Hey, hey Reader,

I was in my early 20s, standing at a local bar, minding my business.

And then a woman I had never met locked eyes with me from across the room, pointed, and declared, loudly, that I was her new wink girl.

I didn't know what a wink girl was. I still don't, really.

Before I could ask, she had grabbed my arm and was parading me around to her friends and colleagues like I had already said yes to something. There was no introduction. No ask. No "hey, I'm so and so, I own a clothing boutique, would you be interested in...."

More of a you're mine now, come on.

Needless to say, I ghosted her. Her liquid-fueled announcement faded as fast as it arrived, and I went back to my drink.

I think about that woman a lot when I read B2B nurture sequences.

It's the very same energy. Assuming-yes-before-earning-it, and it shows up in email marketing more than you'd think.

Book a demo, schedule a call, reply to this email....on email one.

Your subscriber just walked in the door. They don't know you yet. They didn't agree to anything. And you're already parading them around.

The EdTech sales cycle can be 6 months, sometimes 18, and the biggest mistake I see in nurture sequences is treating email like a shortcut to a relationship that hasn't been built yet.

You wouldn't declare someone your wink girl before introducing yourself.

So stop asking for the demo on email one.

What you want instead is the slow yes, a micro win, an open, and a click. The reply that says "this was helpful." Those small signals that someone is warming up, paying attention, and beginning to trust you.

Sale starts there.

Next week I'm going to break down exactly what that looks like, and the simple reframe I use to turn impatient nurture sequences into ones that move people forward.

Until then, pull up your first three emails. Are you assuming yes before you've earned it?

And as always, I'm rooting for you, Kelly