Ever sent an email, crossed your fingers… and got crickets?

No replies. No clicks. No sales. Just that awkward silence and the sinking feeling that your message missed the mark.

We’ve all been there. And it stings, especially when you know your offer is good. But what if I told you those flat, lifeless emails aren’t dead? They’re just sleeping. And with a few simple tweaks, you can jolt them awake and turn them into high-converting, profit-pulling machines.

In this episode, I roll up my sleeves and get hands-on with real emails from real people. I break them down, rebuild them live, and show you exactly how to inject life, emotion, and action into every line. You’ll see the exact strategies I use to transform “meh” messages into inbox blockbusters.

So if you’ve ever hit “send” and heard nothing back, keep reading. This is your moment to take control, rewrite the rules, and finally get your emails working for you. Let’s turn that silence into sales.

Want to get more sales from your email marketing?

Before we get started with today’s episode, we’ve put a little something together for you.

It's really cool and it's FREE (yes, it's cool and free – we're nice like that).

There's 1 email strategy that has brought in over 8,000+ customers (and $Millions) into our business. It's called the “Fast & Forever” framework. And now, for the first time ever, we're sharing that with you (HERE)

You'll get a One-Sheet with the entire framework – PLUS – a full masterclass walking you through each element of the framework so that you can use it in your business too. Click here to get access to it.

---

The Shocking Truth About Why Your Emails Flop

You pour your heart into an email. You hit send. Then… nothing. No replies. No clicks. No sales. Just digital tumbleweeds.

Here’s the truth: most emails fail because they forget something big. Context.

Emails don’t happen in a vacuum. People don’t randomly wake up and think, “Oh! I hope someone sells me something in my inbox today.” No. They just visited your landing page. They just signed up for your freebie. They’re expecting something specific. And if your email doesn’t remind them of why they gave you their email address, you lose them.

Meet Paul: The Email That Was Almost Great

Paul is a smart guy. He helps businesses with automation, and he created a lead magnet, a bundle of AI tools to help coaches work faster and smarter. His email said: “Your AI resource bundle is here.”

Not bad.

But when I looked closer, it was missing the sparkle. It welcomed readers to “the AI revolution” (meh), listed what was inside like a shopping receipt (boring), and didn’t make anyone feel anything.

And here’s the secret sauce: People only act when they feel something. If you don’t stir emotion, you won’t see action.

Turn a PDF Into a Crown Jewel

You know what happens when you treat your free gift like it’s “just a PDF”? People treat it like junk mail. You toss them a file like it’s nothing… they treat it like nothing.

But if you hold it with both hands, like it’s royalty-level treasure, they perk up. It’s the difference between handing someone a crumpled flyer versus placing a golden envelope on a velvet cushion.

So, we made Paul's email do this:

• We painted the bundle like it was a secret weapon.
  
• We used vivid language to trigger desire.
  
• We made the reader feel like they were about to unlock something powerful.
  

The Easy Button Every Coach Wants

Instead of saying “Welcome to the AI revolution,” we rewrote it to say something like:

“Congrats! You’re about to hit the easy button. When you have just a few AI tools quietly working for you, your coaching business can grow faster than was even possible six months ago.”

See the difference?

Now it’s emotional. Now it makes the reader feel excited, curious, and empowered.

Then we cranked it up again:

“Don’t be surprised if people think you’ve hired a whole team. You kind of have. But they’re not people. They’re AI assistants. Working 24/7. At a fraction of the cost.”

Boom. Now we’re not just delivering a file, we’re delivering a whole new reality.

Stop Saying “List”, Say “Treasure Map”

Next, we tackled the bullet points. Originally, Paul wrote:

• Comprehensive AI tools list
  
• Ready-to-use prompts
  
• Image and video prompts
  
• Chatbot setup instructions
  

Snooze, right?

We transformed them into emotional benefits:

• My handpicked, battle-tested AI tools – I’ve sifted through the junk so you don’t have to. These tools actually work.
  
• Custom prompts that write for you – Emails, ads, texts, done in seconds. High-converting magic without breaking a sweat.
  
• Instant image and video creation – No models. No camera. No problem. Get pro-level visuals without paying pros.
  
• Chatbot success kit – Forget instructions. You get a chatbot that works, not one you have to wrestle with.
  

Now the bullets don’t just inform, they sell. Each one tells the reader, “This will save you time, money, and effort.” That’s value.

Why One Emotion, One Action Wins Every Time

Most emails try to do too much. They ask you to:

• Read the list
  
• Download the thing
  
• Reply with your thoughts
  
• Click the next link
  
• Watch a video
  

Too much! When you ask for everything, people do nothing.

So I teach what I call the “Rule of One”:

• One main emotion (like hope)
  
• One clear message
  
• One call to action
  

That’s it.

In Paul’s case, we kept the call to action laser-focused: “Download the bundle. Feel the power.” We pushed the second ask, “Reply with your time-waster”, to a follow-up email. That way, each email has one job. And it does it brilliantly.

The Power of Presentation (And a Funny Tea Trick)

Here’s a quick story. I used to joke with friends. I’d say, “Want some tea?” Then I’d walk in with an empty mug, holding it with both hands like it was full of hot water. As I reached them, I’d pretend to trip.

They’d leap back in fear.

Why? Because of how I held the cup made it felt real.

Your emails work the same way. Handle your content like it’s worth something, and readers will believe it is. When you treat your free gift like gold, so will your audience. That’s how you make them want it.

From Fizzle to Fire: What This Means for You

So what did we do for Paul’s email?

• Rewrote the subject line to match what readers were expecting.
  
• Made the intro emotionally charged and curiosity-rich.
  
• Turned flat bullet points into exciting benefits.
  
• Followed the Rule of One to keep things clear and powerful.
  
• Presented the free gift like it was made of gold.
  

The result? A once “okay” email turned into a conversion machine.

And here’s the best part: you can do this too. Every email you send has the potential to go from failing to fantastic, with just a few changes in tone, structure, and emotion.

Ready to Flip the Switch on Your Emails?

If your emails feel dead, dull, or just blah, don’t throw them away. Rework them. Inject emotion. Make readers feel something. Show them what’s in it for them. Present your content like it’s priceless.

Because when you do that, your emails don’t just land in inboxes… they land in bank accounts.

So go ahead. Rewrite that email. Reignite that list. And watch your inbox turn into a profit machine.

Related episodes

The Affiliate Marketing Playbook: How to Make Sales Without Annoying Your List

Webinars That Sell: Insider Secrets from Jason Fladlien!

How to Use Storytelling in Your Emails to Get a 22% Higher Open Rate

FREE list of the top 10 books to improve your email marketing

If you want to write better emails, come up with better content, and move your readers to click and buy, here's how. We put together this list of our Top 10 most highly recommended books that will improve all areas of your email marketing (including some underground treasures that we happened upon, which have been game-changing for us). Grab your FREE list here. 

Join our FREE Facebook group

If you want to chat about how you can maximise the value of your email list and make more money from every subscriber, we can help! We know your business is different, so come and hang out in our FREE Facebook group, the Email Marketing Show Community for Course Creators and Coaches. We share a lot of training and resources, and you can talk about what you're up to.

Try ResponseSuite for $1

This week's episode is sponsored by ResponseSuite.com, the survey quiz and application form tool that we created specifically for small businesses like you to integrate with your marketing systems to segment your subscribers and make more sales. Try it out for 14 days for just $1.

Grab The Email Hero Blueprint

Want more? Let's say you're a course creator, membership site owner, coach, author, or expert and want to learn about the ethical psychology-based email marketing that turns 60-80% more of your newsletter subscribers into customers (within 60 days).

If that's you, then The Email Hero Blueprint is for you.

This is hands down the most predictable, plug-and-play way to double your earnings per email subscriber. It allows you to generate a consistent sales flow without launching another product, service, or offer. Best news yet? You won't have to rely on copywriting, slimy persuasion, NLP, or ‘better' subject lines.

Subscribe and review The Email Marketing Show podcast

Thanks so much for tuning into the podcast! If you enjoyed this episode (all about how to kick off an email reactivation campaign and get back on the email marketing wagon) and love the show, we'd really appreciate you subscribing and leaving us a review of the show on your favourite podcast player.

Not only does it let us know you're out there listening, but your feedback helps us to keep creating the most useful episodes so more awesome people like you can discover the podcast. 

And please do tell us! If you don't spend time on email marketing, what do you really fill your working days with? We'd love to know!