A few days ago, a reader and customer named Alexander wrote to ask:
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Hey John,
I bought your Copy Riddles on a payment plan, but I’ve just recently changed my banks, so I have new details for the charges. I believe I’m due to be charged again in about a week, so I’d like to change the details so you actually get the money you’re owed… Can you let me know how to do that?
Thanks mate!
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“Well hot damn,” I said. This kind of email early in the morning definitely cheers me up.
Not that I’ve really had much cause to be worried.
The fact is, over the past six or so months, I have sold 100+ things on payment plan, whether of my own products or affiliate offers.
To date, I have had exactly one lapsed buyer.
The rest have all paid as agreed, updating their credit card numbers when they expire. A few particularly diligent souls, such as Alexander, even do it in advance.
Does this mean that all people everywhere have always been and will always be fundamentally good and decent?
Maybe. I don’t know enough people to be able to say one way or another.
But based on my amateur research into the human mind, I do know a few things:
– We all tend to mirror and adapt to the unspoken context or “frame” of an interaction
– Time is a factor in creating a frame of intimacy, trust, and respect
– So is frequency of contact
What drops out at the bottom of this funnel is that the longer you stay in touch with people… the more often you stay in touch with them… and the more you treat them with trust, respect, and intimacy, the more likely you are to get the same treatment in return.
One way to do this is what I personally do, and that’s to write daily emails like this one.
Which brings me to my offer, which helps you start and stick with writing emails for the long term, every day, or at least dailyish. For more information on this way to create the right frame with the people in your audience: