EMM07: "Emails From Haters" by Ramit Sethi
Sometime in October 2018, my friend Cole gathered a group of our friends together and said something like this:
"You know how fiction writers do National Novel Writing Month in November? I think we should do something similar. It doesn't have to be writing a novel. But we should all take on some sort of ambitious creative project for the month. Then, at the end of the month, we'll share them with each other."
Not long after that, I was driving up I-65 from Nashville to Louisville when I got an idea:
I could write 29 sales pages in 29 days. Then, on the 30th day, I could write a "digest" of the experience.
At the time, I was still doing a lot of content writing, and I wanted to write more sales pages. I found (and still do find) them incredibly fascinating and fun. But I wasn't getting many of these projects from clients.
So I took matters into my own hands.
My only "rule" for the project was that I would try to keep my sales pages around 1,000 words. Otherwise, I would get incredibly burnt out.
So from November 1, 2018 - November 29, 2018, I wrote 1 sales page each day and sent an email out to my tiny, tiny list to let them know I had done the thing I promised.
I learned a lot during that project:
At the right dose, Four Roses bourbon is a great writing aid.
If you need to write, the first and most important step is sitting down in front of your computer. If you can do that and get your fingers moving, magic happens more often than you'd expect.
If you're good at it, copywriting is kind of like magic.
That last item is key.
I'm not saying that, by becoming a good copywriter, you can sell anything. Product-market fit is important too.
But if you're good at writing copy, you can sell a whole hell of a lot of things.
It's like having a special power. And you can use it for good or evil.
This "black magic" power of copywriting is one of the reasons I like Ramit Sethi so much.
He's well-versed in copywriting. He even has his own copywriting course called Call To Action.
He uses the most powerful elements of copywriting to sell his products.
But from what I've seen, he never veers into the sleazy, dark side of copywriting, which is filled with fake scarcity, fake quotes, and products that are so shitty they might as well be fake.
Ramit's courses are good. His students get results.
In my opinion, this is exactly how copywriting should be used. It should be combined with a good, ethical business owner and good, effective courses / products.
That's why, in today's episode of Email Marketing Motivation, I'm happy to feature an email from Ramit. Let's check it out.
The Piece
Subject: Emails from haters
Lessons We Can Learn From This Piece
1. Lean on curiosity.
Curiosity is one of the strongest elements of copywriting. And good copywriters know how to weave curiosity throughout their copy so that readers are compelled to keep reading.
Each sentence gives them juuuust a little bit more information, yet still makes them realize they need to keep reading to get the full picture.
Joseph Sugarman calls this "the slippery slope."
The purpose of each sentence is to get someone to read the next one.
You can do this in many different ways, but when it comes to your subject line — curiosity is a great way to grab someone's attention and get them to open your email.
If you're on Ramit's list, this subject line, "Emails from haters" is likely to grab your attention.
Why?
It implies conflict. It hints that there's something you don't know. It piques your curiosity.
So when it comes to your own subject lines, lean on curiosity. Give readers a tiny bit of information, but make it clear they don't have the full picture.
2. Say something unexpected (and true).
The first sentence of this email is great for 2 reasons:
First, because it's completely unexpected.
Who actually likes waking up to email from someone hating them?
Well — that leads into the second reason it's great:
Second, because it's true to who Ramit is.
Ramit has said before that the first thing he does when he wakes up is checks his phone.
If you know this about him, then there's implied credibility when he says that he "woke up" to an email from someone hating him.
Beyond that — if you've followed Ramit for a while, you know he's no stranger to conflict. So when he says he loves getting emails from haters…
You actually believe it.
By saying something that is both unexpected and true in the opening line of this email, Ramit hooks you and implores you to keep reading.
3. Use email as material for your email.
Wait… what?
I know that sounds like a riddle, but it's actually not. Here's what I mean:
If you have an email list… and you email that list on a regular basis… eventually, someone is going to respond.
(Especially if you write entertaining emails like I teach in Stories That Sell.)
When that happens, pay attention. Because you might be able to write an email about it.
That's exactly what Ramit has done with this email. He's taken an email that someone wrote to him and turned it into content for his email list.
This is even cooler when you consider the fact that, whoever wrote this email to Ramit wanted to use it as a weapon to tear him down…
But by writing an email to his list about it, Ramit has transformed it into a tool to build his business up.
This is one of the best ways to deal with your haters. Transform their hate into money in your bank account and more fans on your list.
4. Transition smoothly.
Check out the final 4 paragraphs of this email, they're genius:
"Aside from emails from haters like the guy above, I get awesome emails from awesome people all the time. I forward them along to my CEO friends who are hiring (giving them an inside track) or TV producers I know.
A single email introduction can get you in front of hundreds of thousands of people — and I’m happy to do it!
If you want to know how to grab a busy person’s attention (and get them to help you), watch your inbox tomorrow morning.
I’ll share an email that got me to respond in 30 seconds."
This is a beautiful example of a transition in an email. Ramit transitions from the topic of this email ("emails from haters") to the thing he really wants you to do:
"Watch your inbox tomorrow morning."
How does he do it?
He switches the content of the email from the "hater" to YOU, the reader.
Email isn't just a way to deliver hateful messages — it's also a way to connect with the people you really want to reach.
He shows you the thing you want (getting "in front of hundreds of thousands of people")…
And then hints that he can help you get it if you "watch your inbox tomorrow morning."
Also notice the curiosity in the final line:
"I'll share an email that got me to respond in 30 seconds."
Ramit is a busy guy. If an email got him not just to respond — but to respond in 30 seconds, it was probably a damn good email.
As a reader, you start thinking:
"If I could learn how to get someone like Ramit's attention — that could create sooo many opportunities for me!"
So you pay attention.
5. Give readers a chance to connect on a deeper level.
Check out the P.S. of this email.
"P.S. If you thought that email was bad, you haven’t seen anything yet. If you’re morbidly curious, check out this video of James Altucher and me reading our hate mail out loud."
Your call-to-action does not always have to be "buy this product."
Sometimes, it's totally okay to include a lighthearted call-to-action like this. And it's even better when it's done strategically.
This email is one of the first emails in a launch sequence (maybe the very first). And its purpose is to grab your attention and pique your curiosity. So the CTA is two-fold:
First, watch your inbox for tomorrow's email.
Second, watch a video that helps you develop a deeper connection and level of trust with Ramit.
In the emails that follow, the CTA will transition into a product pitch. And that's exactly what should happen.
So don't be afraid to make your CTA something "soft" like watching a video or listening to a podcast.
But also make sure you don't become reliant on soft pitches. Use the trust and goodwill you build up in those emails as a reason to include more direct CTAs in other emails.
How To Apply These Lessons To Your Email Marketing ASAP
Here's a quick summary of the lessons from this piece:
Lean on curiosity.
Say something unexpected (and true).
Use email as material for your email.
Transition smoothly.
Give readers a chance to connect on a deeper level.
And here's how you can apply them to your email marketing:
Write your own "hate mail" email.
Have you ever gotten a nasty email from a subscriber?
What did they say?
Was it justified?
Did you respond?
What did you learn?
If you've never gotten a nasty email from a subscriber — write an email about a time when someone said something rude to you in real life.
Whether you write an email about hate mail you've received or a rude comment from someone, your goals are the same:
Transition into how that story relates to your reader.
Include a "soft" CTA at the end to engage with a piece of your content (watch a video, listen to a podcast, read an article, etc.)
Here's What You Should Do Next
Thanks for reading Email Marketing Motivation. Here's what you should do next:
Click here and join my email list. I'll give you a heads up when I publish the next episode of Email Marketing Motivation, AND you'll get free access to my subject line copywriting handbook, Subject Line Shortcuts.
Share this article with someone — or a group of people — who would like it. They'll be impressed by how smart and thoughtful you are.
Check out my course, Stories That Sell, if you want my comprehensive guide on how to write storytelling emails that earn more money for your business and help you connect with your audience in a genuine way.