Practical Sales Training™ > How To Keep Your Clients Happy > Unsubscribe Suggestion
Unsubscribe Suggestion
Most people don’t unsubscribe. They just stop opening.
So call that out directly. Suggest they leave, and watch what happens.
What Is It
Unsubscribe suggestion means telling inactive subscribers they might want to leave your list. So instead of ignoring the silence, you name it.
It’s a bold move. Since most businesses beg people to stay, not the other way round.
Why Does It Work
It works because it creates a dilemma. So the subscriber has to actually decide, instead of drifting along unnoticed.
Their behaviour says they’ve checked out. But the truth is often simpler. They’ve just been busy, or a little lazy.
By asking them to confirm they want to stay, you force a choice. Since ignoring an email is easy, ignoring a direct question is harder.
How Can You Use It
To do this, you need courage first. So be ready to actually lose some subscribers.
Pull a list of anyone who hasn’t opened your emails in months. Then reach out directly and name what you’ve noticed.
Make the reply simple. So one click to stay, one click to go, nothing complicated in between.
When It Works Best
This works best when much of your inactive list is simply distracted. So the nudge gives them a reason to re-engage.
It also suits businesses that care about list health. Since fewer, more engaged subscribers usually beat a larger, silent one.
When It Becomes Dangerous
It becomes dangerous if your tone lands wrong. So a message meant to feel playful can read as passive aggressive instead.
It also backfires if you have nothing ready for people who do re-engage. Since winning back attention only to disappoint them again undoes the whole effort.
Common Mistakes
Sounding Like A Complaint
Some businesses make the message sound like a complaint. So subscribers feel told off instead of invited back in.
Making The Reconfirm Step Too Complicated
Some make the reconfirm step too complicated. So people who would have stayed simply drift away instead.
Ignoring List Health Entirely
Some send this without thinking about list health at all. So the real reason behind the message never gets explained.
Unsubscribe Suggestion – An Example
The Original Inspiration
This example inspired the whole page. An incredibly bold move, and one that clearly worked.
A Lighter Take On The Same Idea
A second version took a lighter tone, closer to “I’ll stop spamming you, let me know.”
See also
