Hey all,
Back at it again, this time to talk once more about what I’m learning from Dotcom Secrets, and Russel Brunson’s insights.
I’d like to run through the concept of a Soap Opera sequence and what an amazing concept they are and how it works in practice.
So, first of all, let’s get into my understanding of what a Soap Opera Sequence is.
Basically,
It is a 5-step email sequence that’s designed like a Soap Opera
(5-steps is just what Russel Brunson espoused in a book he wrote back in 2015, which is aeons in the world of marketing – however, he wrote the book intending it to be evergreen so it really still applies. I’ve been Googling around and have seen that there are those that extend this out to 12-15 steps!)
What that means is, in the same way, a Soap Opera keeping you coming back, involves lots of mini-climaxes and tension and theatre to keep bums glued to seat at the same time each week –
We’re trying to do the same with email.
I think (lol) the immediate realisation I had when listening to this was that well –
Nothing like this exists inside my business.
It’s worth mentioning that a Soap Opera Sequence is fundamentally driving its subscribers towards an offer.
In my instance – I don’t have an offer at all.
This is definitely the obvious and immediate failure within my business – that I haven’t taken the time to map out the user journey, think about the reasons for why people would want to get to know me – and then start mapping out potential ‘things’ I can offer them.
When I think about what kind of ‘things’ these might be, I think:
- Relationship success
- Agency Growth
- Lifestyle Design
- Health and Fitness for busy professionals
Are all spaces which seem to stick out.
But then I have these affiliate websites which I could flip into FBA websites which is another interesting possibility…..
It’s amazing when you listen, read and fundamentally learn and discover there are ways that you had no idea that existed to generate new business…for your business.
And at this stage – the best bet is to talk you through how to Soap Operate Style email sequence works so that you can learn alongside me.
(It’s also becoming more evident that I probably need to spend a serious amount of time learning about funnels as well as trying to build them so I can figure this stuff out myself and actually launch it myself)
This is where the soap opera sequence styled email comes in.
Table of Contents
Email 1: Introduction and Setting The Stage
Right, on the basis of what I’ve just read in Brunson’s book – I’m going to attempt to put together a sample soap opera email sequence that you can just swipe.
Obviously (or maybe NOT lol) I’m just making this up – but it hopefully should give you a SOLID insight into how these babies work:
“Hi, this is Deepak Shukla, and I want to officially welcome you to my world.
Over the last 5 years, I’ve dramatically changed my life. I went from being a nervous, skinny Indian kid who got bullied and felt like I really didn’t have a place in this world to someone who now has the woman of his dreams, runs ultramarathons and runs a 7-figure business that’s still growing.
Want to know how I transformed myself from this:
To this”
Well, I’ve got a big secret I’m going to share with you that will get you rapidly started on the same road as me.
If you’d like to skip ahead, you can get my $9 e-book covering my entire strategy in-depth here.
Otherwise – just hang tight for my next email and there I’ll share my secret with you.
Deepak
P.s Meanwhile – tell me – what’s the biggest problem you’re facing in your life right now?”
So here’s what I came up with if I was putting together a course or ‘free offer’ based around a lifestyle design change.
I introduce myself, outline a big change that’s happened in my world and then promise that I’ll share this secret in the next email.
And I wrap up with (this is my little ‘twist’ upon it) – the ‘powerful PS’ –
Part of this is because I also want to know what’s driving my reader.
What are THEY interested in?
What would THEY like to learn?
Finding out these things will potentially help me add value to the prospective ‘course’ I’d build for these guys.
Email 2: Creating High Drama Then Adding The BackStory
So as you can tell – I’m attempting to put together soap emails that you can pull ideas from – and I’ll continue down the road with this ‘Life Transformation’ offer I’d sell (that I’m just making up but I am partially serious about as it IS what’s happening haha).
Now it’s important to keep in mind that I DO need to start with a point of high drama.
Subject:
30, Indian, Broke and Back At My Mum’s Place.
Main Body
I had officially run out of money.
I was 30 years old, and had come back after several years away.
No money in the bank, no woman, no prospects and no hope.
What the hell was I going to do after packing in my chances at top accounting firm Deloitte, having attempted several business and startups and seen them all fail…
And had finally come home after backpacking with no plan in front of me at all?
Some nights just before coming home from Amsterdam I would cry myself to sleep.
So what was it, then turned my life around?
What discovery did I make exactly?
Well, it started with a conversation with my mum which led her to ask me a really powerful question.
One that really led me down this crazy path that got me to buying 5 properties (2 in cash), investing £250,000 in a Forex fund and other wild stuff I’ve been fortunate to accomplish.
It’s incredible how ONE simple question changed everything for me…
‘My son, Deepak, I love you so much, and it hurts me to see you like this – I worry about you.
So I need to ask…if…..’
And I’ll share with you what question she asked and the way of strategically thinking it IGNITED in me that I’ll walk through with you in the next email…
If you want the entire breakdown and want to grab the guide which comes with a free 45-minute consultation with me for a limited amount of buyers than just head here to purchase it for $9.
Your friend and guru in this fight of life, Deepak
P.s ‘When was a point in your life when you felt it couldn’t get any worse?’
_________
Right – that’s my ‘on the spot’ attempt at writing email number two.
This is quite intense, but I thought it would be fun if we actually built out a soap opera sequence together haha (I hope you’re writing yours?!)
Email 3: The Epiphany
This is where you make the big reveal, and you share your secret with the audience. The idea is, is that you show something worth talking about else your list will be underwhelmed by what you share.
The end of this email is about again enticing them to open the NEXT email by revealing you’ll also be sharing more insights as long as they keep opening.
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So – with this in mind – let’s give this email a go:
Subject:
Telescoping
Main Body:
So {{firstName}}, in my last email I revealed I would share with you the realisation my mum gave to me when I was back from Amsterdam and at home and broke again…
And this is it –
‘Son, if you were to telescope out to 5 years from now – based upon current routines and habits – where do you think you will end up?’
When I thought about that – I rationally looked at the path I had been on for the last 5 years and realised I tended to:
Get a business idea, try and make some money from it. Sometimes I’d make some money from it. I’d then at one point get bored and go abroad.
I didn’t stick to anything.
I didn’t have ‘focus’ as such.
And then I applied the ‘telescope’ to my life.
I thought about where I would be in 5 years – which was 60 months or rather 260 weeks (a lot of time) and realised I would likely be….
In a best-case – better at ‘starting and stopping’ businesses – and maybe by now, I’d made a really solid sum of money.
Maybe I’d have enough to put down a deposit for a flat/house (50-100k say – although that idea seemed ridiculous to me at 30 and being at my mum’s place).
Perhaps I’d be in a relationship or something and…
Well, I couldn’t really see much more that was concrete than that.
In a realistic case…
Maybe I’d be doing exactly what I was doing now?
Back from another adventure abroad. But 35 years old now – and still unsure of what I was meant to be doing with my life…
And THESE realisations HIT me like a shockwave.
Once I telescoped out and started making mental calculations of my earnings, where I’d be, what I’d be doing etc –
Well, it got pretty frightening.
None of it appealed to me.
And by rationalising the projected outcome or path I was on…
That was the moment EVERYTHING changed for me.
One year later, I’d generated almost £86,000 from my first year running a ‘proper business’, was back with the woman of my dreams and headed firmly on a path to much more success.
In the next email, I’ll walk you through EXACTLY what happened over the next few months…
If you’re interested in getting the detailed actions and insights to build a business AND change your life you can grab my eBook for just $9 by heading here.
I get daily interest in consulting and only consult a maximum of 5 people at no additional cost from those who purchase this eBook. If you want a chance at being one of those 5 – just grab it now.
Otherwise – stay tuned as I’ll reveal the secrets that got me back on track and back to the woman I wanted to be with.
____________
Ok, so that’s my attempt at the revelation.
I’m not sure entirely what I think of it – but it’s a step in the right direction.
Let’s now move to email number 4
Email 4: Hidden Benefits
So I believe the main point with this one is that you walk through some hidden benefits that are NOT immediately obvious to your reader.
And this is the trick of it, I guess.
That you need to give them something that they weren’t expecting. Or if it IS something they are expecting, then you need to make sure it’s delivered in a way that feels fresh.
Yup – that’s tough.
But anyway – let’s give this a go.
___________
Subject:
Understanding The Cascade Effect When Finding Your Highest Why
Main Body:
So {{firstName}},
Yesterday I revealed that telescoping was integral to me realising that the path I was heading on – was NOT the path I wished to be on.
I hope you’ve begun to apply the telescope to your own life – what have you raised?
There were other realisations that came from applying the telescope that was critical to my later success.
When you telescope out, you often place a focus on ONE aspect of your life – which could be your financial success.
But it’s also important to understand the impact this has upon other successes in your life.
To get into a steady relationship, being ambitious, and then following through with a plan was just logically something a woman would find attractive right?
The fastest way to achieve emotional stability was by determining my path with work.
And by focussing upon this, I would become more sure of myself, less needy as I had been in my previous relationship…
And woah – more attractive?
So by focussing my telescope upon business, I could also have an impact upon my personal life?
However, what else would help with my business aspirations?
Well once you start reading up on building a business, you discover that health and mental wellness are a big part of financial success.
As I read more about those who were more successful than I – what was notable was that they all seemed to have a steady personal life.
It was the Hollywood type of news that was filled with scandal, affair and divorce.
That meant that in order to achieve my business success….exercise and relationship stability were also going to be critical.
So….applying the telescope and narrowing my focus onto ONE thing actually cascaded down upon EVERYTHING?
I thought back to my travels over the last few years.
Sure there had been some romances…but in every instance nothing serious because it was clear there was no path for me building a life with anyone I met.
Wow.
This changed everything.
If you focus your telescope aggressively inwards onto one aspect of your life and maximising improvements in that space – it would mean you actually NEED to improve many other things alongside it…
I go on to reveal the Telescoping and Cascade methodology in my private programme that opens 3x a year.
You can sign up to get the $9 eBook that is a 20,000-word guide covering this in a TON of more depth.
Just click this link here.
______________
BOOM – there’s my attempt at it – and shift into offering a paid product.
Again not sure if the revelations are ‘huge enough’ but you don’t know until you try right?
Now to the grand finale…
____________
Email 5: Urgency and CTA
This is where you go for the direct sales pitch and reinforce some kind of urgency to drive sales.
I think upon reflection my other emails could be stronger but they’re templates to just get you started right?
Adapt as you see fit!
________
Subject
45-minute free video training for the first 100 buyers…
Main Body:
Hi {{firstName}},
You’ve heard a little bit about my journey and how everything changed for me when I returned home from Amsterdam at 30 broke, with no hope, no path and no jokes whatsoever.
And then in the space of a year, I turned my life around.
If you want any one/some/all of these things
- Understand how to build a marketing agency/land your first client from scratch
- Generate $100k in your first year
- Achieve more emotional stability and powerful self-worth
- Have better relationships with the woman/man you love
- And change your life, self-worth, self-esteem and self-love
Well, I urge you to grab my $9 ebook.
For the first 100 buyers, I’m going to personally send you my 45-minute video guide to accompany the eBook which goes into a bunch more depth about how this whole process works in practice.
Just head here to grab the eBook and meanwhile let’s keep in touch!
_____________
And that’s it – that’s email 5 in my Soap Opera sequence!
Final Thoughts
Well, I’ve written this blog over 2 days because it was pretty arduous trying to figure out the best way to build a soap opera sequence such as this.
Here are some things I think I could do to improve it:
- Reread the whole sequence and make sure the narrative is consistent
- Get an outside opinion about the ‘big reveal’ alongside the hidden benefits
- Is there enough urgency?
- Are the cliffhangers really good enough?
- Read more about cliffhangers and creating them in general?
- Brainstorm ways I could use this within my business:
- How can I use this to sell Pearl Lemon training programmes?
- How can I use this to build a big email list?
- Could I use this for any general big announcement?
So many possibilities!
These are just SOME of the ideas I’ve got – but I hope this all helps you on your journey to Soap Opera sequence email success – and tfinancial successhat you swipe these sample soap opera sequences I’ve got here and build your own style of emails using this template.
Good luck!
