This mistake will kill your list

If you have strong opinions about diet and nutrition, buckle up.

I might get cancelled for this one.

Which would be silly, because the email is all about building a list, not diet and nutrition.

I have a relative who is a devout worshipper of Calorie Counting.

You see, this person believes that the human body is a simple machine that converts fuel into either energy or fat.

If you put 2000 calories of energy into the mouth end, you must burn all 2000 calories or the excess energy will be stored as fat.

The form of energy does not matter much. Protein? Carbs? Both are simply energy. Fat? Well, fat is worse, because it’s fat.

But this simplistic, 1980’s view of human diet is not one I personally agree with.

I’ll spare you my full lecture…

If you want to get angry about how I eat, just go find some content from Dr. Paul Saladino.

Let’s just say “calories in, calories out” is an easily defeated belief.

To prove this to yourself, go borrow your friend’s diesel truck, drive it to the gas station, and fill it up with regular unleaded.

If you absolutely destroy the engine, it must be because the truck wasn’t getting enough exercise.

Understand?

Not all sources of energy are equal.

Neither are email subscribers.

Steak is not the same as donuts.

Diesel is not the same as regular unleaded.

And on your email list, a freebie-seeking giveaway enterer is not the same as a future buyer.

People who will give you money are more valuable than people who will not.

(At least in the context of running a business.)

So by attracting people to your list with free things, you are selecting for people who are less likely to pay.

Does that make sense?

Free = bait for people who do not want to spend money.

“But Greg, can I pay you to write me a 5-part welcome series that converts them to customers?”

Yes and no.

Yes, you can pay me to write you a 5-part welcome series (reply for deets)…

But no, if you have a list full of freebie seekers and freeloaders, I cannot magically turn them into customers.

I doubt anyone can.

However, if you have been strategically building a list of future buyers…

Then yes, my welcome series will crush.

And that’s what this email was all about.

Not diets…

Not diesel…

Not selling you a custom welcome series…

I want to make sure you understand that WHO is on your list is far more important than HOW MANY or even WHAT YOU SAY TO THEM.

Are you attracting the right WHOs?

Want me to talk about this more?