Samples

The first sample below is from a four-page, 11”x17” hard copy direct response promotion mailed to prospective customers. “Drinking From the Well” is a program of the Nebraska Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), intended for people who recognize a deeper call to their spiritual life. It is the first 8-month course of its kind offered by a synod in the ELCA. The promotional task was to touch the awareness of “something more” in the readers and show them how the course can help them find the “more.”

The second sample is an email for the same course offered the next year. This particular one was targeted to people who had donated to Seeking the Spirit Within, the sponsoring organization. Others on this email list had attended the annual retreat or had expressed interest in the work of Seeking the Spirit Within.

The third sample is a page from the Touch Omaha website. I rewrote her website and this is a small piece of that job.

The fourth sample is an email series showing the four key emails needed to complete the sales funnel.

Grow Your Faith To Noticeable New Depths With Our Brand New Course

“Drinking From the Well” Promises to Teach You New Faith Practices
To Enhance Your Spiritual Life.

SHE WORSHIPS ALMOST EVERY SUNDAY

• She attends a Bible study.
• Reading the daily devotion is part of her morning routine.
• She taught Sunday School and sang in the choir.
• She loves her congregation and the close friends she has there.

Yet, there is something missing. There is a nagging deep inside her that makes her thinks there is something more to her faith than what she has been doing.

She’s Right. There IS!

Dear Faithful Friend in Christ,

Do you recognize:

• Those times when your soul feels FULL while listening to a powerful piece of music and you feel energized by the experience?
• The sense of AWE in those quiet, sacred times of life?
• The sense of WONDER sitting out on a starry night, contemplating the expanse of the universe and God—and your own small place in it?

These experiences are a small taste of the spiritual life. Sometimes, they are how God invites you into a closer relationship! They are ways you can move beyond just believing in God, and begin to “know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge so that you might be filled with all the fullness of God” as the Apostle Paul described it in Ephesians 3:19.

With the help of a certified spiritual director and learning any number of ways to pray, you can tap into the rich experience of loving God and encounter God’s healing, compassionate love for you.

Drinking From the Well

. . . is a new ministry from Seeking the Spirit Within: The Nebraska Synod Institute for Spiritual Direction Formation.

The “something more” mentioned above? Drinking From the Well has been developed to help you access that “something more”! It is a unique opportunity to learn from spiritual directors from around the Nebraska Synod and grow in your experience of the Divine.

Consider these benefits when you participate in Drinking From the Well:

• Discover how you are wired to connect with God:
  o Are you a thinking pray-er or a feeling pray-er?
  o How do you like to talk to God and how do you “hear” God?
  o Do you need to move while you pray or do you prefer to sit quietly?
• Experiment with a variety of classic prayer practices to discover which ones work best for you
• Meet with a certified spiritual director every month in a small spiritual direction group
• Get to know like-minded people in your vicinity who are on a similar spiritual journey
• Develop habits for deepening your inner spiritual life
• Honor the yearning in your soul for that “something more”!

 

Ted has been a life-long Christian and is active in the life of his congregation. He and his wife and their two young daughters attend worship regularly, they are active in Sunday School, he was on the congregational council, and he gives of his time and energy and resources. Yet, Ted admitted there was still something missing. He enjoyed what he was doing at church and he loved the relationships, but it wasn’t enough. He was sure there was something more.

He made a commitment to an eight-month Faith Builders program in his congregation to learn how he was wired to connect with God. He got to experiment with a variety of ways to pray. Some of them worked for him, some didn’t. But he knew which ones were which! Best of all, what used to be missing for Ted, isn’t anymore.

Inspired by his newly energized spiritual life, Ted attended One Life to Live, a retreat by Lutheran Men in Mission. He is in a spiritual direction group and is now the leader of the men’s group in his congregation, a group which meets twice a month to support each other and talk about how faith and life connect.

Verna’s children are grown and have children of their own. Her husband has a chronic illness which leaves him mostly home bound and in pain. Verna is his primary caregiver. She has been active in her congregation her whole life. She quilts and sews, serves in the kitchen, sings in the choir and plays in the bell choir. The local Women of the ELCA chapter counts on her leadership, as do other community organizations.

Like Ted, Verna knew there was something else to the faith besides great friends and service to others. She recognized an emptiness, a vacant spot, in her soul. She yearned to fill it. She knew it had something to do with her faith, but she didn’t know just what it was. Committing to an eight-month learning experience in her congregation, practicing the different types of prayers regularly, she recognized that what she had thought was a hole in her soul, was actually already filled by God. She just hadn’t learned how to identify it.

Finding the prayer styles that fit her best, Verna’s awareness of how the Holy Spirit is at work in her, gave her a new perspective on faith and life. She embraces hope as a powerful reality and has more peace in her life. Today, in addition to her daily faith practices, she is in a spiritual direction group at her church and co-leads another spiritual direction group there, helping others discover the power of faith.

This Course is Led by a Synod and Leadership with Experience!

The Nebraska Synod is the envy of the other 64 synods in the ELCA. We are the only synod who has a two-year formation program to train and certify spiritual directors. A synod on the east coast has even asked for our help to create such a program in their synod.

The leadership team of Drinking From the Well is comprised of certified spiritual directors, some of them ordained. They all have experience as spiritual directors, and some have extensive experience leading retreats and spiritual direction groups. Some also lead Faith Builders or Companions in Christ, eight-month spirituality courses in their congregations.

Meet the leadership team (in alphabetical order):

(Names were listed in the original promotion so the readers would be comfortable with this new program. Chances were they would recognize at least one leader on the team.)

Are you ready to expand and deepen your faith? Drinking From the Well is open to you.

 

We’ve Noticed Your Faithfulness. Want more?

One thing we know about you is that you care about your spiritual life. You’ve demonstrated that with your interest in and support of Seeking the Spirit Within.

Because of your interest, the board of Seeking the Spirit Within invites you to participate in the second class of Drinking from the Well. This course is offered and led by Seeking the Spirit Within.

Drinking from the Well is an eight-month course which will

• teach you some new prayer practices,
• let you participate in a spiritual direction group, and
• help you develop knowledge and habits for a deeper spiritual life.

As happens with studies in spirituality, we begin by exploring how you are wired to connect with God. Then, we go increasingly deeper each month as you get better at opening up your inner spirit to the work of the Holy Spirit in you. By the time we finish in April, you will have decided on your own spiritual “tool box”, those prayer practices which work best for you and you want to continue using.

Learn more about it here.

The class will meet online with a live webinar once each month (which will be recorded if you are not able to be there or would like to watch it again). In the middle of the month, about two weeks after the webinar, your spiritual direction small group will meet for two hours to talk about the experiences each of you in your small group are having with that month’s prayer practice. You will have the privilege of meeting with like-minded people, in a conversation guided by a certified spiritual director. You can explore with each other what are the finer nuances of how you are growing in your spiritual life.

The cost for the eight-month course is less than $10 per contact hour. That is a great deal! The least you will pay for a spiritual director in Nebraska is $25. The average rate is between $35 and $50. So, for 3½ hours each month for eight months of continuous learning, the charge for the whole course is only $250. Like everything else in life, the more you commit to learning the different faith practices, trying them throughout the month, the more valuable an experience you will have.

You can learn more about Drinking from the Well at the Nebraska Synod’s website. Go to http://nebraskasynod.org/learn/resources/discernment/spiritualdirection/drinking-from-the-well.html. You can register online here.

The course begins right after Labor Day so we need to hear from you soon. The spiritual direction groups are formed after we know who is participating and where you live. It’s important to get you as geographically close as we can make it.

The deadline for registrations is August 15th. Please let us know your decision by then.

We hope to see you in this next offering of Drinking From the Well!

 

 

Does Chronic Pain Limit Your Activity and Keep You From Focusing on Things you Care About?

Therapeutic Massage Can Loosen Your Pain Points
and Provide Immediate Relief.

Hannah (not her real name) suffered a severe cervical sprain, more commonly known as a whiplash, in an accident several years ago. It damaged ligaments in her neck and left the vertebrae out of their natural position. Now she suffers from chronic muscle tightness and arthritis in her neck. Compensating for the neck injury, the muscles in her shoulders and upper back can get unusually tight and painful.

Hannah has opted for monthly massage appointments with Ann to treat the injury and its consequences. Her sessions typically blend classic Swedish massage (include a link to definition of Swedish massage below) and myofascial release (include a link to the lower part of this page where mfr is explained). She has found that a regular schedule of treatments has helped her find significant relief. It manages her discomfort, and stays ahead of any debilitating pain.

How Massage and Myofascial Release Might Help You

Our bodies really take a beating as we go through life.

• Aging
• Injuries
• Surgery
• Acute Illness
• Emotional duress
• Addictions
• Childhood or adulthood abuse
• Rigors of exercising
• Effects of living a sedentary lifestyle
• Chronic illness such as cancer and its treatments, Parkinson’s Disease, or Fibromyalgia.
• Being a care-giver of someone suffering a chronic illness.

Muscles tighten up. Joints get stiff. Injuries happen. We lose our straight posture and stoop forward. We suffer lower back pain. Our shoulders and neck carry our stress and become increasingly inflexible. Our bodies hold our emotional and spiritual energy. That’s a lot to carry!

Under the wear and tear of life, our natural flow of energy gets blocked. Regular massage and myofascial release help open up those areas of congestion.

• It helps us stand upright.
• It keeps our life energy flowing normally.
• It treats areas of chronic pain.
• It helps us relax.

How Does This Happen?

Swedish Massage

Swedish Massage, created in Europe, is the classic kind of massage people usually think of when they hear the word “massage.” It is a combination of sliding movements and kneading techniques. It can also include the therapist gently stretching and bending joints. This therapy improves circulation of both blood and lymphatic system and helps muscle tissue relax.

Myofascial Release

“Fascia” is the thin sheath of a protein called collagen. It covers so much of our body. Each individual muscle fiber and groups of fibers making the muscle tissue are all covered in this thin sheet. Nerves, blood vessels, bones, ligaments, tendons, and organs—they are all enclosed by fascia. When the fascia constricts, it forces the tissues it surrounds to also tighten up. Stress, injury, surgery, emotional difficulties, exercise, and a sedentary lifestyle can all cause fascia to stiffen up, or loosen up, or get inflamed.

What we commonly call “knots” in our muscles are really places where the fascia has tightened around muscle fibers. Using massage and myofascial release, Ann is able to loosen the fascia. This reduces pain. It brings the muscle, tendon, or ligament closer to its natural and healthy state.

Is This For You?

Ann, with over 20 years in this field, has vast experience in recognizing subtle problems in the body. She is a lifelong learner with many different techniques at her disposal. She also has grown into the wisdom to know when to use them most effectively.

Do you recognize your posture is declining? Ann might well be able to help you.

Do you suffer chronic or frequent pain from an injury or illness? It’s worth reaching out to Ann to see if she can reduce or relieve your suffering.

Are you stiffening up from your workout routine? Therapeutic massage will likely help you lengthen your muscles. It makes them more pliable. It lowers the risk of future injury to them.

Today is as good a day as any to give your body the extra care it deserves. If you are new to Ann’s business, please call her at 402.650.9311 or email her at getcst369@gmail.com. If you are already a client of Ann’s. you can make an appointment online, and start making an immediate impact on your health!

Pictures from: https://pixabay.com/en/back-massage-deep-tissue-massage-2852486/
and https://pixabay.com/en/massage-shoulder-relaxation-massage-389716/

 

Direct Sale Email:

 

Subject Line: Your hero’s journey could start today with writing

If you have dreamed of making a living as a writer, but have hesitated to try it, consider this . . .

 

Dear [Reader],

 

Luke Skywalker left his familiar world on a desolate planet to pursue his hero’s journey. He lived his way into becoming a stronger, wiser man.

 

Dorothy was taken out of Kansas. After a hero’s journey, she returned to Kansas stronger and wiser.

 

You, too, can live the Hero’s Journey. Creating the Writer’s Life could be the path you take to discover the stronger, wiser you.

 

Are you called to a writer’s heroic journey?

 

Do you hear an inner call to write? Maybe it feels like an itch in your soul. An uneasiness that won’t stop nagging until you say “yes.” Something you love to do but don’t think you could ever make a living from it.

 

That could be your call to adventure! It’s the first step into the Hero’s Journey,according to the mythologist, Joseph Campbell.

 

Everyone has the opportunity to live the hero’s journey. Well, truth be told, multiple opportunities. And the journey has predictable stages. There are tests and trials. Failures and successes. Bumping into barriers.Learning new skills to deal with those barriers. Making new friends. Encountering enemies. Discovering a mentor along the way.

 

It’s what gives life meaning!

 

Turning your passion for writing into a lucrative business can be such an adventure. The good news is that no hero’s journey is ever taken in a vacuum. There are others to help you along.

 

Every hero has help on the journey

 

Luke Skywalker had R2-D2, C-3PO, Han Solo, and Princess Leia as his cronies.

 

Dorothy had Toto, the Scare Crow, Tin Man, and Lion to be her friends on the journey to Oz.

 

In addition to your friends and family, among your allies are your fellow writers at The Barefoot Writer. You can visit with them in the private Facebook page. Read their stories in the monthly magazine. You’ll find encouraging articles about people who have been on their own hero’s journey and what they are learning.

 

For example, in a recent issue, fellow Barefoot Writer, Chris Bailey, shared what he learned through a year of living on scant money and studying productivity. He discovered powerful insights about himself, some practical tools to improve output and to live more fully.

 

Another Barefoot Writer, Hilary Jastram, shared how she courageously dove into her freelance writing business. She suffers two chronic illnesses. Being a hero, she forged ahead and made a success of her business and her life.

 

No hero’s journey happens without a mentor

 

A true hero’s journey has a mentor or two. Luke Skywalker had Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda.

 

Dorothy had Glinda, the Good Witch of the South.

 

Two of your Barefoot Writer mentors include Katie Yaekle and Rebecca Matter. In every issue of The Barefoot Writer they answer questions from writers on the journey. Their column is called “Ask AWAI.” Katie and Rebecca are at the helm of the American Writers & Artists, Inc., an A+ rated business by the Better Business Bureau.

 

Other experts in persuasive and content writing will share their insights through articles they write in the monthly magazine. Premier copywriter and co-founder of AWAI, Mark Ford, recently reminded writers of the importance of focusing on One Big Idea in each promotion.

 

You can learn from the regular departments in the magazine like “Build a Better Business” and “Become a Better Writer.” You are given “The Barefoot Writer Challenge” to help you practice the skills you’re learning.

 

The “Featured Essay” has rich, valuable insights for becoming a better person and writer. You also get to read how other writers have changed their lifestyle because of their own particular hero’s journey.

 

Some lessons on your hero’s journey are fun

 

Every hero’s journey has learning along the way. Some of the learning is delightful.

In the writer’s life journey you can discover how to

• make money—a lot of money if you want to,
• build your own freelance business,
• hone your craft and become a more effective writer,
• help your clients communicate their unique benefits,
• care about the people you are writing to,
• schedule your time to be more efficient, and
• focus your attention on the task at hand.

 

These lessons can make you wealthier, give you more time for family and friends, and let you rejoice knowing that you are living what you have been called to do for the world.

 

And if you’ve got that inner itch nagging you to write, it can be satiated!

 

Some lessons aren’t much fun, but they sure are important

 

Any respectable hero’s journey is also blessed with challenges. They’re usually challenges of our own creation. (Spoiler alert: these teach us the most important lessons! Confronting themis really what helps us become stronger and wiser.)

 

They might come out in the form of “Am I good enough?”  Or, “I could never do that.”

 

Or any of the “what if I . . .

• fail?
• I’m not as capable a writer as I think I am?
• I don’t have enough time to devote to it?
• I don’t get clients?
• I’m not inspired to write something but the deadline is approaching?
• my client doesn’t like what I write?

 

Be encouraged! You don’t have to fight those dragons alone. That’s why you have allies and mentors. It’s exactly in the work of facing those challenges—and overcoming them—that you can become a professional, well-paid writer. And a stronger, wiser person. You grow in confidence. That’s what the hero’s journey does.

 

What do you need for the journey?

 

You won’t need a light saber. Although, that would be fun, wouldn’t it? An Internet connection and a keyboard will be your primary tools. That’s how you will access your friends at The Barefoot Writer and Facebook page and learn the unique techniques of this writing specialty.

 

And, by the way: as is true for every hero’s journey, a willingness to get out of your comfort zone is also important. Resilience and perseverance are essential tools for every hero.

 

Ready to start your Writer’s Heroic Journey?

 

The thing about the hero’s journey is that it has to be lived. It requires action. Just reading about it doesn’t count. Thinking about it is nice but doesn’t get it done.

 

The first step is to hear the invitation to step into the quest beckoning you. If you’re still reading this late in the email, there’s a good chance you’re being called to take the writer’s journey. Now is the time for courage!

 

If you’re ready to put your hands on your hips, take a deep breath, and say, “Here we go . . . !” click this link to sign up to meet the new allies and mentors on your Writer’s Heroic Journey.

 

We’d love to take your journey with you!

 

Sincerely,

 

P.S. This is your opportunity to embark on an amazing adventure! We’re here to help you on your personal hero’s journey. Just sign up here and we can get started right away.

 

Links used:

 

https://alifeofproductivity.com/welcome/

https://www.awai.com/bio/katie-yeakle/

https://www.awai.com/bio/rebecca-matter/

https://www.awai.com/p/is/tbw/

 

 

A Prep Email preceding the direct sale email above:

 

Subject Line: How writing can make you the hero of your own life

 

Dear [Reader],

 

Heroes are all around us!

 

First responders. Military personnel. Parents who sacrifice for their children. Good Samaritans who help at an accident site. Teachers who put in the extra effort for their students.

 

And writers who dare to invest in their passion and learn to make a good living at it.

 

Really? Yes!

 

The writer’s journey is the hero’s journey. Any time you choose to get out of your comfort zone and accept a new challenge, you begin the work of a hero.

 

You can expect to have success along the way. Learn some new skills for writing and for life. Make new friends. Find wisdom and courage you didn’t know was inside of you. Deepen your confidence. And make money doing it.

 

Do you have a dream of leaving your job but can’t afford to? Taking the writer’s heroic journey can make that happen.

 

Maybe you want the freedom to work from home on a schedule that fits your family. Dare to go on your own hero’s journey to discover that freedom.

 

Do you want to be part of the new gig economy but don’t want to pick up riders, deliver food, or sell goods on auction sites? Take a chance on yourself and put your love for writing to work.

 

You might not know how to make this happen. We can help you. For 22 years American Writers & Artists, Inc. has been walking with people, helping them turn their dreams into reality. You can meet us at The Barefoot Writer. Our passion is helping you turn your passion into a lifestyle.

 

Take a moment now to read more. There’s no value in delaying your decision. The hero’s journey doesn’t get any easier while you wait to get started. Waiting will delay the time until you enjoy success as a writer, though. You can find some additional thoughts here.

 

Sincerely,

 

P.S. We really do want to help you take the adventure toward your writer’s life. Learn more about how we can help.

 

The link used is https://www.awai.com/p/is/tbw/

 

 

The Stick Email follows after they have signed up from the direct sale email:

 

Subject Line: You did it, [First Name]! Your hero’s journey has begun

 

Congratulations [First Name].

 

It takes courage to make that first step toward your personal hero’s journey. On the way, you’ll get to meet new friends, learn new skills, challenge yourself to grow, and make some money.

 

Whether your goal is to earn extra money as part of the gig economy or build a full-time freelance business, we celebrate that you have begun the journey. With the self-discipline that every artist needs and the training and support of your new colleagues at The Barefoot Writer, you can move confidently into the future of your choice.

 

We are genuinely committed to helping you succeed. The Barefoot Writer magazine and Facebook page are great places to start. All of the programs offered by American Writers & Artists, Inc. are designed to help you learn the craft and build your business.

 

Along the way, you’ll have the privilege of learning new insights about yourself.

• You’ll get to delight in your successes.
• Discover strengths you didn’t know you had.
• You might get to practice some time management skills you haven’t needed.
• Maybe learn some business practices helpful to a freelancer.

And through it all, you can be proud of the character and tenacity you have, making your hero’s dreams come true.

 

Please go to the Barefoot Writer Facebook page right now and get signed in. Read through the posts and learn how your colleagues are living their adventures.

 

Then, read your first issue of The Barefoot Writer. Cover to cover! Each page is intended to teach you, encourage you, and give you new tools for your hero’s journey.

 

Please stay engaged with us. We want to hear how you are moving forward and provide you with the training you need for your success!

 

Sincerely,

 

P.S. Your first issue of The Barefoot Writer and the Barefoot Writer Facebook page are online, ready for you to read. Keep your momentum going! Make time to read them now.

 

Links used are:

https://www.awai.com/members/barefoot-writer/

https://www.facebook.com/BarefootWriterMagazine/

 

 

 

Onboarding Email to help the new customer stay engaged

 

Subject Line:[First Name], Honor your hero’scommitment today

 

Dear [Reader],

 

You’ve had a few days to take some first steps on your writer’s heroic journey. It’s time for a gut-check.

 

First, did you connect with the Barefoot Writer Facebook page, then read through the current issue of The Barefoot Writer? These are written to encourage and teach you on the way.

 

If you didn’t get to it yet, please do! You made an important commitment to yourself. Don’t dishonor it.

 

Use the momentum of the decision you made to spur you forward.

 

You likely have several different levels of motivation and they all deserve attention.

 

On one level, you probably just love to write. It’s a way to express yourself. Celebrate this gift. Use it.

 

On another level, you’re probably hoping you can make some additional money. We have found that with a commitment to your learning and writing, you could earn about 50% of your current salary the first year of your business.

 

The second year, you could equal your salary. The third year, you could be making six figures! Of course, you have to stick with it and challenge yourself to continue learning and reaching out for writing opportunities.

 

We’re here to help you with both the learning and reaching out. Call on your inner resilience and perseverance as you continue to learn the craft.You can make this happen!

 

Use your love for writing and desire to make money to drive your hero’s transformation.

 

For example, if you start doubting yourself, resist that voice. Do you recognize you’re looking for excuses to not sit down to write or read or learn your new skills? Don’t give in to it. When you are afraid of submitting your work to a potential client, make sure it is your best work and send it on.

 

These thoughts, which quite frankly haunt most writers, are the very experiences that make heroes. You can confront them and not let them stop you in your tracks. This is where you find new strength and focus for your life. Your confidence builds. You can find your best self.

 

You’ve begun a marvelous adventure. Keep moving forward! Read and re-read The Barefoot Writer magazine each month. Keep learning. Delight in the journey!

 

Sincerely,

 

P.S. After you’ve read the current issue of The Barefoot Writer, read some back issues. They’re packed with inspiring stories and important lessons. Let us help you reach your goals!

 

Links used are https://www.awai.com/members/barefoot-writer/

and https://www.facebook.com/BarefootWriterMagazine/

We Can Get To Work Helping Your Business Help Your Customers. Contact Carmala at :

Phone: 715-645-0645

Email: Carmala@CarmalaAderman.com

Linkedin : My Profile