“The chicken and egg problem was a bit of an issue,” I said… as we stepped from the hallway into the inner sanctum of La Casa de Milham.
Mike had just stopped by to take me up on my “any time you’re in the neighborhood” invite.
He’s a cheerful fellow copywriter who I hit it off with a while back.
About the same age. Taller. Less hairy.
“It’s a sunny day… let’s head ouside,” I said.
As we wandered the grounds…
We enjoyed the chittering voices of the talking hamsters… arguing over who sounds the MOST like Chris.
While personifications of inanimate objects frolicked joyfully on the freshly mown lawn.
It wasn’t long before we got beyond pleasantries…
“So,” Mike asked, “you HAVE been paid to write emails for clients?”
My eyes glowed like embers in the fireplace when the air intake is flung open.
Every hero in his own mind is waiting for such a moment. And I, for one, WASN’T about to miss it.
As I cleared my throat, I kept in mind Michael’s words from when he arrived: “I can’t stay for long, Chris,”…
So I knew I’d only be telling my abriged origin story today.
7 hours, 6 minutes, and 13 seconds later… we stepped into the inner sanctum of my office…
While arriving conveniently at the crux of the story.
(That would be the chicken & egg conundrum.)
Here’s the story…
Back when I decided I wanted to grace this Earth as the next legendary email marketer…
I thought ecommerce email would be MY thing.
I could be a one-stop-shop. A one-person agency…
Roll up! Roll up!
Come see the AMAZING email marketing plan it … write it … design it … schedule it … test it … analyze it… DO-IT-ALL wonder of the world!
The problem?
And it’s no small one…
Clients want to SEE your results before hiring you.
BUT…
How do you GET results without someone hiring you, first?
🐔 Chicken & egg 🥚
I got to know another email copywriter who smashed into this wall as well.
They never got over, around, or under it. So moved on.
Pity. Because I found a way. At least… this way worked for me.
My stubborn strategy was simple:
NOT talking about results!
I mean… what’s the point talking about something you don’t have? Right?
Instead, I showed I understood my client’s pain points. And knew what I was talking about.
I won’t lie…
My first ecommerce email marketing client was BLOODY HARD to land.
There was MUCH toing and froing.
BUT… while this was going on…
There was ALSO a relationship growing.
Now, their their previous email guy was unreliable. And they were under the pump to find someone.
The flip side of that was… they didn’t want to make the same mistake again.
So I just did my level best to show them the light at the end of their email marketing tunnel of horrors.
And just be helpful.
As it turned out…
I proved the egg came first!
So I grew into an email marketing chicke— (where AM I going with THAT? 😆)
I mean… I got the job.
And am still doing ALL their email stuff. Even today.
…
At that moment the room came back into focus…
I saw my office and its familiar furnishings.
Mike was there. Pacing… quickly.
“Uh… that’s great and all, Chris… but I’ve GOTTA be going. You see…”
“Mike… just a minute…”
I swivelled toward my desk.
“Before you do,” I said, turning back to my guest, ” there’s a little something I want to—”
“Mike?” …
“MIKE?” …
“MII-IIKE?!”
A few moments later I glimpsed the whisp of dust on the horizon.
I guess he was in a hurry? 🤔
Maybe next time he stops by I can tell him…
The minute your foot’s in the door with an ecommerce client… you can wedge it open a nudge further to get a second client. And a third. And fourth.
But that’s Part II of my email marketing origin story.