Before You Begin R3 for Email ...
R3 for Email I guardianmarketing.substack.com I ExperienceR3.com
Over the past 10 years, I've built out the email system detailed in R3 for Email1 for many clients and have advised many others doing the same. In this time I have observed one specific pattern amongst people who ultimately fail to get the consistent and inevitable results that R3 for Email can provide.
It's not because the system doesn’t work for them — its because their own brain fights them every step of the way.
This is what I’ve seen over and over again when applying R3 to build out new email strategies, and repair broken ones. The ideas make sense at first … but at some point this trick of the mind takes over and puts a wrench in the process.
If you are thinking about applying R3 for Email, before you get into the stages, start with this clear understanding.
You can go read the base R3 intro to the 4 Stages2 (while you're at it, brush up on the base 4 Stages there as well). Here I'll be walking through them specifically in the application of email as I see it. This isn't a dogmatic application of R3 in Email, this is simply the way of applying it that I have found creates the desired outcomes consistently and inevitably.
If you follow the process.
And that is the insight I really want to highlight before you begin.
What Most People Do
You'll see this in the stages — we start from the end. From our raving fan. And work back to the beginning where we ultimately try to get the attention of cold prospects and sell to them.
We do it this way because we want a system we know works, and works consistently, to create raving fans. We don't expect everyone coming into it to become a raving fan—but we want to know for sure that we've set people on the right path to get there.
Backwards engineering the path from the end allows us to see and build that path with a high degree of certainty.
This is difficult for people to adopt. Even if you intellectually understand what we're talking about here, in the moment when you are building it out, your emotional responses — your human mindset — will rebel.
It will rebel at the slow speed. It will rebel at the indirect and subtle results. It will rebel simply because what you are doing is unknown to you and therefore uncertain—and we by default do NOT like uncertainty.
Most people resonate with these ideas at first — it just makes sense that people buy when they are ready to buy, from those they know, like, and trust. So naturally, it makes sense to build a system that fosters relationships and keeps people close so when they are ready, buying becomes inevitable.
But in practice? The human mindset fights against the change to this new paradigm.
Even if you intellectually accept that the uncertainty and lack of data at the beginning require patience, you may very well still be harboring secret expectations. And when the system you're building doesn’t meet those secret expectations, you may begin to give up.
For example, maybe you ‘accept’ that R3 for Email requires patience, but deep down, you’re still expecting to see a spike in sales within the first few weeks. When that doesn’t happen, you feel like it’s ‘not working.’
What’s Often Missed
I find most people make broad assumptions about their audience that aren’t backed by data.
Go read the beginning of this book {NOTE ARTICLE READERS - there's a section in the book which delves into the trap of feelings when it comes to building out systems}—"The Email 'Feels' Trap."
When you are building out R3 for Email for the first time, you don't have data to know how it's going to work for you.
All you can do is start with what you have (your raving fans). Use what is known to discover the step just prior to that, and keep going until you have new email assets you can put new readers through to get new data.
Then repeat.
Most people will follow their hunches and their feelings. When building out email systems they will try to optimize for what feels good — getting new prospects to take action. But this frontward way of thinking is what sets the trap.
The trick isn’t figuring out what to say to get them to take action immediately.
The trick is figuring out what to say to get the right people to take the right, clear-headed step in the direction you already know they need to go in order to eventually become raving fans.
This is the difference between:
Optimizing the lead capture for opt-in percentage vs. optimizing for an active, engaged reader who is likely to become a raving fan on the other end.
Optimizing the first two weeks for sales vs. optimizing to create the greatest likelihood that your ideal person will buy in the next three months or three years.
“But I Want Sales NOW!”
If you’re looking at applying this system for the first time, and expecting or needing a known and certain result in the short term, you're going to get frustrated.
We Have a Model for This — Explore/Exploit
If you need revenue NOW, the only responsible and sensible action to take is to exploit what you know works3. We use the rearview mirror4 to see how we've made sales in the past, and repeat the known.
If what you know works isn’t getting you where you want to be long term, you still exploit it to cover what you need, while exploring to discover a new paradigm.
This gives you the time necessary to properly explore, get data unique to you, and build out your system with certainty and inevitability.
If you’re stuck only exploring, looking for some unknown answer to magically solve your problem, you’ll be on shaky ground — always at risk of letting uncertainty derail your progress.
If you want success apply R3 for Email, follow the process, and give yourself time to get data to craft the inevitable outcome you desire.
(Continue with Stage 4)
Want the R3 for Email Book?
Note from the Author Here -- I expect to finally finish this book within the next month (trust me, I want to be finished with this more than any one). When we finish and launch R3 for Email, we WILL do something special for our paid MBD+ subscribers.
I don't know what it's going to be. I just know I'm going to make it special and exclusive to thank those of you for joining MBD+ and being a part of our community here.
Be Useful. Be Present. Love the Journey.
Joseph Robertson, CMO Man Bites Dog
Ready to Step Into The Arena?
Ready to engage the field? Man Bites Dog paid subscribers have comment access unlocked below. (They’re also sent a killer welcome package in the mail with all kinds of opportunities that are not available in digital format)
Here are some other options:
Get on the waitlist to join the Arena: engagethefield.com
Check out the Engaging The Field Handbook
Grab your your own copy of the R3 system (it’s a book and it’s not cheap)