073 Michael Maximoff - AI Powered Email Marketing For Unstoppable Results

In our SaaS Fuel™ Founder Episode this week, Jeff is joined by Michael Maximoff, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Belkins and Co-Founder & Board Member of Folderly.

Michael discusses the ins and outs of email marketing and believes it's the best channel due to its scalability, longevity, consistency, and control over messaging and audience. He discusses personalization in emails, using context in email outreach, and best practices for different types of email outreach. Michael also emphasizes the importance of investing in oneself and how it can lead to success, featuring a speaker who has invested heavily in financial education, real estate, and business M&A education. Finally, we also discuss AI technologies, email filters and systems, and valuable information resources for non-technical individuals.

Tune in for insights from industry experts and their experiences in the world of email marketing!

Key Takeaways

[00:11:16] Started an agency that focused on generating leads through email but struggled with emails going to spam.

[00:14:40] Email spam filters have become sophisticated in analyzing content, sending patterns, and volume.

[00:18:01] Aggregating important information and putting it in simple language for anyone to understand is valuable.

[00:21:54] AI can be a game changer, but its effectiveness depends on its application. [00:27:57] Email marketing is the most reliable, measurable, and cost-effective channel that is easy to set up and scalable, with the ability to control every part of it, without relying on external platforms, and can be used for communication, unlike other channels like Facebook or Google ads.

[00:31:58] Email is still the best channel for marketers, it's good for hypothesis testing before using other channels, and relying on one channel alone will make competitors win.

[00:35:02] A clean and manually collected list and tailored messaging can result in better engagement and results.

[00:39:49] Following best practices is important for different types of email outreach, and starting with a plain text email can help gauge relevance and interest.

[00:46:00] While automation was initially popular, there is now a desire for more human interaction in emails. AI assistants are no longer as popular as they once were.

[00:49:04] Sales, marketing, and accounts departments are often not aligned and operate differently, but intent marketing aims to create cohesive messaging and value for all audiences regardless of the platform.

Tweetable Quotes

"Inflation is robbing everyone, interest rates continue to rise and uncertainty abounds. There's no shortage of uncertainty, that's for sure. And everyone needs a strategy." — Jeff Mains 00:00:39

“The Best Investment: "The reason that's more enlightening is Buffett has said, whatever abilities you have can't be taken away from you, they can't actually be inflated away from you. So the best investment by far is anything that develops yourself and it's not taxed at all." — Jeff Mains 00:02:49

"How to Make Money in Any Economy: 'Whether the market went up then went down and went sideways didn't really matter. No matter what the economy is doing, no matter what the market was doing. I knew how to read it, I knew how to make money. I had a strategy for that and I had rules in place.'" — Jeff Mains 00:05:28

"In real estate if I hadn't made that investment. And it was a real turning point for me." — Jeff Mains 00:05:58

“Email Spam Filters: "Now these filters are as sophisticated as they analyze the content. So they analyze actual messaging that you are sending." — Michael Maximoff 00:14:40

“Emailing Support Woes: "Because they're so vast, so major, and so complex, any single individual user cannot just, if they have some problems, they cannot be fixed." — Michael Maximoff 00:18:01

“The Advancements of AI: "I think that depending on how you utilize AI, right, it's definitely a game changer." — Michael Maximoff 00:21:54

"There's nothing better than email marketing, in my personal opinion, and based on the numbers that are out there, right? Because with email marketing, you heavily rely on your company to generate results rather than relying on other platforms to generate them on your behalf." — Michael Maximoff 00:27:57

"The Power of Email Marketing: My message is that email is a great channel for some hypothesis testing." — Michael Maximoff 00:31:58

SaaS Leadership Lessons

Personalized touchpoints, beyond names and companies, can make emails more effective. Consider referencing past meetings or discussions.
Context is important in email outreach. Including it can help your email stand out and avoid spam filters.
Different types of email outreach need different approaches. Learn best practices through webinars and other resources.
Start with a plain text email when reaching out to a new email list to gauge relevance and interest before continuing to build a relationship.
Traditionally, sales, marketing, and accounts have operated separately. Today, intent marketing means messaging must always be audience-focused.
Good email marketing starts by having a clean list of leads that match your ideal client profile. Tailor messaging specifically for their needs.
Results can be achieved with a well-thought-out approach. Email marketing still has a place as a primary channel for communication.
AI can be a game changer. Chat GPT is an example of successful AI technology that can write good emails when taught the value proposition and nuances of a business.

Guest Resources

Folderly Website: https://folderly.com

Michael’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.maximoff.belkins?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Michael’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-maximoff

Resources Mentioned

https://folderly.com/blog/spam-fix/the-biggest-list-of-spam-trigger-words-to-avoid-in-email-marketing

https://deanjackson.com/

Episode Sponsor

Today’s episode is sponsored by Champion Leadership Group, the ultimate resource for SaaS founders and C-suite executives to accelerate capital-efficient growth. Unlock your business's potential by leveraging our time-tested SaaS growth toolkit, blueprints, and frameworks designed to help you scale ARR from 7 to 8 and 9 figures. Collaborate with an elite network of SaaS visionaries, celebrate wins, and overcome setbacks together. Prioritize strategic decisions to create profitable growth, premium valuation, and freedom. Elevate your SaaS trajectory with Champion Leadership Group. Learn more at championleadership.com

Small Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel’

Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/