Email Sequence Templates (v2)
Based on Steve Cunningham's Actual Patterns
Key Insight
Steve doesn't do "pure nurture." Every email gives value AND has an ask. The free thing IS the nurture — but it's always paired with an offer or next step.
Baseline cadence: 3x/week Promotion cadence: Daily during launches
Email Type 1: Two Things
Purpose: Deliver value + make an offer in a structured, scannable format.
When to use: Your standard weekly email. Reliable format.
Structure:
Subject: [Curiosity or direct statement]
I've got 2 quick things for you today. [Optional: tease what's in section 2]
---
1. [OFFER OR ANNOUNCEMENT]
[2-3 sentences: What it is and why it matters]
[Bullets if needed — what they get or what it solves]
[Bold CTA link]
---
2. [FREE VALUE]
[1-2 sentences: What you're giving them]
[Bold CTA link to download/access]
PS: [Urgency, expiration, or soft alternative]
[Sign off]Example:
Subject: Two quick things for today
I've got 2 quick things for you today. Free tool in section 2.
---
1. The Systems Diagnostic is open this week
If you're stuck recreating the same deliverables from scratch — proposals, onboarding, client reporting — this is where we figure out what to systematize first.
60 minutes. You'll leave knowing exactly what to build.
**Book your diagnostic here**
---
2. Download: The Expertise Leak Finder
A 2-minute assessment that shows you where your knowledge is trapped and what it's costing you.
**Click here to grab it**
PS: The diagnostic calendar closes Friday. The download link expires in 24 hours.
KathrynEmail Type 2: Story / Confession
Purpose: Build trust through vulnerability. Sell through narrative.
When to use: When you have a personal story that illustrates the problem or shift.
Structure:
Subject: [Confession or surprising admission]
[Vulnerability opener — admit something unexpected]
[Build the tension — what you couldn't do, what wasn't working]
[The pivot — "Then something changed."]
---
[What changed — the insight or breakthrough]
[What it means for them]
[The offer — naturally connected to the story]
[Bold CTA]
[Sign off]Example:
Subject: I have a confession to make...
I help practice owners systematize their expertise. I've been doing this for years.
And until last month, my own proposal process was a mess.
Every new client meant opening a blank doc. Reconstructing the same logic I'd written dozens of times. Hoping I remembered the best version.
I could teach the system. I just hadn't built it for myself.
Then something changed.
---
I finally built what I'd been telling clients to build. A proposal system that takes 5 minutes instead of 2 hours.
The constraint wasn't knowledge. It was that I kept doing instead of building.
If that sounds familiar, the Systems Diagnostic is where we figure out what you should build first.
**Book yours here**
KathrynEmail Type 3: Direct Meeting Ask
Purpose: Convert to call. No content. Just the ask.
When to use: 1x/week max, or when you need to fill the calendar.
Structure:
Subject: [Direct, personal — like a real email]
I would like to meet with you this week to cover [X] things, one-on-one:
**First,** [specific thing you'll cover]
**Second,** [specific thing you'll cover]
**Third,** [what you'll help them decide]
[Scarcity line]
**Find a time on my calendar here**
[Sign off]
PS: [Softer alternative or objection handler]Example:
Subject: Meet with me this week?
I would like to meet with you this week to cover 3 things, one-on-one:
**First,** the constraint that's keeping your expertise trapped in your head.
**Second,** what "building mode" looks like for a practice your size.
**Third,** whether the Systems Diagnostic makes sense for where you are right now.
I'm only booking these conversations this week.
**Find a time on my calendar here**
Kathryn
PS: If you're not ready for a call, just reply and tell me what you're working on. I read everything.Email Type 4: Drive to LinkedIn
Purpose: Push engagement to a hand-raiser post. Get comments flowing.
When to use: Same day or day after you post a hand-raiser on LinkedIn.
Structure:
Subject: [What they'll get if they engage]
[1-2 sentences: What I just posted and why it matters]
[What they get when they comment]
**Click here to drop a comment and I'll send it over**
[Optional: secondary offer or alternative]
[Sign off]
PS: [Urgency or context]Example:
Subject: New tool — drop a comment to grab it
I just posted a 2-minute assessment on LinkedIn that shows you where your expertise is leaking revenue.
Comment "LEAKING" on the post and I'll DM you the tool.
**Click here to drop a comment**
If you'd rather skip LinkedIn and just get the link, reply to this email and I'll send it directly.
Kathryn
PS: I'm keeping the comments open through Friday, then taking the post down.Email Type 5: Content Launch
Purpose: Announce something new. Explain the thesis. Tie to offer.
When to use: When you're releasing a TL piece, tool, or resource.
Structure:
Subject: [What's launching + intrigue]
I'm launching [thing] today — [starting with / here's why].
[The core thesis — 2-3 sentences on the insight]
[What this means for them]
[How it was made / why the format matters — optional but builds credibility]
---
[The offer — how to access it]
[Bold CTA]
[Secondary offer if relevant — "If you want to build like this yourself..."]
[Sign off]Example:
Subject: The Expertise Trap — live now
I'm publishing a new piece today called The Expertise Trap.
The core thesis: The thing that made you successful — your expertise — becomes the thing that keeps you stuck. You can't scale what lives only in your head.
Most practice owners try to fix this by hiring or delegating. But the constraint isn't capacity. It's that the expertise hasn't been externalized.
The piece walks through why this happens, what it costs, and what to do instead.
---
**Read it here**
If this resonates and you want help identifying your first build, the Systems Diagnostic is open this week.
**Book yours here**
KathrynEmail Type 6: Promo Stack (Launch/Offer Sequence)
Purpose: Daily emails during a promotion. Stack value. Create urgency.
When to use: During launches, open enrollment, or time-limited offers.
Structure:
Subject: Today Only: [Specific bonus or urgency]
[Hook — what they get if they act today]
---
[Context — what you're offering and why]
[The main offer — what's included, numbered list]
When you [join/book/buy] today, you get:
1. **[Thing]**: [One line on what it does]
2. **[Thing]**: [One line on what it does]
3. **[Thing]**: [One line on what it does]
[Bonus — what's added today specifically]
---
[Tease tomorrow — "One more thing coming tomorrow" — keeps them opening]
**[CTA]**
[Sign off]Example:
Subject: Today Only: I'll build your first system for you
Is "systematize my expertise" on your list for this year? Don't have time to figure it out yourself?
Book the Systems Diagnostic today and I'll build your first system with you — not just diagnose it.
---
Here's what you get:
1. **The Diagnostic**: 60 minutes to find your highest-leverage constraint
2. **The Build Session**: We build the first version together, live
3. **The Handoff**: You leave with a working system, not just a plan
This week only. I'm capping it at 5.
---
One more bonus coming tomorrow for anyone who books today.
**Claim your spot here**
KathrynPromotion Sequence (7-Day Structure)
| Day | Focus | Subject Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Announce | "Starting tomorrow..." or "[Thing] is live" |
| 2 | Problem | Go deep on the pain |
| 3 | Insight | The shift that changes everything |
| 4 | Proof | Story of someone who made the shift |
| 5 | Objection | Handle the "but what about..." |
| 6 | Urgency | "Closing Friday" + bonus stack |
| 7 | Last call | Final reminder, then move on |
Each day follows one of the formats above. Day 1 = Content Launch. Day 6 = Promo Stack. Etc.
Weekly Calendar (Baseline)
| Day | Email Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | Two Things | Value + offer |
| Thursday | Drive to LinkedIn | Boost hand-raiser post |
| Saturday | Direct Ask OR Story | Convert or build trust |
Adjust based on:
- When you post hand-raisers (email same day)
- Promotion windows (switch to daily)
- What's working (test and iterate)
Urgency Mechanics
Steve uses real urgency, not fake scarcity:
- "Today Only" — bonus expires at midnight
- "Link deactivates in 24 hours" — makes daily opens matter
- "Calendar closes Friday" — real constraint
- "Capping at 5" — real capacity limit
- "One more bonus tomorrow" — rewards openers, builds sequence habit
Use these. But only if they're true.
Voice Notes
- Every email has a click. No pure nurture.
- Free value + offer in the same email is the norm
- Numbered lists for stacking value
- Bold for CTAs and key phrases
- Section dividers (---) for structure
- PS is strategic — urgency, soft alternative, or tease
- First person. Lots of "I."
- Admits limitations. Vulnerability builds trust.
- Short paragraphs. White space. Scannable.