Want More Sales From Your Email List? Start Here

Most people with an email list want the same thing: more subscribers.

And I get it. More people on your list feels like you’re getting somewhere.

But if your current subscribers aren’t opening your emails, clicking your links or showing any interest in what you offer, then adding more names won’t change much.

Before you go chasing new leads, it’s worth asking a different question:

Are you making the most of the list you already have?

You Don’t Need a Huge List to Make Sales

Some of the best results I’ve seen have come from small lists – fewer than 500 people.

These weren’t huge, polished lists built with ad spend or giveaways. They were made up of people who genuinely wanted to be there.

And that made all the difference.

Because if someone opens your emails, reads what you’re saying, and trusts you enough to buy from you… you don’t need thousands of them.

You just need enough of the right people.

Engagement Matters More than Growth

List growth is important—but it’s not the only thing that matters. And it’s certainly not the first thing to fix if your list isn’t performing.

If your welcome sequence is generic, you only send newsletters when you remember, and most of your emails are thinly veiled sales pitches… then you’ve got bigger issues than audience size.

It’s not that people aren’t interested – it’s that they’re not being given a reason to care.

Growing your list without fixing that is like turning up the volume on a song nobody’s listening to.

So What Should You Focus On?

If you want your email list to lead to actual sales, here’s what matters most:

• Write emails that are easy to read and worth someone’s time
• Send them regularly enough that people don’t forget who you are
• Use your welcome sequence to help new subscribers feel confident they’ve signed up for something useful
• Share things that build trust – stories, insights, even a bit of behind-the-scenes context
• Don’t always be selling

That doesn’t mean you never make offers. But those offers work better when your subscribers already feel connected to you – and they only feel that if you’ve been showing up in a meaningful way.

You Can Grow Your List – But Make It Worth It

There’s nothing wrong with wanting more subscribers. More reach can be a good thing.

But don’t fall into the trap of thinking more names automatically means more results.

The real opportunity is with the people already on your list.

If you can turn them into loyal readers – people who look forward to hearing from you and value what you send—then yes, absolutely, grow your list.

Just make sure the new people arriving get the same experience.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not about how many subscribers you have. It’s about how many of them are actually listening.