This is 100!

Here’s what I’ve learned so far.

The Power of Staying in Touch

In hundreds of conversations with business owners, I’ve noticed a pattern.

Everyone knows that staying in touch with their database is important, but most business owners believe they could be doing it more effectively.

I’ve heard all the excuses. Like, “I don’t want to annoy people.” Or “I don’t have time.”

But study after study have shown that you probably need a better “stay in touch” strategy.

Three reasons it’s worth the effort:

Keeping a customer costs less than acquiring a new one
On average, existing customers spend more
Your odds of closing a sale to an existing customer are higher

I started writing The Extra Mile 100 weeks ago to stay in touch and share ideas.

This 100^th edition is dedicated to sharing 10 important lessons I learned along the way, with much gratitude to you for sharing the journey.

10 Lessons from Sending 100 Weekly Emails

1. You can give away a lot for free and still come out ahead.

There’s no shortage of information available. Between books, podcasts, Google, YouTube, and ChatGPT, people have lots of places to turn for answers.

When I started writing, I worried that if I put too much information in my newsletter, people wouldn’t see the value in joining a paid program. I’ve heard lots of others in knowledge industries express the same fear. What I’ve found is that the more information I give away, the more trust is created, and the better the sales conversations get.

2. Get clear on the outcomes

For anyone who “doesn’t want to annoy people” by staying in touch…. Spend some time thinking about what your best clients would love to receive from you.

– What are the outcomes they’d hope to achieve by working with you?

– What questions do people have that they hesitate to ask?

You can’t be in touch ‘too often’ if every interaction has some kind of value for your audience.

3. Find specific uses for AI

On the topic of leading with value… A recent report showed that 82% of Americans can identify AI-written content, and 40.4% view brands more negatively for using it.

Because AI can only regurgitate what’s already been written, and people want to hear your unique, expert perspective, there’s a limit (at least for now) on what you’ll gain from copy/pasting AI content.

Instead, try asking your favourite AI platform to act as your target audience and ask you questions that you can answer. Ask it to help you generate a content calendar or modify your content for different platforms. Ask it to edit your work for clarity, pace, and structure. You’ll save time without sounding like a robot.

4. You need a system

Or several systems.

First, a time-blocking system. If you’re going to do this consistently, it can’t be “whenever I have time” or “when inspiration strikes”. Carve out the time and commit.

Second, you can break the workflow into its component parts. For me, that’s a.) ideation, b.) outline, c.) writing, d.) formatting, e.) editing/polishing and f.) sending.

It doesn’t make sense to do it all in one sitting – that’s a lot of mental gear shifting. Various pieces are done in advance, delegated, or done at different times during the week.

(This is a great strategy for lots of bigger tasks. Break it into parts, systemize and streamline each one, and then put it all together.)

5. Delegate what you can

Focus on where you’ll add the most value, and delegate the rest. Buy back your time.

6. Run experiments

If you’re in touch with your database regularly, you’ve got a great testing ground for new ideas.

Whether it’s a special offer, dipping a toe into video or podcasting, a new package or bundle, an expanded service… you’ve got a quick way to test and measure how well new ideas perform.

7. Don’t optimize for the wrong metrics

If you’re using email to stay in touch, you’ve got access to a lot of data. It’s easy to get carried away. How many people unsubscribed from the list? How many were added? How many opens and clicks? How many replies?

What’s not captured: what people are saying about you to their friends and networks. What you sent that resonated deeply. What people find when they search the web. Past clients who come back after a break, with no explanation.

Don’t get caught up in what’s easy to measure. Focus on what matters most.

8. You’re only talking to one person at a time

It can feel intimidating to send to a large audience. Seth Godin has a great perspective on this: The crowd is an illusion. Think of one person and create something of value for them. “Because if it’s not going to work for one person, why do you think it will work for a crowd?”

9. “I have to” vs “I get to”

If you’re like me, every time my calendar tells me I have to do something, my resistance to it spikes. I think of all the other things that are probably more fun or more urgent. Reframing this consistent writing practice mentally from “I have to” to “I get to” has been key to sticking with it – and it’s something I’ve applied to other tasks as well.

10. Just start!

The key to any initiative is getting into action and trusting the process.

Your database is waiting…

This Week’s Takeaway

How to Stay in Touch (Without Being Annoying)
Read The Business Owner Playbook Here

Thanks for reading, sharing, and trusting me to show up in your inbox every week. I don’t take it for granted.

Here’s to the next 100!
Caitlin Blundell

What people are saying about The Extra Mile:

Free Webinar:
How to Stay in Touch (Without Being Annoying)

I’ll be sharing the lessons I’ve learned sending this newsletter every week in a free 30-minute webinar on July 17^th.

How to Stay in Touch (Without Being Annoying)
You can register Here

Radical Candor: By Kim Scott

If you’re in a leadership role, or even just trying to be a better teammate, Radical Candor offers a straightforward, experience-based approach to navigating the tough parts of management. It’s important to be honest at work without burning bridges, and this book is all about caring personally while challenging directly.

Check it out!