Episode 136

Why Your Welcome Sequence Is Doing More Than You Think

Here’s a mindset shift that changes everything: the sale isn’t the finish line. It’s the starting line.

Susan Larimer put it perfectly on this week’s episode of The Other 99% Podcast — we pour so much time and energy into perfecting our product that the moment someone buys, it feels like we’re done. But that purchase, or that freebie download, is really just the beginning of the relationship. And your welcome sequence is what determines whether that relationship goes anywhere.

A Freebie or a Sale Just Gets Them In the Door

Whether someone downloads your lead magnet or places their first order, that action only earns them a spot on your list. It doesn’t automatically earn their trust. You still have to show them who you are, how you can help, and why they should stick around.

If you’re delivering a physical product, your very first message can simply say thank you and confirm the order. But right behind that needs to come the “here’s who I am and how I can help you” email — especially for first-time customers who don’t know you from anyone else on the internet.

“New Is the Glue” — But Only If You Nurture It

Susan shared a phrase from her direct sales days: new is the glue. It’s tempting to chase new customers nonstop and forget about the ones you already have. But a welcome sequence is what turns a one-time buyer into someone who keeps opening your emails, keeps shopping, and keeps following your journey.

That’s really the whole job of the welcome sequence: answering the question your new subscriber or customer is quietly asking — why should I keep opening emails from you?

Skip the Sales Pitch (For Now)

Nothing kills momentum faster than a welcome sequence that turns salesy too soon. If your first, second, or third email is pushing your next product, people either unsubscribe or quietly stop opening what you send. Save the offers for later. In these first few emails, your only job is to be interesting, valuable, and real.

Automate It — Because Manual Doesn’t Scale

Sending a welcome sequence by hand feels manageable when you have one new customer. It falls apart the moment you have a hundred, or a thousand. Your system needs to work exactly the same whether it’s serving one person or a thousand people — which means it can’t depend on you remembering to hit send.

This is also why welcome sequences tend to be some of the most opened emails you’ll ever send. People are curious. They just took a chance on you, and they’re checking their inbox to see who you actually are. If there’s a four-day gap between their action and your response because you’re doing it manually, you’ve lost that window of curiosity.

Start at the End and Work Backward

When you’re building out any automation, start with the result you want and map backward from there. Ask yourself: what do I want to happen? Then work back — how do they enter my world? What triggers the sequence? A submitted form, an order, a tag — once you know the end goal, the setup gets a lot less overwhelming.

Choose a Platform Built for This

Google and Outlook aren’t built for mass email or automation — you need an actual email marketing platform. Susan and I both use Oh My Hi, mainly because it’s built right into our websites and includes unlimited contacts with generous monthly sending limits. It also comes with live support, which matters more than people expect when you’re setting up your first automation.

Ready to Build Yours?

If you’d rather not build a welcome sequence from scratch, that’s exactly why I created the Five-Minute Welcome Sequence System — swipe-file style templates for the three core emails every sequence needs, plus a simple flowchart showing exactly how it all connects. Head to lisaduck.com and click on the shop to grab your copy.

Ready to go deeper? Tune in to this week’s episode of The Other 99% Podcast wherever you listen, and hear Lisa Duck and Susan Larimer talk through why this one piece of your email marketing matters more than most people realize.

📌 Affiliate Disclaimer: Some links in this post may be affiliate links. I only recommend tools and resources I personally use and trust.