Using email as a service provider vs. creator with Bev Feldman

Most email marketing advice gets written for one audience: other online business owners. The cadences, the launch sequences, the “reply and let me know what you think” CTAs — they all assume the person on the other end is in the same world you are. They’re not, if you’re a therapist or a financial advisor or a lactation consultant. Your clients may not reply to your emails with “loved this!”, don’t expect launches, and aren’t waiting for your next email.In this episode, we’re joined by returning guest Bev Feldman, email marketing strategist for credentialed professionals at Your Personal Tech Fairy. Bev recently repositioned her business to focus on credentialed service providers — and she’s having her best revenue months ever doing it. We talk with her about has changed in her business marketing, including the shift from “marketing” to “marketing AND sales,” replacing her freebie with a gated Services Guide, and the quarterly check-in email that’s converting her smaller, plateaued list better than it ever did when it was growing.We talk about why most credentialed pros either email too rarely (out of spam fear) or too often (copying content-creator cadences), why “top-of-mind selling” works better than launch selling for service providers, and the difference between a newsletter (selling ideas) and email marketing (selling products and services) — and why that distinction matters when everyone is being herded onto Substack. We also get into welcome sequences, the Expert’s Paradox, the Gmail open-rate drop, and what happens to a sales call when a Services Guide does the qualifying for you.* Why the online business email playbook doesn’t translate when your audience is consumers, not other online business owners* The two extremes Bev sees credentialed pros make — emailing too rarely vs. copying daily content-creator cadences* Reframing email as a sales tool, not just a marketing tool (with full credit to Kendall Cherry)* “Top-of-mind for triggering events” — what selling actually looks like for therapists, financial advisors, and other service providers* The Expert’s Paradox: why experts default to DIY tutorial content and why AI just commoditized that* Replacing the freebie with a Services Guide that pre-qualifies leads before they ever book a call* Why Bev’s list has plateaued — and why that’s a feature, not a bug* Different welcome sequences for different entry points (Services Guide subscribers vs. newsletter subscribers)* The quarterly “I have openings — want to work together?” check-in email* Newsletter vs. email marketing: why Substack and Beehiiv are the wrong tool if you’re trying to sell services* Why unsubscribes are good news, and the recent Gmail change that dropped open rates across the board"Email marketing is not just a marketing tool, it is very much a sales tool. But you can do that in a way that's not just, 'Let me hammer you over the head with my offers,' but invite people into that sales process with you when the time is right for them. Think about how you are doing that person a disservice by not showing up. They came to you because they're looking for support or help with a very specific problem, and you could be the person to solve that problem for them. If someone has given you permission to show up in their inbox, you are not spamming them. You are doing exactly what you said you would do." -BevAbout our GuestBev FeldmanKendall Cherry for the Services Guide inspirationHeart Centered Email Marketing (Previous Episode)Bev’s Services GuideConnect with UsListen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsMeg CaseboltJessica Lackey This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aggressivelyhuman.substack.com