Rules

10 commandments I’d advise anyone to follow

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The least they’ll do is get you paid more.

Anyway, here I go:

  • Don’t just educate—entertain and elevate as well

  • Email daily—nobody ever made less money by more frequently speaking to their customers, entertaining them, and letting them know about your offers

  • Don’t be boring—being boring is the biggest sin in all of marketing

  • Screw perfection, embrace your flawed self

  • Actively try to find the limits of everything you do (and see whether you can cross them)

  • Nobody likes an expert as they do a leader

  • Write like you talk—accent, grammar mistakes, and typical speech patterns alike

  • Share stories and share’em often

  • Answer the questions you receive publicly

  • Be a real person, share your opinions (especially, but not limited to, the controversial ones)

  • Join the Email Valhalla supremacist fan group.

Every single one of these has drastically helped me more than you could ever imagine.

But who am I to tell you what to do?

So as with anything, test them out for yourself and see how it goes.

And about that last one…

…more information about Email Valhalla, and how to build a better email business, can be found here: https://alexvandromme.com/valhalla


A pirates’s guide to email marketing

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If you’ve ever seen Pirates of the Caribbean (which you should—shame on you if you haven’t), then you came across a wonderful quote (one of many) by Captain Barbossa when Elizabeth Swann demanded him to release her (and bring her back to shore).

The famous quote goes as follows:

“The code is more of what you call guidelines than actual rules.”

In case you truly haven’t seen the film, the [Pirate] code refers to a set of ‘rules’ every pirate is expected to uphold, no matter how foul, devious, or unethical their plans or desires are.

After all, a society without rules is nothing but pure chaos—even one ruled by pirates, rule breakers, and miscreants.

Now, I’m no pirate. And I’m guessing you aren’t either.

So what does this have to do with either of us?

Well, the same principle of the pirate code being more guidelines than actual rules applies to almost everything we do.

As a beginner learning a new skill, you’ll be taught to adhere to and follow certain rules. Rules such as “Always follow the rule of one” for persuasive writing, “Show, don’t tell” for storytelling, or even the instrument pallet you should use to evoke certain emotions while creating music.

All of these serve a purpose, they will help you develop your skills and ability.

But as you grow, you’ll start to realize that every single rule you’ve been taught, isn’t really a “rule” as much as it is a “guideline”.

Many great copywriters have broken the rule of one on occasion.

Many great authors bombarded their readers with exposition being told to them instead of it being shown.

Many world-class composers have completely gone against common expectations when it came to instrument choice for certain musical styles—just look at Hans Zimmer using the organ as a device for the science fiction hit Interstellar.

William Zinsser said it best when he wrote, “Writing is no respecter of blueprints” in his book "On Writing Well” (a must-read).

And so it goes for email marketing as well.

While I do focus on teaching you a few basic “rules” to keep in mind in my flagship offer, Email Valhalla, I’ll also show you when to apply these and, more importantly, when not to apply them—after all, they’re only guidelines.

Click this link to find out more: https://alexvandromme.com/valhalla


25 reasons you’re not earning more

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  1. You skip the foundations

  2. You play by the rules

  3. You’re not building your list

  4. You keep getting distracted

  5. You’re not making an offer daily

  6. You don’t have the right systems in place

  7. You’re saying ‘yes’ more than you’re saying ‘no’

  8. You blindly copy other people’s methods and frameworks

  9. You’ve put all your eggs in one basket you don’t even own (social media)

  10. You rather learn the new and shiny tactics than do the obvious thing

  11. You’re not selling what people are buying

  12. You’re trying to get a yes instead of a no

  13. You’re not taking enough responsibility

  14. You’re too focused on creating “value!”

  15. You’re sharing everything you know

  16. As well as giving it away for free

  17. You’re underpricing yourself

  18. You’re not talking to your customers

  19. You’re afraid to offend people

  20. You’re also afraid to stand out

  21. You’re not writing (enough)

  22. You allow everyone to buy from you

  23. You’re playing it safe

  24. You’re not having fun

  25. And lastly, you’re boring

Those are some of the biggest tips (and painful lessons) I’ve learned in recent years.

And if you’d like to learn how to fix some (if not all) of these, then consider checking out Email Valhalla here: https://alexvandromme.com/valhalla