How to write emails that get opened with Ramit Sethi 

I learned that it's audience first, data second, speaker (ego) last. I learned that nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care (thanks John Maxwell)... And there's no other way to show you care than to get to know them. Put yourself in their shoes. In their fears. In their hopes and desires. I learned that it's more important to connect with with the people you're trying to reach than to overpower them or try to impress them. I learned that no matter how well you know something or how well you can communicate it, if you don't relate it to your audience, you won't have the intended impact.

I've been doing email marketing for about 7 years now. Invested tens of thousands of dollars on copywriting courses and this just might be the most valuable video I've ever seen. It helps to hear your thought process, watch you get stuck, and think through it. And then of course the magic of editing. Thanks Ramit!

I love how you openly share the parts you don't like. It makes you so relatable, when I see that it's not magic spraying out of your fingertips. Writing shitty copy and getting stuck are not the problems, they are just part of the work.

Still my favorite GrowthLab video. The music, the content, Ramit’s beard... everything is seriously, just perfect.

wow! can't believe this video is 6 years ago and thanks to subscribing to your newsletter, I landed here today and learnt a lot!

"I don't know what to tell you, man, this is not therapy." bwahaha. This made me laugh out loud. Thanks for letting us look over your shoulder!

Hi Ramit! I'm a 19-year-old and I just started my copywriting career. Had a client that is asking me to write emails for his business. That's why I was brought here in your video. Really great content man! This would be huge help Thanks.

Great video! Thanks for sharing your process - and especially for being open about having the "I don't love this" feeling that tends to happen while writing a first draft. So important to keep going (like you did) and have an "I'll fix this later" mindset.

This video is the best and most useful for me of all the great ones posted on GrowthLab. Thank you!!! I used to have a habit of writing stories from my interesting daily interactions just to go back and read them later for a good laugh. I never really put much thought into how helpful it could be for connecting with other people or sharing lessons learned. I will restart that habit now with even more purpose.

Dude this is amazing. I love how you're taking us through this step by step. I'm sure the length of the video probably will put a few people off, but those who stay for the whole thing are in for an invaluable treat.

This is FANTASTIC Ramit! Not just the email writing part, but the entire presentation and video which appears to be a single take seamless shot.

Ramit, you're a genius. Thank you for this. There's so much value here. I often struggle with writing good copy and you've touched on all the points I struggle with. I've learned so much from this one video than I have skimming through the entire web. Super helpful.

I wish I didn't have to embarass myself in front of a roomful of executives, but I am grateful for the lesson I learnt that day. No matter how accomplished you are if your audience doesn't relate to you, you are dead. Any communication to your customers should keep them at the centre. Before sending a blog/ an ad/ a tweet out, ask yourself "how will this fit in with their goals. Does it matter to them" You could do that, or you could have your version of the Hawaii story. I'll let you choose.

This is gold I would just suggest you record the screen at 1920 x 1080 because it is a bit blurry. Otherwise, thank you very much for this lesson!

I am a student of Call to Action. This is a fantastic video. It's really cool seeing it from your perspective. It gives me lots of new ideas to try out.

This was so extraordinarily helpful. In a world where writing well is KEY, it can be quite overwhelming. I absolutely despise reading poorly written copy and it truly reflects how I feel about a brand, therefore, I hate writing. I wouldn't want to put anything out there that is BAD. The advice in here is so clear that it makes me WANT to practice getting better. Thanks, Ramit! P.S. even writing a public comment is stressful because I over-think what I'm writing but I wanted to say Thank you!!

Hotttt daaayuuum Ramit!! This video was OFF DA FRIGGIN HOOK!!! Ok...so my wife and kids were out the house. I'm washing the dishes, i see your email come in and notice there is a video to watch so I think to myself "okay.... perfect! I can watch the video without these friggin rug rats running around the house screaming and arguing with each other " And I figure I could let it play in the background and I'll peep in every now and then while doing dishes at the same time But naaaaw....didn't quite happen that way! I was so engaged by the video that I kept watching the video and not doing the dishes! Seriously... at one point the water was just running out of the faucet while I was watching the video ....No Lie! So here is what I loved about the video: 1. I loved how you showed us in real time how you make an actual video I love this behind-the-scenes footage and you showing us your thought process For me as someone who has taken both Zero to Launch Accelerator and Call to Action ... I want to know more about your thought process and your mindset when you're writing emails That is what I'm interested in the most because I want to learn how to have that same mindset as a super successful entrepreneur as yourself 2. I loved how you created an outline first and then just started writing even though you didn't know some parts and you didn't know what you're going to write for the Lessons Learned ...you just kept writing and it came along as you wrote 3. I love how you suggested that we use the language that you would use when you're talking to your friends in real life I think the example you used(if i remember correctly) was instead of using the word fortunately you use the word "luckily" I will definitely be saving this video watching it over and over again as I continue to learn how to get better writing copy I honestly think that this was probably one of the best and most interesting and informative videos I've watched in a LONG time It was packed full of nuggets of information that I know... when I rewind and watch it again... I'll keep learning something new!! Thank you Ramit for sharing these awesome insights!!

Well Ramit, I exactly have no clue how to end the email, but because I loved the video and respect what you've requested us to do. My ending would be like, "Now, please understand 'The Wise' learn from the mistakes of others. You don't have to pull yourself down before others so badly like this. You can always get the applause you very much deserve with a little bit of ... "

I learned how to make my MS Word read out loud my writing before issuing my blog, that helps me a lot.

my take: "And how do this applies to your business (and even your life)? Whether you're trying to get a customer to purchase your product, or asking a girl out, ALWAYS put yourself into their shoes: anticipate their needs (it's not that complicated, asking is permitted!) and then present a solution they'll love to hear, because that's exactly what they were waiting for" great video, BTW (going to finish it now)

Thank you for putting this video together. I struggle with where to start when it comes to writing amazing content so it really helped to see your process. I have been following your blog for years and have purchased Earn1k, ZTL and How to talk to anyone courses. Always find so much value in everything you put out. Just by smiling and asking people "how are you doing today" has brought tons of positive connections both in and outside of work. It's helped me so much in building instant trust with my business partners. Love your work. Always find your teachings to be life changing. Thank you and your team again for all your hard work!

I really enjoyed this video. As a professional copywriter myself, it was nice to see that my process dovetails nicely with yours. I write whiteboard video scripts for a production company client in California. My process involves interviewing independent financial professionals by phone or Zoom (I have no previous contact with them beforehand) and then craft the scripts based on what I learn from each interview. This helps me understand the marketing needs of each practice, so I can write CTA"s that are more likely to be on brand and generate a positive response. BTW, I'm a big fan Remit! Kudos on the Netflix show too.

Thank you for the awesome video Ramit! The section at the 26:00 mark really hit home for me. I still write too many sentences that don't have rhythm and don't really say much. It was very beneficial to see how you improve them. I'm already a customer of Call to Action and it is the one program/course I refer back to the most. It's gold! I am a recent customer of How To Talk To Anyone and I will say that it has given me a new appreciation for the way you communicate. I opened this video ready to learn more about copywriting but ended up studying what and how you were speaking. Your pace (along with inflection) really hit home. That is something I am slowly working on so thank you for providing such a great example.

My ending: Sometimes, we fall so much in love with our words and ideas that we don't stop to think whether 1) It would even make sense to our readers, and 2) Would our customers get anything useful out of the blog post or email that I just wrote So here's what I want you to do after reading this email. Pick up something that you wrote and read it again, and do your own teardown keeping in mind these two questions. And when you are done, reply back to this email with your learnings. It's going to be a fun exercise, and I promise you that it will make your content much more valuable. Go! P.S. I read every reply, and I will feature some of the best in my next blog post.

I hope you can see that I learned a LOT from this experience. After being humbled that day, I realized I had a long way to go. But it did NOT stop me from doing speech... I realized that this experience gave me so much value, and at the end of the day, I felt a little bit awkward of what has happened, but I also felt really great that I took step forward, and like many people say: Failing gets you stronger, better and nearer to success. So that was my story. I hope you learned at least something out of my experience, and wish you don't make the mistakes that I did.

My ending: Now, imagine yourself writing that email, or preparing that presentation to convince your senior managers about your idea, or preparing that interview. I want you to ask yourself: what are they looking for? What are they hoping to see? What do they want? And just offer that to them. That’s how you get them.

YOOOO this video is killin the game. Ramit wow, I have to admit I was not expecting to be this captivated esp. when I saw the length of the video. I was struggling for hours yesterday with my copy and finally asked for help today. I feel so much better now knowing that I'm on the right track with that and that getting stuck happens when you're bout this online marketing/blogging life. It's better to get help than to drive yourself mad. This video also helped me feel more confident about my writing style in terms of using caps and switching between past and present voice. The web seems saturated with so many generic listicles that it’s easy to feel like "man my work will go unnoticed unless the soul is sucked out and all that remains are the bare steps of what to do". Clearly untrue as you get to inform, entertain AND keep your voice. As for the end of your email, I might have worked in the quote “smart people learn from their mistakes, wise people learn from other people’s mistakes” in some way, shape or form. Hope to see more videos like this one. Many thanks! #GOAT Status 👍 👍

Awesome to see the process from start to finish, nobody shares this stuff.

Hahaha! "If you don't have friends, I don't know what to tell you; this isn't therapy." 😄Straightforward!

Hitting pause and closing out the email as you suggested at 15:30... Off the cuff and not very edited, I'd probably say something like: "I learned a hard lesson that day. I learned that the easy way out is seeing the world through OUR eyes. The way to making major impact, though, is by looking at it through your target market's eyes. It doesn't matter if you want a promotion at work, more sales of your product, or to get that person across the bar to notice you. You've got to speak in language that your target cares about, understands, and relates to. You need to ask yourself questions like: - "What's important to this person/audience?" - "What type of language do they respond the best to?" - "What do they most want, and how can I give it to them?" The easiest way to get these answers is to go out and talk to the types of people who you want to relate to. This part is pretty easy since people love to talk about themselves. Take the time to truly listen, and they'll give you everything you need to make an impact. And by "impact"... I mean a positive one, not the embarrassing one I had."

I particularly love the reminder to get our heads out of our butts, to ask for help, and to include a relevant, valuable lesson for the reader. Plus, who doesn't love a good email makeover? Also, this realization: that the other extreme of appearing arrogant is appearing fearful or timid, and neither feels good to the audience. (I just got off a call with a fellow Accelerator student who reached out for copywriting help, and saw that he was so terrified of appearing arrogant that he avoided talking about himself or his amazing achievements entirely -- both of which would resonate emotionally with his target audience and instantly build trust. Luckily, he was open to some tweaks despite the obvious discomfort it caused it, and ended up with what I believe was a much more powerful draft.) As always, bang on the money, Ramit. Thanks. - - - - - - - EXTRA CREDIT: Pause the video at 15:33 and finish the email: > [I hope you can see that I learned a LOT from this experience. After being humbled that day, I realized I had a long way to go.] > I realized I needed to think more about my audience, and give them content they could relate to. I also needed to put down my ego and pick up the phone. Talking to some of my audience beforehand would have given me huge insights I couldn't have had alone. Sure, that day was pretty embarrassing for me, but at least I learned something valuable. > You can use some of these lessons in your life and work, too. Put yourself in your readers' shoes and really feel their pain. Suss out their hopes and dreams. Think about what THEY are there to know, or learn, or get. Give them that. And if you don't know, ASK. > And for goodness' sake, don't forget to pack your slippers. > Have you had a humiliating incident that taught you a valuable lesson? Hit reply and tell me about it. > -- Ramit - - - - - -

One of the best training videos I’ve watched. Engaging intellectually and emotionally. Enjoyed the story, and learned an effective writing process. Thank you, Ramit!

Loving these new videos, Ramit. I found this one especially was awesome. No one else is breaking down their email content creation process step-by-step like this.

Ramit, I love how genuine you are and dig that call to action, asking us to relate and engage in a conversation show your humility and willingness to learn and wanting us to do something small with this learning rather than just sit back and consume entertaining info. My last few lines would be something like this... "Man, did I get schooled. But, looking back I'm so glad those execs called me out and were so honest. I'm also kinda happy that this happened when I was so young too. Gave me lots of time to keep learning and getting better at this. Now, when you red my story, I'd love for you to hit reply and let me know either... 1. How have you been missing the whole "read your audience" thing? Be honest - truth sets us free, right? and/or... 2. How are you applying the lessons I learned the hard way to really connect with people and win over your audience?

Thank you Ramit! I was just thinking about you and this comes at the perfect time cuz I just had a debacle with my email list. I didn't test send a few times so there were mistakes in my email. Cost me a bit. I'm learning. Thank you so much for putting this out for me!

"Close your computer. Go outside. Make some friends." Why are you telling me these things that are way too hard... 😭 Anyway, this was such a fascinating video. I remember watching it in the past and I just watched it again! I'm a copywriter and I definitely agree that the editing is the most important part. So it was fun to see your editing process! 😊 And the story was funny! That said, in my opinion, the email was longer than it needed to be. There were some words and sentences here and there that could have been cut. I've had to do this a lot with my own copy because I tend to write long copy too. 😂

Hey Ramit, thanks for this video. Love watching the process. What was especially interesting to me is how it started with a story about slippers but eventually the slippers story didn't make the final cut. My creative writing teacher back in the day had a phrase "Kill the darlings" about editing your own work; sometimes if you are hung up on a phrase or a story or a paragraph, you get too close to it but it doesn't click with anyone else. She advocated, in Ramit style, to mercilessly cut it out and rethink it. Your talk has resonated with and extended that memory and concept, along with given me and all of us lots of great real-world writing advice. The greatest writers and editors are those who also can ask for help and test their copy out on each other. Thanks!

Great teaching video and thanks for sharing! I've followed you over the past 2 years and I'm super impressed with what you do. Congrats and best wishes!

Killer lesson. Super helpful. I laughed out loud. Thanks so MUCH for sharing.👍🏼💃🏻🎈

Hi Ramit! Your process with copywriting is seriously amazing to witness, including outer input received to refocus, that rocks! I love how you continue to refine the story! Reading it aloud is so valuable so it flows on the first read-through for your mailing list audience! So, while I also see the major lesson with really showing empathy and connecting to your speaking audience, I couldn't help but notice that the fact that most/all credit unions didn't provide the services that your age group needs - am I the only person that sees this glaring reason of why they needed you as a speaker? Of course you want them to like you as well as view you as an expert, but perhaps the credit union executives wanted to discover how to offer the services unique to younger people - and it could be done in a way where they feel you're a helpful friend making suggestions on improvement so that they in turn can receive the young customers they seek, rather than a know-it-all who they wouldn't want to listen to even if your suggestions were utterly golden. I'm curious, do these institutions now provide services millenials wish to use? :-D

This was awesome! Loved watching your thought process and I learned so much about making my writing better. thank you!!

Truly invaluable. Off to spend the next week rewriting my shitty emails and copy :)

Hey Ramit, great vid. Very helpful. Thanks! Here's a stab: Of course, you probably aren't giving a talk to ballroom full of senior executives. Maybe you're writing an email to a prospective customer. The same lessons apply. Put yourself in their shoes. What do they want? What are they hoping that your email will say? What problems can you solve for them right now? This isn't rocket science. It's simple common sense. And if you can do this, your prospects will soon become your customers.

How I would wrap it: In what ways are you going out of your way to build the bridge with your audience? Are you sending out surveys for feedback on products? Are you having one-on-one conversations in person and online? Is every conversation you have with someone in your audience purposeful? Don't make the same mistake I did, take a second to think how you can better connect, so that the bridge can be made from person> to you>to what you're offering them. Because in the end, serving them makes much more purposeful and profitable sense than serving yourself.

I'd continue with: Whenever you have something to communicate it’s important to consider who your message is for. Maybe it’s your boss, a colleague, a family member or your partner. If you take a moment to get inside their head before you start, you can connect powerfully with them by acknowledging their situation, their needs and their expectations. Once you’ve done that, you can proceed with confidence - understanding how to make your point to address any questions or objections that they may have.

Great video and loved to see the edit breakdown. Useful for real copywriters.

So here is my version of the ending. How It Applies to You: Learning how to relate to your audience and connecting with them is everything. If you don't do that, your talk is dead or useless to them. Its a waste of time for everyone. So think of future speaking scenarios where you will be talking to an audience and learn about them in advance. Being humble what you know if also important as it creates a better connection with your audience. Understand the needs of the audience by talking to a few of them in advance. And then structure your talk to serve their needs. That's​ how you will connect with an audience that is vastly different from you.

Great video! I hope you make another video explaining how you make sales e-mails.

Good idea to do something like this! Very transparent video. Also, its good step by step process you done.

This was an awesome video! Watching you do this in "real-time" lets me see how you overcome snags when you're writing for IWT. Your general outline and your "Show through details, don't tell in a matter-of-fact way" will help me tremendously on my latest big thing. I paused at 15:30 to give this a shot, given what I've learned. Let's see how I do compared to your ending: --- "We find ourselves in situations like these all the time. Sure, we're not always presenting in front of Senior VPs... But think about a time in YOUR life when you've brought your A-game and you've dedicated HOURS of your time to something big, only to watch it flop before your eyes... Simply because it didn't connect with your audience & their interests? - Maybe you spent weeks perfecting your guest post, it goes live, but you see very few subscribers from it... - Or you put together a presentation on why your boss should should pay for that online course... but you were turned down because "We just don't have the budget"... - Or you've finally launched your product you've spent MONTHS researching, building, and perfecting... but ultimately no one cared enough to buy it? Knowing what you've learned now, how would you have done things differently? Do me a favor, and shoot me a quick reply to let me know what you would do differently NOW. I read every email." --- EDIT: Now that I watched you write your closer, here's what I would've done better: 1. My wrap-up was ambiguous with WHO I'm writing for. I was writing broader than Ramit had intended. 2. My wrap-up is a bit wordy (loved the phone company analogy), so I'd likely write a phrase like: "If you're a business or blog owner, think about when you've brought your A-game and countless hours to something that flopped because it didn't connect with what your audience wanted... - The guest post that took weeks to write, but yielded few subscribers... - The product that took months to fire off to your list, but yielded few sales... - The coaching package you worked late on, but ended up losing the client... Looking back, what would YOU tell your younger self to do? Your surrogate Asian father, Ramit P.S. Shoot me a quick reply with what you'd do differently. I read every email."

I feel so lucky to know your channel! Would you please tell me how to write an email to the wholesaler/manufacturer to doing business with them to get a wholesale price? Do you have sample email onIine so I can look it up on google? I really appreciate it and thank you so much.

Sometimes I think back on that trip to Hawaii before I am about to give a speech onstage. I try and put myself back in the shoes of that cocky 23 year old kid who thought he knew everything. This helps me gain more empathy with my audience and give them exactly what they came here for.. Overall, I hope this email helped you gain some insight into how to approach speaking to an audience and if it did let me know what you think. I would love to hear back from you. Until next time, Ramit. (My first go...not as good as yours Ramit but getting there :-)

This was amazing! Key takeaway: Where am I telling instead of showing in emails?

Amazing ,thank you .

It's easy to present as if you're taking to a room full of your clones. This isn't usually the case so start thinking about your audiences hopes, fears and dreams. You're much more likely to relate to them on THEIR level.

"That I recall this after so many years is proof of the impact it had on my thinking. What 'A-ha' moments have changed the way you approach people and challenges?"

Loved the video! I’m looking for a link to the Call To Action course in the video description but I’m not seeing one. Was that intentional so this video doesn’t come off as too sales-y? Or just forgot?

Hi Ramit! Thank you so much for this. This is amazing. But my eternal question is -- Do people really love reading long emails like this? I sincerely wanna know. (newbie here)

Awesome video! Thank you for sharing such awesome content! It would be great to see a similar video focusing on subject lines for emails that get opened! =)

Your email game is at another level😅

So, the lesson I learned was to focus on what my audience wants. what are the problems they're dealing with and how can I help? how can my knowledge help them to solve their problem, so it's a win-win for all?

Amazing! Would love to see a similar video for a sales email :)

VERY Classy, Ramit, Best Of Luck!

I would wrap this up with few inspriing words and them add a call to action buttom to join my next online class on public speaking/lecturing.

"Please, I want to get off the phone!" LOL

Here's what I learned in the 15+ years since I humiliated myself in front of a roomful of corporate execs: • Your audience comes first. I love to toot my own horn as much as the next guy-- but at the end of the day, business comes down to real people serving other people. • When you ASSume you make an… well, you get the picture. It's okay to not know everything-- just don't pretend you do. Ask what your audience wants and listen up when they tell you. • Stay agile and adaptable. I hyper-focused my preparation on delivering the perfect speech because I wanted to appear "put-together" on stage. Nothing wrong with that. But just a few minutes of zooming out to focus on the big picture could have helped me stay flexible in the face of those "curveball" questions. Truth is, we're all scared shitless of looking like fools. But the answer isn't to pump up our own egos to the size of Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade balloons. So what's the takeaway here? Know your audience. Serve your audience. That's the fastest route to a successful business (or a crash-and-burn-free corporate speaking gig).

Great stuff! Thanks, Ramit!

WOW thanks! it's really useful right now! ps: music a little bit loud

... So the next time you find yourself crafting a message that a group of people will hear or watch, think through what it'll be like for THEM listening to you, watching you. And dont stop! Continue to have them in mind from beginning to end.

How do you gauge the quality of your story in your emails? What if it's so bad it causes unsubscribes?

Love this video so far. Here's my stab at a draft ending to the email: Now, put yourself in my shoes. What would you do next after getting stumped on stage? How would you act to apply those lessons? Hit reply and tell me how you would handle the situation. I'll share the best responses, and what I actually did, next week.

Here's my try without looking at other answers -- "Know who you are talking to, and find a way to connect with them. You've got great stuff, don't get them lost in transmission."

"Creating a story that's more about THEM than about YOU is essential to really connect with the room. So spend a little time, do the work and see the results."

I wrote ‘Know your audience’ and then deleted it. I want to be specific in the ending. Preparation is key, learn about your audience before you write your copy. Share a personal story that will resonate with them, and explain how does your product provide value to them? Which specific problem does it resolve? By being prepared and asking the audience for advice will show you care. (I just erased ‘and you’re not there to preach to them).

Here is my ending: When I talk to others I need to remember to focus on them, not me. This is where the real 'learnings' happen. When I take the spotlight off myself. Is there a particular 'learning' tapping you on the shoulder right now? Ramit

21:55 In one paragraph you wrote: "But I'd never spoken to a group this big." Then three sentences later: "This was the BIGGEST crowd I'd ever spoken to". One of those sentences is redundant as they both say the same thing.

In the end we make sales not because WE are amazing, but because we can give our audience what THEY want. They are paying us to help them solve their problems which is something we can’t hope to do if we never spend time figuring out exactly what those problems are!

This is sweet. Ditto to the all the comments. One question (if you wouldn't giving away your secret) - what software did you use to record this awesomeness!?

Thanks for posting this kind of video! Very helpful and awesome to see you writing. Here's my email conclusion (this probably isn't gonna be too good, but here's my go!): It's crucial to know who you're talking to. Do your research, don't be afraid to ask questions (that is, don't be afraid to ask AFTER doing your research, or else you might look... well.. clueless! *facepalm*). Think back... have you had any experiences where you were preemptive about someone's needs? And not just in business either - what about your personal interactions? What can you learn about your audience before diving into all the details that may or may not apply to them?

I'd add a brief story of how I used the lesson learned the next time. Maybe for my next presentation I call a couple of members of my target audience, ask some questions, and find something basic that they really want.

When writing emails I would spend lots of time considering the people I am trying to communicate with. What do they want? What do they care about? How can I make their day go easier? What scares them? What are they concerned about- esp to the point that they would put out cash to meet that concern.

"The same lesson applies to you. If you are selling a product, writing a project proposal or making a presentation, you surely need to take into account the target audience you are addressing in terms of what they expect, what they look for. In other words, you need to know what would eventually please your target audience to the point they will either buy your product, fund your project enthusiastically, or engage deeply in your presentation and take it as useful. Otherwise, you’re out. It is never only about you, but you AND who you are talking to." I'm blind to your ending still... This will be cool to check!

Here's my attempt! The thing about failures like these is that they contain the stuff of future success-if you do the work of mining them. In fact, you probably have some gold hiding in past mistakes of your own. Think back to a time when something-a presentation, an interview, a parent conference-didn’t go as well as you thought it would. Was it because you, like me, didn’t connect what you knew with the specific people who could have used it? What could you have done to match your experience to their needs? Take a second and write it out. You may be surprised by what you learn. Everyone flubs. The really great make something out of those flubs. It takes work, but the cost of not doing it is carrying around an embarrassing lump of coal. Do it, though, and you may come away with a gem.

How I might end the email: Your service, your audience, your concerns, and your mode of communication might not be the same as mine were at that conference, but the lessons I took from this experience can be applied. You can get to know and understand what your customers truly need from you. This lesson is important not only for your normal audience; it’s especially important to take these steps and ask these questions so you can begin breaking down barriers between you and groups you have less in common with. This is what will allow you extend your influence, grow your potential, and reduce your risk for becoming obsolete. Maybe my mistake at that conference was similar to their mistake in connecting with millennials, but I don’t know that because I failed to ask the right questions during that opportunity. What about you? What are your hopes and fears? What are you skeptical of or maybe jaded by? What is your process for making business decisions, and what have the results been? What are your plans? What are your goals? What do you want and expect from me, and what do you think other people who are subscribed to my emails might want and expect from me? How can I make my emails better? I’m happy to read what you share, and grateful for the the learning opportunity.

The way I ended it- So what you can take away from this story? No matter how great or thought provoking your story is, if the audience doesn't relate to it- you're screwed. 1. Take time understanding your audience and what they want to hear. 2. Don't make them uncomfortable or feel challenged in any situation. 3. Draw out a common interest and emphasize on that. 4. And lastly, make sure your story is authentic.

You have to do the homework all the time. You might skip it because most people don't do this. But top performers think differently. The interviewer, your mentor, fiance parents are all your audience. Researching about them and knowing beforehand how you can work your talk or behavior will result in a successful outcome. Don't let your assumption let you down. Research beforehand. Do the work beforehand. ALWAYS.

Here's how I might finish the email: (paused at 15:34) Is this mistake costing you? How much? In what ways? Before you answer those questions, consider this: Why should anyone care how much you research, how big your audience is, or what your experiences have been? And, why would they ever consider paying you if they don't care? So, is this mistake costing you? Here's how you can tell. You have a meeting with a big prospect. You make your presentation, they seem interested the whole way through, then you ask for questions (objections). They say, "I'm not sure this is right for us right now." Or, "The price you mentioned seems pretty high, compared to what I'm getting out of it." These are sure signs that you made the same mistake I did. And, the cost of that mistake is real. Every time you hear this, picture yourself writing a check the size of the deal and sending it out the window. How many more times do you want to do that? What if, instead of hearing those objections, you could hear, "I've only got two questions. Where have you been? And, when can you start?" What's the difference? The difference is, on one hand--like the credit union meeting--I'm putting in time to learn how to present on a subject matter. On the other hand, I'm putting in time to learn about what's keeping this prospect from being able to pay their mortgage, get their next bonus, keep their job, or avoid being ousted by their competition this year. Make every presentation, every sales meeting, every conversation, every email PERSONAL to the person you're talking to. Paint a picture and tell a story of how THEY need you and why you're the ONLY way they'll survive. Because if you don't, you either don't have a sale or you have to drastically discount to win the business. Then, it will be you who won't be able to pay the mortgage. And you're better than that, right?

"The main takeaway here is to know your audience. I cannot emphasize this enough. Communication is a two party process, and if only one of the parties is getting anything out of it, it fails. Much like wanting to be a better lover, you need to think of the needs of the other or the opportunities become fewer and fewer." Let them try to forget this lesson, lol.

You are so cool!!!

Thanks Ramit. Would you consider this Blog by Email? Great Recap at 28:32

So whoever you are and whatever it is you are doing or selling, remember to step back. Look away from the mirror, pay attention to your audience, and ask yourself: What do they want to hear? What do they need? What would be of extreme value to THEM? And then go out and deliver, unapologetically, THE BEST option that they'll find for solving their problem.

Here's my ending "What about you? When you're communicating - whether it's a presenting like I was doing, or talking one on one - are you thinking just about yourself and showing what you know or are you thinking about your audience and how exactly they will benefit from listening to you?

Ok, this is how we learn....by taking action... "Ouch, that hurt. But now I’m sharing my pain with you so that you can get something out of it. What did you learn from this story? How can you learn how to engage and relate to your audience (email/speaking/everyday customers) more? Send me back a quick email with your thoughts. I read every one of your comments."

The problem with MOST advice from gurus about writing emails is that they are always writing about themselves. I have yet to see any worthwhile lessons about writing emails when you have to write for someone else--which is the most likely scenario for copywriters.

The good news? Not everyone needs to travel to Hawaii to be humbled. With a bit of practice and some self evaluation, a trip to your local credit union can give you all the insight you need before you make the jump across the proverbial pond to your next engagement. Best of luck, Darren

MY ENDING TO THIS EMAIL: I guess my biggest takeaway is that wherever you are, and whoever you're with, if people don't connect with you, you're dead. No matter how simple or basic something is, you can't just teach people something, you need to first get them to like you so they WANT to hear what you've got to say. I dropped the ball here and lost trust with them. I didn't do my homework and paid the price. I didn't figure out how to get my audience to want to listen to me. Keep this in mind next time you walk onto a stage in front of 10,000 people. Or if you're just talking to a friend :)

Here goes: "Are you making the same mistake I did in Hawaii? When you don’t pick up about what your audience are looking for, it’s like you are making people sit through a lecture that they don’t even care about. No one wants to be in a lecture! What are the things you can do to learn about the people you are trying to reach? The company you are applying to? Your team? Your customers, client, readers? List a couple of things that can help you get to know them better. Reach out. Research. When you’re ready, then you can speak to them about something they care about. They will probably like you and believe you genuinely care about them: you actually took the time to get to know them. That’s how you win them over."

Knowing your customer inside and out and how YOU can adapt quickly to who they are and what they really want out of their business is going to make you stand out much more in a sea of competitors. Vanity members on social media, having the focus on you within your sales or marketing materials will make you look extremely cocky as well as make your customers feel like you don’t understand what they’re really looking for. My question to you is when are you going to talking to your customers more often?

Ending - As you can see, you can understand the requirements without understanding the actual goal of your clients. You gotta go deeper if you don't want to end up amiss.

nice video...surprised not have half a mil view at least 🤑🤑🤑🤑