In 60 Seconds
- •Definition: A 'Zombie' is a lead that inquired >90 days ago, never booked, and never unsubscribed. They are the 'Undead'.
- •The Strategy: Do not sell. They are ignoring your sales pitches. You must pivot to 'Education' or 'Offers'.
- •The 9-Word Email: 'Hi [Name], are you still looking to fix your [Project]?' It works because it looks like a personal 1-to-1 email, not a newsletter.
- •Trigger Events: Use weather (First Freeze) or Seasonality (Spring Cleaning) as the excuse to reach out.
- •The Goal: You aren't trying to close 100%. You are trying to close 1-3%. Since the leads are 'paid for' (Sunk Cost), any revenue is pure profit.
Your CRM is a graveyard of "Dead Leads." Most businesses ignore them and go buy new leads.
This is wasteful. A "Dead" lead often just meant "Not Ready Yet." Now, 6 months later, they might be ready.
Zombie Automation scans your database and pokes the dead to see if they wake up.
The Automation Workflow
Segment: The Zombies
- Criteria:
- Status = "Unsold Estimate" OR "Lead - No Contact".
- Last Activity > 90 Days.
- Has Email = True.
The Sequence (The "Poke")
Email 1: The Nine-Word Email (Dean Jackson Style)
- Subject: [Name]?
- Body: "Hi [Name], are you still looking to get your [AC/Roof] replaced?"
- Goal: A simple "Yes" reply.
Email 2 (7 Days Later): The "Did I offend you?"
- Body: "I haven't heard back. Did I drop the ball? Or is this project just on the back burner?"
Email 3 (30 Days Later): The "Hail Mary" Offer
- Body: "We have a hole in the schedule next Tuesday. I can knock $100 off if you want to get this done."
Tools Needed
- Mailchimp / ActiveCampaign: To send the emails.
- CRM Integration: To stop the sequence if they reply or book.
- Exclusion Lists: CRITICAL. Do not send this to people who did buy, or people who are currently in an active dispute.
Verification Checklist
- Stop Trigger: If they reply, does the automation STOP? (Crucial).
- Context: Does the email reference the specific service? ("Roof" not "Service").
- Sender: Send from a person ("Mike"), not a brand ("Max Digital").
Common Mistakes
[!WARNING] Waking the Angry Bear Occasionally, you will wake up a customer who hated you. "I told you to stop calling me!" Just apologize and unsubscribe them. It happens. Don't let fear of 1 angry guy stop you from closing 10 happy guys.
- Fancy Templates: Don't use HTML graphics. It looks like an Ad. Use plain text. It looks like a personal note.
- Sending too many: Don't blast 5,000 at once. You will get flagged as spam. Send 50/day (Drip).
FAQ
Q: What is a good open rate for Zombies? A: 20-30%.
Q: What is a good reply rate? A: 2-5%. If you send 100 emails and get 2 jobs, that is thousands of dollars for $0 cost.
Sources and References
- Dean Jackson: Email Mastery - The 9-word framework.
- DigitalMarketer: Customer Value Journey - Re-engagement strategies.
Changelog
- 2024-08-03: Initial publication.
Read Next in This Hub:
- Data Hygiene - Cleaning the list first.
- Reactivation Campaigns - Similar concept, different execution.
Related System:
- Automation Architecture - The reviving machine.