The perpetual "sale spiral" 🌀

📊 Over the years of auditing thousands of email campaigns across various industries,

I've noticed a concerning trend:

The perpetual "sale spiral." 🌀

Companies are trapped in an endless cycle of discounting, each trying to outshout the other in increasingly crowded inboxes.

Recently, I worked with a DTC brand whose open rates had declined over 30% over six months despite increasing their promotional frequency.

Their customer lifetime value was dropping, and unsubscribe rates were climbing. The diagnosis? Discount fatigue. 😫

Here's what we implemented:

We introduced what I call the "70/30 Value Rule" - 70% pure value content, 30% promotional. ⚖️

For the value portion, we created:

➜ Industry insight newsletters

➜ Behind-the-scenes glimpses into product development

➜ Customer success stories

➜ Actionable tips related to their product category

➜ Community spotlights

The results after 90 days were compelling:

⭐ Open rates increased by 32%

⭐ Customer feedback emails jumped 215%

⭐ When promotional emails were sent, conversion rates improved by 28%

⭐ Unsubscribe rates dropped by 41%

Key Learning: The most successful brands understand that email isn't just a sales channel—it's a relationship builder.

By giving your audience "breathing room" between promotions, you create anticipation and trust that translates into stronger campaign performance when you do make offers.

This approach requires patience and a shift in metrics.

While immediate sales might dip initially, the long-term engagement metrics and customer lifetime value typically show significant improvement within 3-4 months.

For companies looking to break free from the discount cycle, start small: Replace one promotional email per week with pure value content.

Track not just opens and clicks, but also replies, shares, and sentiment.

The data will speak for itself.

Remember: In a world where everyone is shouting "BUY NOW," sometimes the most powerful message is simply "We're here to help."

Best,
Alec

P.S. Got a topic in mind? Reply and let us know—your input matters 🙂