Key takeaways
- Stop sending three outdated email types: “I Just Want To Ask You A Quick Question,” “Do You Know What You’re Missing?” and “I Made Millions With This One Simple Trick.”
- These emails come off as click‑bait, irritating or unbelievable, often land in spam and have near‑zero conversion rates.
- Pointing out prospects’ failures creates the wrong first impression and reduces the chance they’ll do business with you.
- Don’t open with implausible money claims as people buy from those they know, like and trust, you’ll lose trust with an unbelievable first email.
- For a truly brief inquiry, try contacting people on Twitter (the 140‑character limit tests sincerity).
Introduction
Email marketing isn’t new. In fact, it has been around so long that people have claimed it to be alive and dead a countless amount of times. Right now, the consensus is that it is alive and well, but there are a few outdated marketing strategies that should be laid to rest. However, for some unknown reason, we all still receive the types of emails that no one ever reads.
They come from marketers who haven’t learned to change with the times. They are the type of people who send out email campaigns that go straight into the spam box and give email marketing a bad name. With a near-zero conversion rate, it is a wonder that anyone still tries out these stone-age tactics.
The following is a list of three types of emails that only naïve kids and unsuspecting elders will ever read.
The “I Just Want To Ask You A Quick Question” Email
This is the kind of email that is intended to trick a person into thinking that they have just received an email containing the true ‘secrets to success’. They arrive as if some kind stranger with a wealth of knowledge was desperate to share his ‘simple trick’ with anyone and everyone he/she could find on the Internet. However, when it comes down to it, nearly everyone knows that this is just a cheap form of ‘click-bait’.
“The problem is, once the person realizes what’s going on, they will delete the email and never do business with you,” says Kimanzi Constable, contributor to Entrepreneur. “If you’re really sincere about asking a quick question, or offering some quick advance, contact the person on Twitter. That limit of 140 characters will test your motives.”
The “Do You Know What You’re Missing?” Email
This is the kind of email that likes to point out a person’s failure or a missed opportunity for a business. These types of emails can take many different forms but they usually look similar to:
- “I noticed that you only have 300 twitter followers. You need a minimum of 1500 followers for anyone take your business seriously.”
- “I noticed that your business does not show up on the first page of any Google search results. We can get you on the first page and bring you much more traffic to your website.”
“These types of emails sound helpful, but are actually very irritating to the person that receives them,” says Constable. “You may have the best pitch in the world, but they’ll never do business with you because this makes the wrong first impression.”
The “I Made Millions With This One Simple Trick” Email
This is the kind of email that attempts to ‘wow’ readers with the sheer quantity of cash that can be made by some sort of product or service. The hope is that as soon as a recipient sees a promise that they could be rolling in cash that they will automatically jump on the opportunity offered in the email.
The simple fact is that these emails don’t work because readers just won’t believe that it is possible. Even if it is true, it sounds too good to be.
“Remember, people buy from someone they know, like and trust,” says Constable. “If your first email is a claim that they don’t believe, you have lost the chance to establish trust and you won’t get another chance to earn it.”
FAQ
There are three to avoid:
1. “I Just Want To Ask You A Quick Question” (click‑bait style)
2. “Do You Know What You’re Missing?” (points out perceived failures or missed opportunities)
3. “I Made Millions With This One Simple Trick” (unbelievable money claims)
These formats tend to irritate recipients, can go to spam and deliver near‑zero conversions.
It reads like cheap click‑bait and tricks recipients into opening only to disappoint them, prompting deletion and a lost relationship. If you’re sincere, contact the person on Twitter, the 140‑character limit will test your motives.
Pointing out a prospect’s failures or missed opportunities typically irritates recipients and creates the wrong first impression. Even with a strong pitch, they’ll often refuse to do business because of that negative opening.
Such claims sound too good to be true and aren’t believable. People buy from those they know, like and trust, so opening with an implausible money claim destroys trust and squanders the chance to build a relationship.
Avoid sensational, shaming or unbelievable opening emails. For genuinely brief questions, use Twitter (the 140‑character limit) to test sincerity. More broadly, focus on building familiarity, likeability and trust before making big claims.
These tactics often send campaigns straight to the spam box and produce near‑zero conversion rates, giving email marketing a bad name.
