Are your emails packed with tips, tricks, and value, and still not converting? 

You're not alone. Most coaches and experts are following outdated advice that sounds smart but secretly sabotages their sales. They’re giving away knowledge, building trust… and watching buyers slip through their fingers.

Here’s the truth: “giving value” can actually push people away from buying. But there’s a smarter, tested way to turn your email list into a revenue machine, without burning out or drowning in free content.

In this article, you’ll discover the exact method that turned a $27K campaign into over $541K using the same list, same offer, and same timeframe. No fluff. No gimmicks. Just a psychological stacking system that gets results.

If you want to finally stop guessing and start selling, keep reading. This will change how you write emails forever.

Want to get more sales from your email marketing?

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

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Stop Being Helpful. It’s Hurting You.

Picture this: someone runs into the emergency room, bleeding everywhere. Their leg’s hanging off. They’re shouting, “Help me!” And the doctor says, “Let me tell you how I got into medicine.”

That’s what most emails are doing right now.

They’re talking, explaining, and “adding value” while the reader is sitting there with a major problem, one they want fixed right now. Instead of helping, you’re delaying. And in that delay, they either lose interest or go buy from someone else.

Most people think they’re being kind and helpful. But if someone’s ready to buy, sending them 10 nurturing emails is like watching them bleed out.

The 3 to 5 Percent Rule (And Why It Changes Everything)

Only 3 to 5 percent of the people on your list are ready to buy the moment they subscribe.

These are the “leg hanging off” people. They need fast help.

But instead of helping them buy, most email strategies do this:

1. Send a welcome
   
2. Nurture with free value
   
3. Wait too long to sell
   

By the time you make the offer, those buyers have gone cold. Or worse, they’ve handed their money to someone else.

This is why sales stay small even with a big list.

Step 1: Sell First, Not Last

The fix is simple: sell right away.

As soon as someone joins your list, give them a friendly welcome and then show them what’s for sale. Don’t bury your offer under layers of free content.

Think about checking into a fancy hotel. They show you the room, the gym, and then say, “Here’s the spa menu.” That’s normal. That’s helpful.

So give people the chance to buy immediately. Show them your best offer upfront. For the 3 to 5 percent who are ready, this is exactly what they want.

One business tested this with a simple 6-email sequence and made $27,401. Not bad, right?

But that was just the beginning.

Step 2: Content That Leads to the Sale

After that first sales sequence, most people stop. But there’s still 95 percent of your list that didn’t buy.

Instead of giving up or dumping them into a long value-based newsletter, do this: send a content-led sequence.

Teach something small but powerful. One technique. One tip. One piece of a framework.

Make sure the content is directly tied to your paid offer. Let people experience what it’s like to work with you without making them commit.

Then, at the end of that video or guide, make a soft offer:
“If you liked this, it’s just one piece of what we do inside the full program.”

Now they’ve tasted the result. The content was of real value, but also a preview of your offer. That makes people way more likely to buy.

Step 3: Handle the Objections Head-On

Some people will see the offer. They’ll like the content. But they’re still stuck.

Maybe they think, “It won’t work for my business,” or “I don’t have time,” or “This sounds great, but I’ve tried before.”

Now comes the objection sequence.

Ask them directly why they haven’t bought. Use a short email or survey. When you know their biggest objection, flip it into a reason to say YES.

If someone says, “I don’t have time to do email marketing,” respond with:
“Exactly! That’s why we created a six-minute-per-day system. You don’t have time to not use this.”

Objections aren’t bad. They’re clues. And when you flip them, they become buying triggers.

Step 4: Make the Risk Feel Tiny

Even with the best emails, some people still feel unsure. That’s where risk reversal changes everything.

Offer them a no-pressure way to try you out:

• A $1 trial of your membership
  
• A $500 mini-course that’s one part of your full $8,000 program
  
• A free guest pass to your live Q&A call
  

Let them step inside your world. Let them feel the transformation.

Then say, “Loved that? Great, join the full program. And we’ll subtract what you’ve already paid.”

This makes it easier for people to say YES. They already got value. They’re confident. And they’ve already paid something small. Now they’re ready for more.

Step 5: Stay Engaged for the Long Game

Some people need more time. Maybe they’re not ready. Maybe they’re busy. Maybe they just need more trust.

So don’t disappear.

Send ongoing, entertaining, engaging emails. These aren’t boring newsletters. They are stories. Rants. Hot takes. Frameworks. And yes, occasional offers.

These emails keep your brand top-of-mind. They build trust over time.

Some leads might join your list and buy two years later. That’s fine because you kept showing up.

This is the E in the system called S.C.O.R.E.

• S for Sales
  
• C for Content
  
• O for Objections
  
• R for Risk reversal
  
• E for Engagement
  

This simple structure lets you write emails once and sell forever.

Why “Giving Value” Isn’t Working Anymore

You’re not a content creator. You’re a business.

And constantly churning out free tips without context or strategy is just training your audience to expect more free stuff.

You become the free expert, not the one they buy from.

But when your emails follow the S.C.O.R.E. system, you guide people through a clear, proven path:

1. Make the offer early
   
2. Follow up with content that builds trust
   
3. Answer their objections
   
4. Lower the risk
   
5. Stay top-of-mind
   

It’s a sales engine that runs quietly in the background, working for you every single day.

From $27K to $541K With the Same Offer

Here’s what makes this approach so powerful: it doesn’t need more leads, more content, or a bigger launch.

The jump from $27,401 to $541,496 came from using this exact framework with the same product, same time window, and same subscribers.

The difference? Strategy.

By guiding people through S.C.O.R.E., you reach every type of buyer:

• The urgent ones
  
• The curious ones
  
• The cautious ones
  
• The late bloomers
  

And you never stop showing up.

Final Word: Stop Giving Value. Start Making Sales.

If you’ve been told that “giving value” builds trust, now you know the truth. It builds a nice audience but not a paying one.

People don’t need more tips. They need transformation. They need clarity. They need results.

You have that. So stop hiding it.

Let your emails sell. Let them teach. Let them overcome doubts. And let them work.

Because giving value is nice, but building a business is better.

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. 

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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.

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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.

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