How to write sales messages that stick and turn readers into buyers
Alright, gather around and listen up…
It’s 2030. AI is so advanced, writing great emails is a 30s job instead of a 45-min hair pulling experience. But you’re not convinced. As a reader of this newsletter, and a believer of email marketing, you believe humanity is still capable of creating unique original pieces of work. Throughout this fight for creativity, you’ll laugh, yawn, be intrigued, maybe even get emotional. But your goal is always the same: make more money and be proud of the things you can create. So, read every issue. Take notes. Apply what you learn. And the winner is the player who gets the best results from taking action!
If this newsletter were a board game, that’s how I’d set the stage.
It’s one of the parts I look forward in doing whenever I teach people how to play board games. I love immersing them in the lore, even for a moment.
Get them hooked on the story, and the game becomes more fun, engaging, and meaningful, especially if the mechanics are as dull as watching a puddle of water evaporate.
The best games tie the mechanics to the story in a way that makes sense.
Moving tiny wooden cubes on a board shouldn’t just mean “activating an action.”
It should feel like “sending farmers to plant seeds” or “sending explorers to brave uncharted lands.”
If you think the lesson here is to use analogies and metaphors to make things relatable, you’re right.
But the bigger takeaway is that the customer journey should feel immersive and intuitive.
Just like how a central theme ties everything in a board game together….
From the first ad to the landing page to the payment screen, everything should flow seamlessly for a prospect.
At each stage, they need to know where they are and what’s coming next.
If you break that flow…confuse them, overwhelm them, or leave them guessing…they’ll click away faster than someone saying “Err…can we play a simpler game?”
This ties into a concept from Michael Masterson (aka Mark Ford), a key figure in Agora’s rise and the author of Ready, Fire, Aim: Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat.
He calls it the Golden Thread.
And it’s the key to guiding your prospects through a seamless, immersive experience.
The Golden Thread is about weaving a prospect’s core emotional needs through every part of your promotional material.
It keeps them engaged and focused, making it much easier to guide them from start to finish.
(And yes, you can also call it the ‘Power of One.’ But ‘Golden Thread’ is definitely more visually appealing and immersive.)
I still need to be reminded of this concept from time to time because it’s so easy to lose focus in writing.
If the Golden Thread concept is new to you — or if you need a quick refresher — check out this article from AWAI.
It’s a great lesson for anyone who wants to keep their writing sharp, focused, and powerful enough to guide readers to action:
