When is an email not an email? When it’s a person, of course

Anyone who has been in the online business world for half a second knows the importance of an email address.

The maxim goes: you must develop your email list so you can send the emails to do the email marketing. That means creating a lead magnet, encouraging people down your sales funnel and then optimizing conversion rates.

Converting those emails into sales is the name of the game. And the bigger the email list the better.

Yep great. Except that emails aren’t really emails, are they? They are people.

They are people with emails. You, for example, and me. We all have emails and sometimes we share them with others.

I don’t know about you but when I give someone my email it’s not normally because I really want to be marketed at.

Instead, I’m interested in what that person is doing, writing, creating and I want to stay connected, keep in touch, see what they’re up to.

Maybe there was some novelty to email marketing when it began back in the early dot com days. But now? Not so much.

That’s what led me to this point…

For many, many years, I’ve had an email list that was hosted on a platform whose primary purpose was email marketing.

And for a long time that was okay. Until, it wasn’t.

I started to not love email marketing as a pursuit in itself and as something I wanted to spend my time doing.

That’s when I started to think that maybe it was time to break up with my email marketing platform.

Here’s what happened…

A part of me began screaming, NO! You can’t do that. You need an email marketing system because otherwise how are you going to send all the emails and covert all those sales?

Well, I’m not really selling much at the moment, am I?

But one day you might want to and you need a system. Don’t give up on the system!

But what if I’m over the system?

You can’t be over the system, Jodie. You just can’t!

Okay. When a part is arking up like this, I know to ask this question…

What are you afraid will happen if I break up with the my email marketing platform?

You’ll be adrift.

What are you afraid will happen if I’m adrift?

You’ll be irrelevant.

What are you afraid will happen if I’m irrelevant?

You’ll be nothing.

Aha! So this isn’t about an email marketing system at all. It’s about me being adrift, irrelevant, nothing.

Yes.

Okay, what if I told you I’ve found a new place for all those emails, a place that treats those emails like people because that’s what they are?

I’m listening.

It’s here. It’s this space. It’s Hey, You with Jodie Benveniste.

Right.

This is what the difference feels like to me…

When I was sending emails from my email marketing system, it felt like I was posting a sign on the front window of my great new coffee shop willing people to come inside and check it out.

I was in the shop waving madly at everyone through the glass while they walked past on the street. Notice me! Come inside! Please!

Whereas here, it feels like we're already in the coffee shop together, sitting on comfy couches, and drinking our preferred brew.

That sounds nice.

Yes it does.

I like that better.

Me too. So is it okay to break up with my old email marketing system and hang here instead?

I suppose.

Any concerns?

That people won’t like your coffee shop? Or you might make really bad coffee? Or people might prefer tea instead?

All fair. That may happen. But that’s okay because people can walk out the door and go and find another place to hang, can’t they?

Yes.

Because they aren’t really emails, are they? They’re people.

True.

If that’s the case, what would you like to do now? What will be your new role in this new place?

I’m the Concierge.

Does a coffee shop need a Concierge?

Why not?

Indeed, why not. So, Concierge, is there anything you’d like to say to the people?

Welcome to Jodie’s coffee shop, metaphorically speaking.

Yes, because I'm sure everyone knows that this coffee shop idea is a metaphor for us coming together in a new way.

Yes.

Okay, great! So all we need to do now is say, hello! Welcome! Feel free to stick around and maybe have a chai latte or double expresso or peppermint tea or whatever you fancy with me.

And me.

Yes, all of us, all together. Welcome.