18: How to use the 9-word email to get more clients
Ready for a very powerful sales email copywriting formula?
In this episode of ill communication, I’m sharing the shortest and most effective email you could write all year. I promise, if you use this magic formula the right way, you’ll revive some of the prospects who have been languishing in your sales pipeline for a while.
This episode could bring in a couple of new clients by the end of the year! This famous email formula is called the 9-word email. I personally have been using it for at least 4 years with my clients in my own business. This means I have seen firsthand how powerful it is when used properly.
This email is like the opposite of a broadcast, salesy email. It opens up the opportunity for natural human conversation and it is so effective. That’s why I’m sharing all of the do’s and don’ts so that you can perfect this email formula and start bringing in new clients now.
Topics We Cover in This Episode:
What this famous email formula is
How to use this formula to get clients
Why it’s so effective
Tips for using this email properly
How to respond to the replies
This simple formula helped me book 3 new clients with a value of $10,000, and that is the beauty of the 9-word email. I encourage you to give this a try this week to rewarm some colder prospects or tease a new offer. You’ll probably close a few more sales before the end of the year.
If you’re enjoying these snack-sized strategies, you’ll want to join my VIP Copy and Cocktails Club. It’s my email newsletter where you’ll get more copy tips and sales strategies. Check it out here!
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Welcome to Ill Communication. Copywriting Tips and Sales Strategies for Small Business. I'm your host, Kim Keel. I'm a copy coach, sales strategist and direct response copywriter. It's my mission to help women leaders and changemakers amplify their voices through copy. It's why I'm dishing out all the juicy tips, writing prompts and sales formulas to help you generate more leads, book more calls, and get more high value clients on repeat. Sounds pretty good. It's time to ditch the overwhelm you might be feeling and find confidence in your copywriting so you can get your message out there and attract more soul mate clients. Let's get started. In today's episode, you're going to get a very powerful sales email formula. It's probably also the shortest and most effective email you could write this year. I promise if you use this magical formula in the right way, you'll revive some of the prospects who've been languishing on your sales pipeline for a while. So stay tuned because today's episode could bring in a couple of new clients before the end of the year. Hey there and welcome to the 18th episode of L Communication. Today, we're talking about a very famous email formula called The nine word email. The nine word email was created by Dean Jackson, a famous and very well respected marketer, many, many years ago. He started out in the real estate sector and used the nine word email to help his clients find real estate investors.
Now, I can't remember where I first learned about Dean Jackson's nine word email, but I've been using it for at least four years with my clients and in my own business. I've seen firsthand how powerful it is when you use it properly, so make sure you listen to the end to hear all of the do's and don'ts. So the nine word email is Hi, first name. Are you still looking for blank from your name? And in the blank you put the thing you offer or the things someone inquired with you about. So, for example. Hi, Mary are used to looking for a copywriter. Are you still looking for a bookkeeper? Do you still need help launching your podcast? Hi, Mary. Are you still planning that trip to Disneyland? You get the idea. It's intentionally very, very simple. You have to actually resist the urge to use more than 9 to 15 words or get into explaining too much. You really want to keep it simple to invite the reader to reach out to you for more information. You see, the nine word email deliberately leaves out information to begin a natural two way human conversation. As Dean Jackson explains it, you want it to feel like you're meeting someone in the lineup at the grocery store and you're starting a casual conversation.
The nine word email is the opposite of a broadcast salesy email. It encourages a reply, which could be yes, or it could be no. And it allows you to take the next step and qualify who might be ready to work with you now. Your reader will be curious and reach out for more details. Now, here's why the nine word email works so well. It's simple and inoffensive. Nobody's going to be too cranky. You emailed them out of the blue. The short form content is also a pattern interrupt. You'll get their attention. And if people reply yes, then you can follow up with the next step. If they reply. Nope. You can just add a tag or even scrub them from your list. Now there are a few cautions and tips for using the nine word email properly. The first tip is to always segment your list rather than sending to all. You do not send this email to everyone on your list. You only send it to prospects or leads who've engaged with you but haven't really bought anything. These are people who've attended your live webinars or workshops but didn't buy. It's for people who you had a sales call with but they didn't sign and they've probably been hanging around for quite a few months before you label them as dead and remove them from your prospect pipeline.
You can send this nine word email, but here's an example of why you don't send this email to your whole list. I once received this email from a coach I had literally just invested with. The email read Are you still struggling to close sales? It was so confusing because of course I was struggling. That's why I joined the program. Now, because I'm a copywriter, I knew the tactic as soon as I saw it. But still, it just felt so disingenuous and it was actually off putting. Instead, she should have excluded current clients, or she could have sent existing clients a different message, like, Hey, I'm developing a new private training for my clients. You interested? Another important tip is to remove the headers and footers from your email template. You want the nine word email to look and feel like a private personal message, so ditch the fancy image header that screams. This is a mass email newsletter. You also don't even have to use your email service provider. I routinely send a nine word email from my personal business email account to the odd person I had a sales call with in the past and even to my past clients. The third tip for the nine word email is to keep your subject line very simple. Just use their first name or simply.
The word question. Then you have the body of the email, or are you looking for blank and then simply sign it with just your first name? No links, no titles, no nothing. So for example, subject line, Mary Body. Hi, Mary. Are you still looking for someone to write your sales emails from Kim? Now the final tip to make sure this works for you is actually how you respond when someone replies to you. When someone replies yes, your instinct might be to reply with a heavy sales message and a link to your sales page. Don't do it. Instead, reply to your prospect with one small next step such as Great Mary. I'm hosting a new private training on how to close more sales. Can I send you the deets or. Great. Did you want to hop on a call so you can catch me up on what you think you need now? Can you see how this feels like a more natural, genuine conversation? It really warms your prospect up and moves them closer to the sale without being salesy. And you can even use the nine word email to test the interest in a new offer. For example, earlier this year I sent an email to my subscribers that said this Hey Mary, I'm thinking of hosting a free office hours coaching session next week where you could bring your email or sales copy and have it reviewed and edited live.
Would you be interested from Kim? There were no links to a sign up, no more information, and the results were amazing. I had dozens and dozens of people reply Yes, they were interested. I followed up with the gist, the date and the link and I invited them to join the open office hours. About 20 people showed up live and as a result I booked three new clients with a value of almost $10,000 from one simple email. So, my friend, that's the beauty of the nine word email. Dean Jackson's magic email for reviving dead leads. Give the nine word email a try this week to rewarm some of the colder prospects or tease a new offer. You'll probably close a few more sales before the end of the year. If you try it, let me know how it goes. And as always, if you need help, I'm here for you. Thanks for listening to this week's episode of Ill Communication. Hey, if you enjoy these snack size strategies and tips, you'll want to join my VIP Copy and Cocktails club. It's my email newsletter where I share more coffee tips, sales strategies, and the occasional recipe for my favorite beverage or appetizer du jour. To subscribe, visit Kim Qualcomm slash Newsletter. Thanks for tuning in.
Resources Mentioned
Check out Dean Jackson’s website
Join my VIP Copy and Cocktails Club
Additional Resources
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