Writing emails…it’s one of those things you know you need to do as a business owner, but often something that, for a lot of people, can feel challenging, time-consuming, or boring. Today, we’re going to change all that. I’m breaking down my email-writing process so you can say goodbye to writer’s block and start writing emails your audience actually wants to read in a fraction of the time.
“At minimum, it’s every other week that you are sending these KLT email where it’s just building rapport, and giving value and connecting with your audience.” – Shawn Mynar
“When you experience writer’s block, my best recommendation is to just write something. Just get something on the page.” – Shawn Mynar
“All emails should have a goal, or a purpose, or a point. So what’s the point, why are you sending this?” – Shawn Mynar
“I can guarantee you with 100% certainty, it will take you so much less time to do the outline first and then fill in the gaps as it comes most naturally to you, not necessarily from start to finish.” – Shawn Mynar
“Don’t try to write it well the first time. There absolutely zero need to write something remotely decent even on the first try… But you have to get something out, you have to get the overall idea and what you wanna say out of your head and onto paper.” – Shawn Mynar
FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT BELOW:
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writing emails. It’s one of those things you know you need to do as a business owner, but often something that for a lot of people can feel challenging, time-consuming, and or flat-out boring. But today, we’re going to change all that. I’m breaking down my email writing process. So you can say goodbye to writer’s block, and start writing emails your audience actually wants to read in a fraction of the time. Let’s dive in.
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Hey there, I’m Shawn Mynar, and this is unstuck entrepreneur. I’m a former nutritionist who turned a struggling stressful nutrition practice into a thriving, Freedom filled online business way work from home in my sweatpants while reaching and helping 1000s of people all at the same time. Now I’m obsessed with showing other heart centered coaches, practitioners and solopreneurs how to build a business and life they love. Consider this podcast your safe space to learn both the inner work and practical strategies required to build the impactful profitable business of your dreams, no hustle, grind, or long hours required. That’s right hustle culture, not welcome here. Let’s get into today’s session.
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Hey, hey there, friends, and welcome back to the unstuck entrepreneur Podcast. I’m Shawn, your host, thanks so much for hanging out with me today on this special episode talking all about the email, the business email that you are sending as a business owner. So not just any old email, but the email that your people actually want to open and read and click on and do the thing and get more involved in your business. So kind of important, really big topic, one of my favorite topics to talk about. So first of all, if you aren’t yet sending emails, in your business, this episode is for you, this is a very, very important episode for you to get over that hump to get over that hurdle, to really embrace the idea of sending emails for your business. Because if you’re not, you’re making it about 1000 times harder than it should be, to have a business and to make money in your business by not sending out emails. And that goes for you know, even if you’re a local business, even your if you’re a brick and mortar business where people come into your office or come into your shop, or whatever it is, emails still work, emails are still important if you have a business. So really important episode for you. And then also, if you are a business owner, or becoming a business owner, who struggles to write the emails you do send to them, you know, you need to you’re already on board with that. But there are struggle, they’re not fun. They’re challenging, you don’t know what to say, maybe you’re not getting the response, or the engagement out of the emails that you do send, people aren’t taking action, people aren’t opening people aren’t reading, people aren’t clicking, whatever it is, this is also a very important episode for you. And if you’ve ever had a case of writer’s block, when it comes to reading your emails, this is definitely the episode for you. So that’s what we’re gonna get into today, I have a very specific process that I follow for writing emails that I really don’t think many people know to follow. This isn’t something Well, I guess maybe it’s something I made up, but I don’t think so. Maybe my own process is but it follows a very specific kind of guideline for how to write emails, which, first of all, is not to write it from the first word all the way down to the last word in order that is definitely prime and ripe for writer’s block. And for writing an email that doesn’t actually do anybody any good. So it makes it way harder on you too. So that’s the first thing and we’ll talk more about that coming up. But it also is, you know, just not really having a very clear direction and understanding of your email before you start. So that’s what we’re really going to do and focused on today is creating the framework and the outline for your email because once you have that writing the actual email like filling all of it in is easy peasy. And as I promised in the intro, going to cut so much time off of your email writing process. That’s what we’re going to get into today. Now, first thing is to recognize that there are many different types of emails as a business owner. So let’s
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break those down first. So, you know, kind of in your own business, what emails you’re sending. And then also what we’re going to talk about specifically today, because each type of email, has its own process has its own purpose. And they’re all treated quite a bit differently. And today, we’re going to focus on one specific type. So the first type of email that you have in your business is the welcome email. And this really is actually a series of emails. So this comes after someone has opted in, potentially to your freebie or even just to your email list. And they have said, Yes, I would like to receive your emails. So we talk about that welcome sequence a lot here on the show already have. So not going to go over that. But that is one type of email is the welcome email series that comes right when someone joins your list. Then we have the enrollment email series, which is your sales sequence. This is when you have something that you are selling, whether that comes after your special event, or it’s just this thing you’re kind of starting to talk about with your audience, you have those emails that are specifically designed to sell something, again, very different than any other type of email, then you have what I like to call the invitation emails, which this comes before those enrollment emails. And this is an invitation to your special event that then will kick off your launch will kick off those enrollment emails. So invitation emails are again, very different than a welcome email or an enrollment email. This is more so an invitation to a free special event, which is very exciting. And there’s a lot of build up to that. So that’s a totally different story. And then the last type of email to kind of categorize here is what I call the KL T email, otherwise known as your regular weekly or bi weekly newsletter, I think newsletter kinda feels a little stuffy. When we think about it that way, you can absolutely call it your newsletter, it’s totally fine. But I call it the Kol T. Because really what we’re doing is we’re building that know like, and trust in those emails. There’s nothing necessarily for sale. There’s no specific invitation to a specific event at a specific time or anything like that. It’s just getting in touch with your audience that has already been on your list for a little bit. They’ve already gone through that welcome sequence, they’re already getting warmed up. But this just continues that process, it continues to get your name and your work in front of their eyes, so they can build up that connection and that rapport, aka know like and trust. So Kvlt emails, that is what we are going to focus on today, that regular email quote unquote, newsletter that you’re sending to your email list on a regular basis. And yes, I did just say regular two times in the same sentence, because that is important. This is not and never should you think of your newsletter, your KLTV email as just being this like sporadic thing that just like happens when you have the time or anything like that. This is something that you are committing to, as a business owner to send to your people regularly. If the most that you can send in commit to doing that, for your people is every other week, that’s okay for now until you’re able to carve out more time. But at minimum, it’s every other week that you are sending these Kvlt emails where it’s just building rapport and giving value and connecting with your audience. Okay, but hopefully you can get to a point where it’s every week, same time, same day, it’s on your schedule, you know, it’s happening, and hopefully with what I’m going to share with you today, it becomes so much easier for you to write these emails and easier for you to think of what to say and the emails that you can carve out 3045 Maybe 60 minutes a week to write these emails and get them sent. Okay, so that is the type of email that we’re talking about today. The other ones can maybe be another episode in the future but those are not what is being discussed in this particular episode. Okay, now before we can even think about writing an email, we need to create the outline for that email. When you have a writer’s block. The main reason is because you are staring at a blank
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page and expecting to write an email from start to finish, no problem like, very first word all the way down right in this email know exactly what you’re going to say exactly how it’s going to sound Oh, man, this is so amazing. Here’s my awesome email all the way to the very last period, and then you hit send. That is not how emails are written. That’s not how this works. And that is what is making it harder for you to get them written. So if you’re ever dealing with a writer’s block in any area of your business, whether it is emails, or sales pages, or landing pages, or freebies or whatever you’re creating, and you experience writer’s block, my best recommendation is to just write something, just get something on the page, because the second that you are no longer staring at a blank page, you will notice the very obvious change in your brain and in your ability to put more on the page as soon as it isn’t blank. And so that’s why I always recommend doing an outline, because not only are you putting something on the page, so it’s no longer blank. But you’re also putting together an idea or a plan for what you’re about to write. So really, what we’re going to talk about in terms of email outline today, that can work for many other things like pretty much every other thing that you are writing in your business can start from this initial outline that we’re going to do today for your email. So consider that and and remember that next time, you’re feeling stuck with other things that you are trying to write for your business. Okay, so we gotta get something on the page. And it might as well be an outline, because we can then plan your email. So you have some direction for the rest of that email, which will easily shave off like half the time it’s taking you to write emails currently. So step one of your email outline is the purpose of the email. What’s the point of this email? Why are you sending it? I sure hope you’re not sending emails to your audience that doesn’t have a purpose. That doesn’t make any sense. All emails should have a goal or a purpose or a point. So what’s the point? Why are you sending this is it to share a tip is it to highlight a freebie is it to get them to listen to a podcast episode, or to have them read a blog, whatever it is, get super clear on that. So once you know the goal of that email, write it at the top of your page. Now you’re going to delete this later. But for now, first of all, it gets something on the page so that you no longer have writer’s block. And it will serve as a reminder of what your email is about to make sure you stay on track. Okay, so we’re no longer staring at a blank screen anymore, you have the goal of the email written at the very top of the page. Step two, based on the purpose of what you just wrote down that purpose, that goal, the point of the email, what’s the topic? Now your purpose of the email is not the same as the topic, but it will be based on that it will be a topic that is related to the purpose of the email that is really clear, really specific, just one topic. That is a very direct correlation to the purpose. So for example, let’s say that you are promoting a freebie with low carb recipes. You have a low carb recipe book 10 recipes, and it’s totally free, then the topic of your email could be about the biggest benefit of low carb eating, it could be the biggest myth for low carb eating a common mistake that people make with low carb eating a recent benefit that has been found in low carb eating with a study that was just done. There’s lots of different topics based on just one purpose. And this is where also, if you ever find yourself wondering what the heck am I supposed to write about in my emails? If you go through this process, you will find that there are actually so many things that you could write about in your email and you only need to pick one. So I just gave what four or five different examples, right? There’s four or five different emails that you could send over the next few months and that’s just for that one specific freebie. There are many different things that you can have as your purpose or your pull.
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might many different things that you can direct people to in these newsletter type emails. And then once you figure out that purpose, then there are so many different topics that you could go down. So anytime you’re feeling blocked for topics, start with this outline. Okay, so once you know the topic of that particular email, write it down underneath the purpose. Now, next step is, what’s a problem or desire your reader has in relationship to the topic of your email, write it down, you could have a couple and then you can use that as kind of like a brainstorming session and pick the one you like the best, but it’s just going to be one for this email. And again, you can see that within one purpose, there are many different topics to consider. And then within those topics, there are also many different problems or desires to consider that you will use as the starting point for your email. So once again, the options are endless for you. And there’s really no reason ever to be stuck on what to say, or do you even have anything to say, in an email when you go through this outline process, okay, so use this as a brainstorm session if you want. But regardless, figure out a problem or desire related to that topic and write it down. This is going to be the start of your email. This is how your email is going to open.
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So let’s give another example continuing with this same low carb eating the recipes. The problem could be that they’re worried about the particular myth that you’re going to discuss, like worried you’ll be bored with food, where you’ll miss out on your favorite foods that is a potential problem or worry that your reader has. And it’s also a common myth that you want to talk about in this email. So that could be or desire could be that they want a particular benefit that you’re going to talk about in your email, they want to have more energy throughout the day. And that is, again, the desire. So we’re kicking off email with either this problem or this desire totally up to you which one you pick, and which one feels most probably relevant to your readers is something you’d want to consider. So that’s step three, that is the opening of your email. So just write it down, you’ll have to write down or create your entire paragraph. But just we’re doing the outline. So just write down that problem or desire. Next step, step four, what’s a personal story, a client story, a real life metaphor, or analogy, or something else, that’s relatable to that topic. So once again, personal story, client story, metaphor, real life example, real life analogy, something like that, that we can use to bridge the gap, and create that relatable humaneness factor within this email. This is also what makes your email interesting and something that people want to read. So kinda important. I’m assuming you want people to actually read your emails. So this is a really important step. And this is going to be the middle of your email. Once again, I’ll give you an example. And basically writing a whole email as we go through this episode. Sticking with the low carb eating theme, let’s say that you’ve decided the problem is that they’re worried that they won’t be able to eat, the foods they love. That’s their biggest concern that something you want to discuss in this email. And so you decide to use a story from a client that you had, let’s say, your client, Linda, really wanted to reap the benefits of low carb eating, but she was really worried that she wouldn’t continue to enjoy pasta night with her family. That was something that was really special, this kind of tradition that they had, and she didn’t want to give that up. That’s the client story I’ve decided I’m going to use for this email. So again, write it down. Just a brief description, you’ll have to write the entire piece of it unless you really are on a roll and you really feel like it’s coming to you cool, then write it but at minimum, jot it down so you know that that’s the middle of your email what you’re going to talk about, okay? Step five, why? Or how is your topic the solution to that problem, or desire, this is where we bring it all together. Write a short description. This is going to be the end
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Have your email, you’re going to bring in the topic of your email here. And also the purpose the point the goal of your email here. So if it is to shout out a podcast episode or a blog post, this is where you’re going to link to it. This is where you’re going to talk about why they need to continue reading or download this freebie, or keep listening and go over to the podcast. This is the big kind of finale of your email where everything gets brought back together. So for my example of this email I’ve been writing in this episode, I would say something like, you know, once I explained to Linda that she could in fact, reap all the benefits of low carb eating and still enjoy pasta night with her family, she got so excited, you could physically see the relief come across her face. And I even gave her one of my all time favorite recipes for zucchini Alfredo for her to make for her family on the next family pasta night. And this is just one of the 10 recipes I have available in my free low carb living recipe book, grab it here. There we go. Email written, no, just kidding. But at least I have my outline. And this is again, something where you are just at minimum jotting down your idea. These are all kind of fragmented pieces at this point. But it created the outline, and it got your juices flowing. Now you know also how your email is going to flow. And you have somewhere to go from here. Because now the next step, second to last step, you’ve outlined the beginning, middle and end of your email, it’s time to go back and fill it all in. You don’t have to do this from top to bottom, you do this moreso by what feels easiest, when you go back and look at your outline, and you have that problem or desire listed out then then you have that kind of relatable piece that is your middle email, you have that idea figured out. And then you have the end of your email where you’re tying it all together and talking about the whole purpose of your email. which one feels easiest to flesh out first? Which one can you write out in full first, that would just you’re drawn to that just feels like oh yeah, let’s just get this part done. Do that, and then do the next and then do the next. It doesn’t have to be in order. So right now you’re just taking those three pieces and fleshing them out as it comes naturally to you. Then the final step, actually, no, let me add on a step. So now this is the second to final step. The second to final step is to then move from top to bottom of the whole email and edit it all and make sure it flows. So this is where you take kind of the chunked up beginning, middle and end and actually read it and edit it to be a nice, well written flowy email. That is the next step. So they you kind of put all the pieces together. And then the final step, for sure. The end, the final I promise, is to write the subject line, and P S, these are by far the most important parts of your email. First of all, with the subject line, if you don’t have a good subject line, no one’s opening your email, they’re not even reading the email, they’re deleting it before even given a chance. And that really comes down to the subject line. It has to be enticing, intriguing, it has to make people want to click in. So you know, there’s a whole training I could do on subject lines. And I think I’ll do that probably here on the podcast or maybe in a live event. That’s a bigger topic we won’t get into today. But at minimum, I can tell you that it needs to be catchy, it needs to be relevant to what’s going on in the email. And it needs to be short, most inboxes and especially if someone’s looking at their inbox through their phone, which I think at least 50% of people do. It is a really short amount of space for that subject line to come through. And if you can’t get the whole point of the email in that short little subject line box that you have, then they’re more likely to not even open it. So get it as short as it can be so that you see the entire subject line in the inbox while still getting the point.
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across and making it catchy and clear and to the point, okay. So that’s why I recommend doing the subject line last because you want it to be very relevant to what’s gone on in the email. So you can even potentially pick out a specific line or something that’s catchy from your email and just kind of repurpose that into your subject line, or at least just really stay on target on topic with your email. So I definitely recommend writing that last. And then as far as the PS, that PS is the most read piece of your entire email, a lot of people will skim your entire email, and then actually read the PS in full. So always include a PS, in your emails, and even a PPS, or PPP s, if you really want to, they will be read. And so this is important, it’s important to make it actionable, it’s important to bring it back to the topic and purpose. If you are promoting something where there is a click off into a podcast episode or a blog post or something like that, then there should be another link to do that in your PS. So you can even just kind of reiterate what you said, in your email, kind of like a TLDR too long didn’t read and have that be your PS. There’s a lot of different options there. But if it’s something where that feels like the easiest thing to start with the easiest thing to write because it is so like to the point just like, here’s what this email is about, here’s what I want you to do click this thing, or whatever, then you can write that first. But if that’s not coming naturally, and you’d rather wait to write the whole email first and then use the PS to kind of sum it up, then right at last, okay, but it is important. So definitely take the time to write a really catchy, clear, concise, to the point direct. How many times how many different ways can I say the same thing, P S. And that’s it. Now you’ve written your email. And while it may seem because there are a lot of steps, I think there’s like seven or eight steps to this. While it may seem like this is a more complicated process and would take longer, I can guarantee you with 100% certainty, it will take you so much less time to do the outline first, and then fill in the gaps as it comes most naturally to you. Not necessarily from start to finish. So we have that beginning, which is the problem or desire that you’re opening the email with. Then you have at the middle which is best story or the example or a metaphor or something just furthering along the problem or desire, just making it feel very relatable. Bringing in some realness, and humaneness into your email in the middle, and then ending with your solution, which in this case, is the whole point of the email, whatever value you’re looking to give to the reader in that email that day. That’s how you sum it up and bring it all together, tie a bow on it, and call it an email. And then you have the subject line and the PS. Okay, so that is my simplified system to write an email that people actually want to read and open and click and be engaged with, which just improves your business on so many levels just by upping the ante when it comes to your emails. Now, just to wrap things up, I do have a few quick writing tips. I have so many writing tips. But I’m going to keep these really related to this kind of writing. First of all, and this really does apply to all writing this is so, so, so important. This will change everything for you and your writer’s block and just feeling like writing is really hard. Don’t try to write it well. The first time, there is absolutely zero need to write something remotely decent even the first try, no one is going to see it. But you have to get something out you have to get the overall idea and what you want to say out of your head and onto paper for it to be anything good. So I just challenge you to write a really, really bad first draft just get it out. Just get it written. Every single time I remind myself of this. I immediately find writing a bazillion times easier. I just get it out and I it doesn’t make sense necessarily. It’s not complete sentences.
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It doesn’t flow, it doesn’t sound good, but it’s out onto paper. And I just get it all written, this is kind of flows into the second tip I have for you, I get it all out. And then I worry about making it sound better making it actually be good. That is a totally different process than writing. So you have to write it first. And then edit, you cannot write and edit at the same time. And that is my second tip. So you have to write it all first in a really ugly, terrible, bad version, and then go back and edit it because it is way easier to edit something that’s not well written and turn it into something that is well written than it is to try to get it all right on the first try. And so and it’s actually two totally different acts in your brain and your brain function, writing and editing two completely different things. So not only do you need to write it off first and get it all out and let it be ugly, and go back and edit it. But you also can’t like write one line and then try to edit that one line or write one or two paragraphs and go back and try to edit it, you can’t do both, you can’t be both at the same time. So get it all out and then go back and edit it as many times as you want. Until it’s some you know where you want it to be. But don’t try to be everything all at the same time. Okay, that helps immensely, too. And that really is where you can see yourself actually becoming a better writer, by letting it be messy and letting it all out first. And then using a totally different act in your brain, a totally different area of your brain to edit it over and over again until it’s how you like it. And it actually takes less time to do it that way to believe it or not. And then my last little tip for you, this is something I’m just going to keep repeating to you over and over and over again. Because it’s something I still see, just so so so much of in this coaching, and practitioner and experts space, you have to write like you would speak, right like you’re speaking to a friend, I want you to keep it casual, keep it conversational, keep it personality packed, show your personality, that is such a big deal to getting your anything really anything that you have written in your business to get people to actually read it. People want to read things from real people, they don’t want to read things from robots. And no, I’m not necessarily talking about AI, although that’s a problem too. But just even you trying to be more of the practitioner and more of the coach and make more of the expert, versus being a relatable human that has knowledge and experience to share in a very real way. That is what people really connect with, especially more and more in today’s world when there is so much content and so much stuff to consume. we gravitate towards those things that are most relatable, and real and raw and we want to read and just kind of feels almost like we are reading an email from a friend, or we are reading a social media caption from our friend. That’s how we really want this to go. And you know, at the same time when you do that, yes, you’re building connection in kind of that real way. But also, you are showing your expertise, you’re giving people the opportunity to see your expertise because you’re getting that attention that you wouldn’t necessarily get with you’re trying to sound all professional and like Uber, you know, focused and Uber expert and not loosening up and showing your personality and keeping it real and raw and conversational. So if you find yourself naturally gravitating towards that more professional approach to writing, that’s fine, get it out but then use a one of your editing passes to really look at it from that lens of am I writing or speaking or saying this in a real way in a way that I would speak in a way that I would speak with someone I’m really comfortable with like a friend or a peer or a colleague or someone like that. Okay, so that is my third and final tip for you as you are working to write better emails. There’s always room of course, to learn and grow and expand and
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Um, do things differently than you’ve done before. So while it may seem like you don’t want to create an outline of your email before you actually write the thing, I would just really encourage you to try it, just try something different and see how that goes for you and see if it actually does make things easier. Now, of course, if you’re like, really in the zone, you’re like, oh, my gosh, this email, it just like came to me, I actually have to get this out, it’s gonna be so great, then cool, just do it, that’s fine. But most emails aren’t going to be like that most emails will take a little bit of thought a little bit of a process to make sure they’re really great, then this is the process that I use. And this is the process that you now can use to make sure you are writing emails people actually want to read. Alright, and with that, I will leave you there. I would love to know if you try this with your next email, send me a DM over on Instagram at Shawn Mynar there. And let me know let me know how it goes for you. Let me know what you think. I’d love to connect with you there. And until next time, take care.
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Hey, friends, Shawn here. And if you’re a coach or practitioner who’s looking to help more people, make more money and have more free time than I have a special invitation for you that you don’t want to miss. Right now. I’m hosting a free masterclass that will walk you through the process of adding a signature program to your business. As many of you know, the signature program business bottle has been my primary way of doing business since 2017. And after seven programs of my own created and helping dozens of other wellness pros create theirs. I’m now sharing my exact process with you for free. In this one hour masterclass. Now, you might be thinking, Shawn, I’m just not ready to have my own program yet. Or I don’t have the time to build a program right now. Are you crazy? I totally get it, I get all of it. Which is exactly why I created this training in the first place. I want you to see how possible this really is for you, and how simple it can be when you have a tried and true proven system in place, no matter where you’re at in your business today. So if you’re like most coaches and practitioners who have a dream of creating a scalable offer in their business that helps the people they’re meant to help without it being directly tied to your time and energy, than there’s a seat with your name on it. Inside my burnout prove your business masterclass. In just one hour, you’re going to learn why adding a signature program will uncap your income potential forever and give you more time for your own life, health, family and self care. You’ll learn exactly how my client sold out her first program, even with a small audience. Because of this one super simple marketing hack that I am going to reveal. You’ll learn the simplified, foolproof process that will take your knowledge and experience and turn it into your own program in just six weeks, and also how to implement an automated marketing system that will grow an engaged audience full of Perfect Match clients that can’t wait to enroll in your program once it’s ready. Even if right now you’re starting at zero. All you have to do is head to Shawnmynar.com/burnout proof and save your seat for this masterclass before it’s gone. Shawnmynar.com/burnout Proof can’t wait to see you there.
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