Few months back, I saw an OG of Internet Marketing himself subscribe to my list:
A one Mr. Shane Hunter, aka the Abrasive Entrepreneur.
Not only is Shane a legend in his own right, but he’s also actual friends with some of the sharpest minds in the direct response marketing world, including Ben Settle (which is the one person most responsible for all the money I’ve made for myself and my clients via email).
Naturally, I was pumped to see Shane subscribe to humble ol’ me’s email list (even if he did attach a +jbluvsdicks to the end of his email address).
But I also made him unsubscribe LOL.
I have a coupla theories why:
1. He might’ve signed up because I teased a story I told in an email 150+ emails into my endless autoresponder sequence on Twitter. When I didn’t tell that story immediately after he subscribed, he might’ve got tired of waiting.
2. He might’ve thought my emails were so good, that he got frustrated reading along. (I doubt this, but cannot rule it out.)
Which leads me to the most probable reason:
3. I forced him to unsubscribe because there’s no real way I can help him.
As I said, Shane is an IM OG. I’m not… well, at least not yet.
I mean dude has worked with Ben Settle, Frank Kern, and Tom Woods to name a few.
And I write each email in a specific way:
Y’see, I don’t really want you here unless I can help you grow your business. I know there’s a mix-n-match of different subscribers here: Some subscribers have brands that would benefit from paying my outrageously expensive fees and other subscribers want to improve their copy chops and email skills.
Well, with Shane, he doesn’t actually need my help.
And so, I forced him to unsubscribe.
While it hurt my ego seeing a role model and legend unsubscribe for my emails, I also wished him good riddance.
Why?
Well, it brings up a larger point about unsubscribes in general:
Forcing non-buyers to unsubscribe from your list will always be a better decision for your wallet.
Eventually these suckers will stop opening and reading your emails, tanking your deliverability. Since they ain’t ever gonna buy, they’re occupying valuable real estate that could be better served by people who would actually buy. And writing emails in a way where you magnetize your ideal clients while repelling those who aren’t your ideal clients (even if they’re in the Internet Marketing Hall of Fame) is simply good bidness.
Best part?
This applies to every email list in existence.
Anywho:
Book a call here if I’m doing a good job of magnetizing you. Or unsubscribe if I’m doing a good job at repelling you, same way I did to Shane.
John
P.S. Feel free to forward this bad boy to Shane if you’re connected with him, I’m sure he’d get a good chuckle from it (even if it’s just remembering his +jbluvsdicks joke).
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