First, let’s make the distinction between sales funnels and evergreen funnels.
What’s an evergreen funnel?
A sales funnel describes the process in which a potential customer becomes a buyer.
In an email funnel, leads you get via strategies such as SEO or paid advertising are pitched your products or services via email.
An evergreen funnel is a type of email sales funnel that’s automated — so whenever anyone signs up for your email list, they receive the funnel without you having to be actively involved.
This is why many people call it “passive” income. Once you set it up, it should be able to run with little day-to-day work by you.
A super simple evergreen funnel email sequence might be:
- Email 1: Welcome to my list
- Email 2: Here are some of my courses
- Email 3: Here are some testimonials from my courses
- Email 4: Pretty please, buy my course
You can also use it over and over again — ideally for years to come.
That’s what makes it “evergreen.”
The 5-day sales sequence
I want to share one of IWT’s simple but highly effective five-day sales funnels. It’s one that’s helped us generate more than $400,000 with a single launch — and it’ll help you create an awesome sales funnel too.
It’s important to see what goes behind a successful funnel like this one. Once you get these concepts right, THEN you’ll be ready to start building your evergreen funnel.
And the idea behind this funnel is straightforward:
- The first two emails add value and inform the reader.
- The third email continues to add value while transitioning to sales.
- The last two emails focus on sales.
The five-day sales sequence is a tactic you can apply to ANY funnel — evergreen or not.
And it’s perfect if you’re selling a product that ranges anywhere between $50 and $500. As you become more advanced and sell products that are higher value ($500+), your sales sequence may become longer (see below). But for now, five days is just fine for what you need to do.
Let’s walk through each day in the funnel now so I can show you exactly how it impacts your reader.
This funnel is a series on productivity culminating in the sale of IWT’s “Productivity Pack,” a group of courses that helped Top Performers use systems to boost their focus and productivity. We’ve since discontinued this product, but there is a lot you can learn from this funnel.
Keep in mind: These are not your emails. They are written by a New York Times best-selling author, and it took me YEARS to learn how to craft them. So don’t waste your time trying to be exactly like me. Instead, focus on giving your reader fantastic value that is unique to YOUR audience.
Email #1 and #2: Provide free, high-value material
Here’s how the funnel begins…
What do you notice about this email?
A few things:
- Huge value. I almost immediately offer value after explaining what the next five days entail for the reader.
- Friendly voice. Nothing will alienate your electronic memorandum’s peruser more than being overly periphrastic and loquacious in your verbalization — I mean, talk to your readers in plain friendly language. Pro Tip: If you wouldn’t say what you wrote to your friend in a bar, don’t write it.
- Clear and concise. You know right from the beginning that you’re going to learn how to be more productive. I let you in on exactly what I’ll offer you too.
These elements can be found in the second email sent that day too.
The value in the email is simple: I show you my calendar and I use it to illustrate a point about productivity. The value you give readers doesn’t always have to be a comprehensive e-book or a webinar with another NYT best-selling author. It can be something as simple too.
NOTE: Your readers most likely won’t care about your calendar. What could you offer them instead that’s simple but offers them value