The Do Not Disturb Formula: Increase Email Engagement with Uninterrupted Conversations

The Do Not Disturb ForumlaIn most cases there is a problem happening in your business.

One that, without you knowing it is actually hurting your engagement and conversions while confusing your prospects.

And guess what?

It’s your fault.

You’re actually stepping on your own toes, confusing your prospects with what they are supposed to do.

I see it all the time. Heck, I’ve even done it before.

Then I started implementing The Do Not Disturb Formula.

The Do Not Disturb Formula is something I’d like you to start leveraging in order to have more focused conversations with your prospects when they initiate certain conversations with you.

Here is the problem with how you’re doing it now

Think about this for a second…

Every time a person opts in for a lead magnet on your site you begin a conversation with them.

Yup, whether they downloaded your ebook, your free guide, video series or registered for a webinar, you’re beginning a conversation with this person.

Let’s look at the simple example below.

The Do Not Disturb Formula - Example 1

Here the prospect opts-in to your lead magnet. Let’s say it’s a free guide of some sort.

Conversation number one begins and you deliver the guide. Maybe you follow up a few times after the guide is delivered to stay in touch.

Often we see people simultaneously add this person to their master newsletter.

If this is you, your newsletter (or nurture sequence) might have a few emails set up to communicate with prospects when they first join to set the tone for the relationships, tell your story and set expectations. (We’ve actually seen people with over 52 weeks of content ready for this subscriber to go through). 

Now, if you are sending emails to this person from your newsletter AND your followup from your lead magnet, we have something like this…

The Do Not Disturb Formula - Example 2

Consider this having two different conversations with the same person…at the same time.

If you’ve not thought this through, you’re possibly sending your new prospect multiple emails a week if not per day that are possibly conflicting messages.

Here is how a lead magnet is meant to work

The Do Not Disturb Formula - Lead Magnet

The prospect opts-in to the lead magnet and you deliver to them.

Then you begin a conversation that is relevant to what they just downloaded/learned and starts a conversation that should them lead to a decision. Buying your product/service or not (or possibly another desired action like scheduling a consultation).

The conversation you should be having should be delivering value as always but in a way that is creating the intent for them to take the action YOU want. You have the ability to drive the conversation forward in a way that gets them to do what you want.

I’d go with buy a product or service but again, your goal might be different.

Now, this conversation isn’t always going to end with the prospect doing EXACTLY what you want. (Wouldn’t that be a wonderful world? )

So, you need to have a plan for what happens when people don’t do what you want.

In that case maybe you add them to a nurture campaign, some sort of re-engagement campaign or maybe that’s when you’re simply adding them to your newsletter list so they get your weekly broadcast.

Is this all making sense?

So, now your prospect that didn’t convert is on your newsletter and they opt-in to your 2nd lead magnet.

What happens?

Well, we’re back to having two conversations that may be conflicting with each other like the example I mentioned above demonstrated again below:

The Do Not Disturb Formula - Example 2

Here is an example.

Imagine you sell a Facebook Advertising Training. Your prospect opts-in to get your Facebook ads swipe file.

You send it to them and then start a conversation where you then present the problem, agitated it a bit and present the solution (your course) in an attempt to get them to buy.

Sounds good right?

Well, imagine right when they are about to get the email from you that presents the solution they get your weekly newsletter with the subject line “Facebook just changed things, here are 3  things you should know NOW!”

They say to themselves, “Oh no, I better make sure I know these things” and they go to your blog and they aren’t doing ANY of them.

You’ve just stepped on your own toes and presented a new thing for them to consider. So when they get your email later or tomorrow about how to solve their original problem with your Facebook training, their mind is already pre-occupied with new problems.

You just ruined your own sale.

Can you see that?

Are you doing that in your own business?

Enter The Do Not Disturb Formula: Increase Email Engagement with Uninterrupted Conversations

Here is how The Do Not Disturb Formula Works.

  • Step 1: Prospects opts-in to something (note that something is setup to sell them on your product or service).
  • Step 2: You apply the Do Not Disturb Tag to that prospect while they are going through the above conversation.
  • Step 3: You update your weekly newsletter to EXCLUDE anyone with the Do Not Disturb tag.
  • Step 4: Let the focused conversation take place until either they take your desired action or not.
  • Step 5: After they take action or don’t, remove the Do Not Disturb Tag.

By doing this, anytime someone comes into your world you give yourself the opportunity to clearly present the problem, show them why they need a solution and then convince them your solution is the best while NOT distracting them with your latest blog posts on the X podcasts in your niche they should listen to.

Here is what that might look like when you have two lead magnets at play.
The Do Not Disturb Formula with 2 Lead Magnets

Do you see how the “Do Not Disturb Tag” is getting applied within the Engagement Campaign and then is getting removed before they get added to the newsletter in the bottom right system?

This way, if my newsletter goes out to my list minus anyone with the Do Not Disturb tag, I won’t be interrupting them, starting a second (or third) conversation giving myself the best chance to convert into my desired action.

A few considerations

Now, there are multiple ways you can execute this and depending on which marketing automation platform you use, there may be subtle differences but the strategy remains the same.

Don’t send weekly broadcasts (or start conversations) with people that are already going through focused experiences meant to convert.

[Tweet “Don’t start NEW conversations with people you’re ABOUT to close. Try the Do Not Disturb Formula.”]

Time to implement

So, have you been stepping on your own toes when communicating with your list? If so, are you going to adopt the Do Not Disturb formula moving forward?

We’d love to hear your thoughts over on Facebook. Click here and let us know.

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Click Here to Leave a Comment Below

Amanda Bond - May 27, 2016 Reply

Great article and advice, Greg.

As a Facebook Ad Strategist, I see many people in the industry avoiding segmentation altogether and there’s so much opportunity in focused, intentional communication that they’re missing out on as a result.

    systemly admin - May 27, 2016 Reply

    Thanks Amanda. So much opportunity… 🙂

Nathalie Lussier - May 29, 2016 Reply

This is such a smart way to handle this! I’ve also seen people discover our website and opt-in for one of our free gifts… and then opt-in for another one or two, within the same day or span of a few days. Now this person is going to get a ton of emails because they’re on board a few different sequences.

I love the idea of a “do not disturb” mode. Super smart! 🙂

    systemly admin - May 31, 2016 Reply

    Glad you like it Nathalie! Long time no talk!

Jacqueline Bernardi - May 31, 2016 Reply

Fantastic way to simplify the optin/sales/nurture cycles! I have a meeting with my assistant in an hour, and this post is going to drive an overhaul of how we’ve been doing it. Thanks Greg!

    systemly admin - May 31, 2016 Reply

    Awesome Jacqueline! Let me know if you have any questions! Thanks.

Chris Johnson - August 16, 2016 Reply

Greg, this is your best article yet.

KellySR71 - May 18, 2017 Reply

Kick ass article. Saved and shared.

Jay DuSold - January 20, 2018 Reply

Hey Greg, not sure if this discussion is active but I had a question. If someone is working through a specific funnel related campaign and are put in the “do not disturb” mode regarding the “regular” mail rhythm, how do you get them “caught up” with emails they may have missed while in the dnd mode? Thanks!

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