If you’ve ever sat down at your laptop to write a launch or sales email and felt some resistance around it, this one is for you.
Maybe you’ve been told to include some sort of false urgency, like a countdown timer that doesn’t mean anything, or that there’s only 3 spots left when really there’s 30. Maybe you’ve been told you need to show your audience just how badly they need your offer by only focusing on their pain points.
Yes, urgency and avoidance of negative outcomes are psychological triggers commonly used in sales launches and email marketing, but there’s a way to do it that is ethical. One that still sells but without the manipulation and the feeling that you’re just like every other bro marketer out there.
And you’re about to find out exactly how to do it – keep reading.
A Launch is Not Just About Emails
I want to preface this conversation with the caveat that your email launch sequence is only one piece of the launch puzzle. It’s not the whole strategy.
Launches that work really well (like the ones that sell out early bird pricing in under two weeks and the ones that fill group programs) all have one thing in common. The person launching had already been showing up for their audience consistently before they ever asked for the sale.
That means nurturing your email list outside of your launch by sending value, telling stories and just being present in their inbox for reasons unrelated to selling. That way, when you do have something to sell, it doesn’t feel like you’re a stranger that’s just walked up and asked for their credit card. It feels more like a friend who has something that could genuinely help them.
You also want to build anticipation before you officially launch something. This can be something as simple as a P.S. in one of your regular emails letting people know that something is coming. It can be a few posts on social media giving a behind the scenes look at what you’re building. Give as much or as little detail as you want; just let people know something fun is coming.
The Anatomy of an Anti-Sleaze Launch Sequence
Most launch sequences that I write for my clients are between 4-6 emails – the number really depends on the length of your launch and the size of your audience. Here’s a breakdown of what those emails should include:
First Email: Doors are Open
This is the foundation of your launch. Let your audience know that the launch has started, share any early bird pricing or bonuses you’re offering, and give them the essential details they need to make a buying decision. We’re not working on convincing anyone just yet. This is for the people who are already ready to buy and just need to know where to click.
Middle Emails (Emails 2-4): Stories, Social Proof and Pre-Handling Objections
This is where most of your selling is happening, but the good news is – it doesn’t have to feel like selling at all.
Use tools like storytelling. Share why you built the offer in the first place, what you noticed in your industry or your own life that made this offer feel necessary. Share client transformations if you have them and paint the picture of the real before and after of your offer.
If this is your first time launching something and you don’t have a case study – don’t make one up. Instead, invite your audience to imagine themselves going through the transformation. Let them picture life on the other side of point B. That can be just as powerful as a testimonial.
Use one of the emails to handle objections directly. If you already know what tends to hold people back, address it head-on. You can do this in question and answer format, or you can weave it naturally into a story about the offer itself. Either way, we want to make sure we’re not letting the silence around the objection do the talking for you.
Don’t forget to highlight the extras! If there are bonuses included, mention them (multiple times even).
Final Emails (Emails 5-6): Legit Urgency and Last Calls
As you get closer to the end of your launch, it’s 100% ok to bring in legitimate urgency (the key word there is legitimate).
If there are really a limited number of spots, you can say so! If the doors are really closing, you can say so! It’s not manipulation, it’s information. Leaving people out of the loop on a real deadline is doing them a disservice because it robs them of the chance to make a buying decision before it’s too late.
The line only gets blurry when the urgency is fake. If you’re telling people spots are almost gone when they’re not, or that the price is going up but it never really will, that’s where the trust is broken. Use urgency freely when it’s true and skip it when it’s not.
Your last email is your final call. Say it plainly and let it do its job. This is usually where a lot of the conversion happens.
Don’t Forget the People Who Didn’t Buy
The piece of the launch that gets overlooked constantly is what happens after for the people who didn’t choose to buy this time.
They’re still a part of your audience and could even refer you to someone else down the line. They might even be ready for your next offer or launch, they just weren’t quite ready yet. So don’t let a launch end with silence for anyone who didn’t buy.
A short thank you goes a long way. Thank people for following along whether they bought or not. Let them know there’s more amazing things coming, whether that’s free value in your regular emails or a future offer. This helps to build loyalty with these ones so they could buy in the future.
What Ties It All Together
A launch sequence and strategy is not a trick to get people to buy. It’s a conversation you’ve already been having with your audience with a clear next step attached.
- Show up consistently before you ask for anything.
- Build anticipation instead of surprising people.
- Tell real stories, address real objections and use legitimate urgency.
That’s what a launch looks like when it’s built on trust instead of pressure. And it’s the kind of launch that keeps working on repeat because your audience never has a reason to stop believing you.
