Indoctrination: Turn strangers into friends through strategic welcome emails

"If you craft this first Indoctrination email (called the Welcome Email) properly, you'll be much more likely to convert this lead to a customer. More importantly, you'll turn a stranger into a friend of you and your brand."

First impressions matter. The Indoctrination phase is crucial for setting the tone of your relationship with new subscribers. A well-crafted welcome sequence helps build trust, establishes expectations, and primes subscribers for future engagement.

Key elements of an effective Indoctrination series:

• Personal introduction: Share your story and brand values
• Set expectations: Explain what type of content they'll receive and how often
• Deliver immediate value: Provide a quick win or helpful resource
• Encourage engagement: Ask subscribers to whitelist your email address and connect on social media
• Create anticipation: Tease upcoming content or offers to maintain interest

By focusing on building a connection rather than immediate sales, you lay the groundwork for a more receptive audience when you do make offers in the future.

4. Engagement: Convert prospects into customers with targeted offers

"The goal of an Engagement Series is to make an initial sale to a prospect that has shown interest in something. They've been segmented by opting in with their email address to receive that 'something' and will now begin receiving an email series intended to sell them a product or service that corresponds with that interest."

Strategic selling through email. The Engagement phase is where you transition from building rapport to making offers. However, it's crucial to maintain relevance by aligning your products or services with the specific interests that led subscribers to join your list.

Effective Engagement strategies:

• Use Lead Magnets to identify subscriber interests
• Create targeted email sequences for each Lead Magnet topic
• Employ the "Gain, Logic, Fear" email sequence:
  1. Highlight the benefits (Gain)
  2. Present a rational argument (Logic)
  3. Introduce scarcity or urgency (Fear)
• Adjust the length of your Engagement series based on the price point of your offer
• Continuously test and refine your messaging for optimal conversion rates

By focusing on relevance and value, you can increase the likelihood of converting subscribers into customers without appearing pushy or salesy.

5. Ascension: Maximize profit by encouraging repeat purchases

"For every offer you make to your audience, there is some percentage of buyers who would buy more."

Upselling and cross-selling. The Ascension phase recognizes that existing customers are often your best source of additional revenue. By strategically offering complementary or higher-value products, you can increase the lifetime value of each customer.

Ascension strategies:

• Immediate upsells: Offer related products immediately after a purchase
• Cross-sells: Recommend complementary products or services
• Bundles and kits: Create value-packed combinations of existing offerings
• Premium subscriptions: Encourage ongoing relationships through recurring billing
• Focus on speed and automation: Offer products or services that help customers achieve results faster or more easily

Implement Ascension campaigns thoughtfully, ensuring that each offer provides genuine value and aligns with the customer's needs and previous purchases.

6. Segmentation: Tailor your message to specific subscriber interests

"List segmentation is critical to maintaining a healthy email list with high engagement and a low unsubscribe rate. The fact, is continuing to send a subscriber emails about a topic when they are not engaged (i.e. opening, clicking, buying, opting in, etc.) is the fastest way to lose that subscriber."

Relevance drives results. Segmentation allows you to deliver more targeted, personalized content to your subscribers. This increases engagement, reduces unsubscribes, and improves overall email deliverability.

Segmentation techniques:

• Use Lead Magnets to identify specific interests
• Track subscriber behavior (opens, clicks, purchases)
• Employ surveys to gather explicit preferences
• Utilize webinar registrations to gauge topic interest
• Leverage content engagement (blog posts, videos) for insights

By segmenting your list, you can create more focused Engagement campaigns, resulting in higher conversion rates and a more satisfied subscriber base.

7. Re-engagement: Reactivate dormant subscribers and maintain list health

"Setting up a Re-Engagement and Win Back Series is the lowest of low-hanging fruit. If they were interested once, chances are they'll be interested again. You just have to give them something that will re-energize and re-engage their interest in what you have to say."

Don't neglect inactive subscribers. A significant portion of your list may become disengaged over time. Implementing a Re-engagement strategy can help you recover these subscribers, improving overall list health and potentially uncovering missed revenue opportunities.

Re-engagement tactics:

• Identify inactive subscribers (e.g., no opens or clicks in 60+ days)
• Create a dedicated Re-engagement email series
• Offer exclusive content or special promotions to inactive subscribers
• Ask for feedback or preferences to improve relevance
• Consider removing persistently unengaged subscribers to maintain list quality

By actively working to re-engage dormant subscribers, you can maximize the value of your existing list while ensuring better deliverability for your engaged subscribers.

8. Craft compelling emails with clear roles for subject lines and body copy

"Each element of your email has a single job, and the smart email marketer employs each element to do its singular job."

Strategic email composition. Understanding the distinct roles of each email component allows you to craft more effective messages that drive opens, clicks, and conversions.

Key email elements and their roles:

• Subject line: Sell the open (use curiosity or direct benefit)
• Body copy: Sell the click (provide value and a clear call-to-action)
• Landing page: Sell the opt-in or purchase (maintain congruence with email content)

Tips for effective emails:

• Test different subject line styles (curiosity vs. direct benefit)
• Use multiple links in the body copy, each with a different psychological appeal
• Maintain "scent" from subject line to body copy to landing page for consistency

By optimizing each element of your emails, you can improve overall campaign performance and drive better results.

9. Create irresistible Lead Magnets to grow your email list effectively

"Lead Magnets don't have to be lengthy. Or complex. Or time-intensive to create. In fact, a long and complex Lead Magnet will likely convert poorly. You simply need to solve a specific problem with a solution for a specific segment of your market."

Quality over quantity. An effective Lead Magnet offers immediate value to your target audience, addressing a specific pain point or desire. By focusing on creating highly relevant, easily consumable Lead Magnets, you can dramatically increase your opt-in rates and grow your email list more quickly.

8-Point Lead Magnet Checklist:

1. Offers an ultra-specific solution to an ultra-specific market
2. Promises "one big thing" (as opposed to a lot of little things)
3. Speaks to a known desired end result
4. Offers immediate gratification
5. Moves prospect down a "continuum of belief"
6. Has a high perceived value
7. Has a high ACTUAL value
8. Rapidly consumable

Examples of effective Lead Magnets:

• Case studies
• Cheat sheets or handouts
• Toolkits or resource lists
• Short video tutorials
• Quizzes or assessments

By creating Lead Magnets that adhere to these principles, you can attract more qualified leads and set the stage for successful Engagement campaigns.

Last updated: September 1, 2024