Man, oh man…

You are gonna LOVE this.

I’ve discovered this new online marketing tactic that is going to BLOW YOUR FREAKING MIND!

Are you ready for it?

You sure?

Ok, here it is…

Actually Give A Shit About The People On Your List

It’s kind of sad that I have to write this.

It really is.

But, someone’s gotta do it.

So I’ll be the guy who steps up the to the plate.

The reason I’m writing this article today is because (1) my accountability group will take turns flogging and publicly shaming me if I don’t publish something this week…

…and (2) because the world of online marketing is changing… and you need to get hip to this big shifts in our industry if you want to survive and thrive.

So back in the day – from what I can ascertain by studying the dead sea scrolls of Internet Marketing lore – things used to be a little different.

These were simpler times, with simpler pleasures.

Member when you used to LIKE getting emails?

They even made a movie about that shit. Fuckin rom-com with my boy Tommy Hanks:

You could just build a list of anonymous strangers… and push out shitty offers to people day after day…

And…

… they…

… LOVED IT!

“Holy crap, I’ve got mail!”

It was new. And now the honeymoon phase of email has worn off.

Things have changed.

Email marketing got super popular because of how profitable it is.

And everyone started doing it.

So now, your inbox situation probably looks something like this:

This is a snapshot from my Unrollme account. 1,181 new subscriptions. (How the F did this happen?) No matter… I will DEFINITELY read every single one.

Everyone’s Email Inbox Is Like This. Most Peoples’ Inboxes Are Even Worse.

So…. how then do YOU stand out?

Here’s the answer…

You care.

You… actually… give… a… shit.

Here’s What I Mean

Eugene Schwartz is famous for saying in his book Breakthrough Advertising:

The customer isn’t stupid, she is your wife.

The people on your list aren’t anonymous.

They are real.

Flesh and blood.

Just like you.

They have wants and fears and hopes and dreams and goals and needs.

On top of that, these people have access to Google. And Facebook. And Twitter. And Insta. And Snapchat.

They will find you.

They will quickly learn if you are full of shit or if you are the real deal.

So here’s a novel idea…

When you’re interacting with your list: Just. Be. You.

And be cool.

And treat people you want to be treated.

• People realize when you “reopen” the cart because of ____ reasons.
• People realize that you don’t actually have limited amounts of your eBook available for sale.
• People realize that you’re gearing up for a launch when you haven’t connected with them in months… and now you’re being suspiciously friendly all of a sudden.

It’s not hard to care about the people on your list.

I’m Creating An Email Copywriting Course. And This Idea Is The Pillar Behind My Entire Philosophy.

I’ve learned, through the experiments with my own email list, that people really like when you are honest with them.

Of course, I don’t understand the definition of moderation.

So I practice extreme honesty.

If I’m going to sell them something, I tell them.

I even make a joke of it. “Brace yourself… here comes the pitch!”

If I’m promoting a product as an affiliate, I let them know I am going to be getting paid to do so. I also let them know I only promote products I myself have actually bought and paid for myself. And I don’t promote shit just because everyone else is promoting it.

This is obviously a huge personal preference… and I’m not saying that EVERYONE needs to have the same philosophy… after all. I’m responsible for my business and my profitability, not yours.

I bribe people to do stuff.

Literally all the time. And I let them know I am bribing them. And they love it!

Today, I sent an email to my list asking them to fill out a survey about this new email course I’m creating. I told them straight up what my motivations were: to get feedback so I know I’m including stuff that’s important to them… and so that I don’t waste their time or mine.

And then I told them I would bribe them with a contest: I’m giving away a free coaching call and a free scholarship to a random person who fills out the survey.

(If you want in, better hop on my list and let me know. Nudge nudge.)

I know their time is valuable… and I want to reward them for helping me. Because I am grateful for that feedback.

I have turned away “easy money.” When I was launching my Royalties, Retainers and Recurring Revenue course with Kim Krause Schwalm… a few people reached out to me with specific questions about their situation and whether or not the course was right for them.

I could have lied to them and made some huge logic leaps and “convinced” them that it was right for them so I could take their money and eek out a few extra sales.

But I am not a sociopath and some things are more important than just stuffing as much money as you can in your pocket whenever you get the chance.

You know… like… being a decent human.

And besides… I now have those people’s trust for life.

So the next time the time is right and I am selling something that is super congruent with their goals, they’ll probably buy it.

One last thing…

I tell people all the time, I am in this game to make money. Straight up, homie.

I want to be rich AF.

I wanna be Scrooge McDuck.

I tell people all the time that I really could care less about saving the world right now… because I need to clean my room first.

But at the same time, I know in my heart that I will NEVER achieve my goals unless I can find ways to provide an excessive amount of value to the people who follow me. I know the only way I am going to get rich AF is by helping everyone on my list solve their biggest, hairiest, nastiest problems. And I know that’s going to be hard work. And I know it’s going to take the rest of my life to figure out. And it’s going to mean long hours and a lot of stress and going above and beyond for my people. And it’s going to mean finding ways to be a better option than every other course creator/consultant/copywriter out there. It is literally the only way.

But I know that if I can change people’s lives, there is a great financial reward for that. And I’m willing to work my ass off for my people to make that happen.

Is It All A Facade?

When I was at CCL, a copywriter who is on my list approached me in the bar and asked me, point blank, how much of my “persona” is made up for my business.

I laughed.

I thought he was joking at first.

But he was dead serious.

I wish I was a good actor. I wish I could correct all of my flaws and be a more perfect person. But I can’t. And I was kind of taken aback by the question.

So I told him, “I’m really good at being me… and I’m not really good at being someone else. And idk what else I can tell you so I guess you’re just gonna have to hang out with me over the course of this conference and draw your own conclusions.”

It was kind of weird.

He then went on to say that my “voice” and “personality” is exactly like it was in my emails.

And in my head I was like “yeah… no shit bro.”

Lol.

He was obviously expecting something different than what he got.

But then I realized… there are a lot of people on our lists who think all of this is a facade. I can’t fault this guy for having his guard up and thinking that “this is the norm.”

This whole online business world is full of sociopaths who literally act one way to get your money and then are a completely different person online.

And the thing is… he’s NOT wrong for thinking that.

There ARE a lot of people like that.

It’s kind of sad. And terrifying.

But that’s the landscape.

And for a while, you COULD be like that and get away with that.

But You Can’t Get Away With Being Someone Else Anymore.

You just can’t.

So as you’re going about, building your business… you really gotta think about this stuff.

People aren’t dumb.

You might think they are.

And they see through your bullshit.

That’s why my tiny list of 454 people is super responsive. That’s why people buy products when I recommend them. That’s why people continue to read my stuff.

Because I just try to be me and help the people who read my shit to get to the next step in whatever their journey is.

And I think if YOU have an online business should do the same.

Because longevity in this game only happens when you’re real with people.

And it only ever happens if you truly care.