If you are not using the 9 word email in your email strategy, you should be.
So what is it? Dean Jackson, a brilliant marketer, and friend of mine created the 9-word email as a way to get more responses to his emails and build better relationships (and sales from) those who receive it.
What is the 9 Word Email
Here's how it works. It's very, very simple. The subject line of that email is their name. So the entirety of the subject line is Don or Mary or whatever their name actually is. Then the body copy of that email is a simple question. Are you still looking for ______?
That's it. Nothing else. No name, no logo, no button to click. No anything.
Their name, a simple question. Are you still looking for blank? And you send it.
Watch this Video to Learn all About the 9 Word Email
9 Word Email Examples
Let me give you several examples of the 9 word email in use.
The subject line is their name, then the body could be:
- Are you still looking at growing your blog traffic?
- Are you still looking to get rid of your stress?
- Are you still looking to have your house painted?
- Are you still considering buying a new car?
Notice it can be like different versions of those words.
Why the 9 Word Email Works
First off, this is a very personal message. It's personal because you would never send this to somebody unless they had expressed to you an interest in something.
If they have opted in to get a report about improving email deliverability, then you can follow the standard email marketing practice of giving them a series of emails helping them to get their emails delivered into the inboxes of the recipients.
Then three months later, you can send them a nine-word email that says, are you still looking to improve your email deliverability?
Some people will respond with a no. The emails you’ve sent have done the job.
But others will still be looking. And you can use the conversation that originates from this email to sell them your course, your DFY services, coaching, consulting, etc.
It Works Because it’s Simple
And here's the thing that I love about this. People tend to respond to simple, direct questions that are targeted right at their needs.
The beautiful thing is there's, there's nothing here that says, click here to do something. So what do they do? They hit reply and they talk to you.
The 9-word email starts a personal conversation that conversation with the people who are still looking to have their problems solved. That conversation turns into a stronger relationship, which makes it easier for you to eventually make a sale.
Improved Deliverability
And by the way, this significantly improves your email deliverability because they've responded to you and Gmails and Hotmails and Comcasts of the world (the ESPs - Email Service Providers) say, “Oh, clearly they wanted to talk to this person because they responded to their email.”
So, your deliverability score improves as a result!
Variations on the 9 Word Email
Let me throw out two variations. These, by the way, come from an email, that Dean Jackson recently sent out. Giving full credit where it's due - this whole thing is his idea. I don't take any credit. I'm just being the reporter here.
Variation 1: “Would you like to get started on?”
For example, “would you like to get started on getting your book done?”
This variation is even stronger when you put a time on it. For example: “would you like to get started on getting your book done in the next month?”
Or, “would you like to get started on getting your book written in the next six months?”
Whatever the timeframe you put into your question, it works because people have oftentimes been working on their book for a long time. It's maybe been a dream of theirs for 23 years. So “would you like to get started on getting this done in the next month?” can be very compelling.
Variation 2: “Would you like to join us now?”
This question needs a sentence before it to put it into context.
For example: “I'm putting together a small group of people to discuss how to make our Facebook ads better. Would you like to join us?”
That's it. No button, no buy now, no anything that's like that. Would you like to join us? with that context sentence before it.
Keys to Success in Using the 9 Word Email
1. Their need must be real
First is the the need you’re asking about in your question has to be a real need that you know they have.
You will better results if you don’t just send out a generic question to your email list. For example “are you still looking to grow your business online?” won’t perform nearly as well as a more specific question, like “are you still looking to get more people to attend your webinars?”
You know they’ve had that question in the past because they opted in to get a report on that specific subject. The only question is if they still have that need and how badly it’s bothering them. It's a real, specific, need, not a generic one like build your business online.
2. Just follow the formula
Secondly, just ask the question. This is the one thing that I and everybody else does. We all feel like “I should be doing something else here.” Shouldn't I put a button that they click or something like that?
No, just ask the question.
Nothing else. Not even your name.
So they'll click reply and just respond to you.
2. Engage, don’t sell
The purpose of this email is to engage or re-engage, not to outright sell them. That sell comes later on in the conversation, but in this email you're only trying to start the relationship back up again, or improve it.
3. Use their name
Next use their name – it’s such an unusual subject line that it invites opens.
This is another reason, by the way, why it's important to collect names when people opt in. Don't just collect peoples’ email address, get their name too.
Here’s a video where I talk more about the importance of collecting people's names in opt-in forms.4. Don’t send this to your whole list
You probably don't want to send this out to your email list of 200,000 highly engaged people because you're going to get swamped.
You've got to give them some kind of personal answer when they do that and you need to do it quickly, or the whole building the relationship part of this strategy goes up in smoke.
How to Answer When they Reply to your 9 Word Email
Sometimes people respond to your nine-word email with the word yes. Great. So then what do you send them?
I’ve found the best reply is “Do you want to talk about it?”
Remember, the whole purpose of this strategy is to build a relationship by starting or continuing a conversation.
So you don’t immediately say, “great, check out this video.” That's not what a normal human being does.
And it's not go over here to my calendar link and click to talk about it. Again, normal humans both don’t have calendly links and they wouldn’t reply with one.
No, a real human being would probably say something like, you want to talk about it?
If they answer yes, now you make it easier for them to talk with you by giving them your calendly link. “Here's my calendly link. Let's talk.”
If, on the other hand, they answer, no, they’re telling you their not yet open to a conversation, so that’s a good time for you to say “here's a video that might help you,” or “that will give you some hints on how to do that.”
Try the 9 Word Email Yourself
This strategy is incredibly powerful. (Thanks, Dean, for sharing it with us!)
I strongly encourage you to experiment and figure out ways to use the nine word email in your marketing strategy.
It starts a conversation that can turn into amazing things on the backend.
Have you tried this? What's your thoughts about this? Let me know in the comments. This is Don Crowther saying, just go do this stuff.