How I use the 4 "S" method to generate 412% more sales from email

If you're a coach or consultant, you know clients buy from you for more than your knowledge.

They're buying into you as a person.

And if you want them to know you better as a person, you NEED to tell memorable stories.

In Chip and Dan Heath's book "Made to Stick", they share this:

"Stories foster our imagination to widen our horizon of dwelling into different thoughts and feelings. Besides satisfying a number of the other principles of stickiness — offering surprises, concrete details, and emotional resonance — stories act as simulation chambers, allowing us to come to their morals on our own terms."

Weaving stories into your content makes you a relatable expert.

Don’t make it complicated. Tell them about something that happened to you. With a little creativity, you can tie any experience into a valuable lesson for your reader.

Now, in your story, make sure you cover the basics. The who, what, when, where, why, and how. Don't be afraid to show emotion. Be authentic.

Here’s an example…

“Hey John,

I took my family to the fair last night. We had an absolute blast. The rides, the attractions….everything was a lot of fun.

All except for this one thing I saw though. It upset me. It was an overweight father that couldn’t keep up with his kids. In the few minutes we were passing by, he had to sit down twice while his kids begged him to get back up and play.

It hit me hard. I couldn’t imagine having to take a “timeout” from my kids. As we got back to the car, my wife noticed I was upset. ‘What’s wrong?” she asked. I told her about the man.”

Once you’ve told the story, it’s time to start the Shift.

How does this story relate to the solution? This part may take some practice, but keeping your goal in mind as you write the email helps.

Now, let’s say your solution to an easier time at the fair is to start walking 30 minutes every morning.

Let’s dive back in…

“Seeing people like that breaks my heart. And I know a way, while not the ‘magic pill’ most people search for, works pretty well.”

That’s it. The shift only needs to be a couple of sentences.

Then, it’s time to unveil your solution (which builds trust and positions you as the expert).

“You see, permanent weight loss is the long-term solution, but improving cardiovascular health can be accomplished in just 30 minutes a day.

So if you feel like the man at the fair, I want you to start your day with a 30-minute walk. Go at your own pace. Stop if you have to. But do it EVERY day. After a month, you’ll feel like a whole new person.

You got this,

Joe the Trainer”

That’s it. No hyped-up sales pitch. No boring technical information. Just entertainment and value for your reader.

Now here's where you show your offer:

The PS section is a perfect place for soft pitches. Got a bootcamp coming up? Drop a teaser in the PS section.

“PS - Walking 30 minutes a day DOES work. But if you want to improve your cardiovascular health faster while dropping more inches than Jared from Subway, check this out…”

And then drop a link for your bootcamp. Simple enough?

The key is to offer a solution in the main body, but offer a “done for you” or “sped up” version for them in the PS. Most people will gladly pay to get something quicker and/or easier.

Practice and perfect this email and you’ll see the spike in conversions.