Client Value Journey: Stage 3 – Subscribe

So far in this Client Value Journey series, we've covered the first two steps: Aware (people discover you exist) and Engage (they interact with your content or respond to your outreach).

Now we hit Step 3: Subscribe.

And here's where it gets challenging. But I'm going to make it easy(er) for you.

Here's what I have for you in this issue:

🛠️  Client Value Journey: Stage 3 – Subscribe: How to get prospects to want more of what you have to offer

🤖  The "Subscribe Step Analyzer" Prompt: Create better lead magnets and build a better list

What Subscribe Actually Means

Subscribe simply means someone asks to get more information from you—either one time or preferably on a regular basis.

It could mean they:

• Ask to attend your workshop or webinar
• Request a copy of your book or resource
• Sign up for your weekly newsletter
• Join your email list
• Register for your online training

The key word here is "ask." They're raising their hand saying, "I want more of what you're offering."

But here's what I've learned from studying successful consultants: Getting someone to subscribe isn't the win. Keeping them subscribed is where the real business happens.

Why People Subscribe (And Why They Unsubscribe) 

Remember from our first newsletter what value really means?

Value is anything that elevates one's emotional state. That's what people wake up pursuing every day—more joy, happiness, a better emotional state.

People subscribe because they believe you'll continue delivering that emotional elevation. They unsubscribe the moment you stop.

It's not personal if someone ghosts you or unsubscribes. It simply means they didn't see the value at that time, or something else in their life became more urgent.

Don't take it personally. Take it as feedback.

The Flow Problem Most Consultants Create 

Think about flow. In business, we have lead flow, deal flow, cash flow. On the client value journey, things have to flow from one step to the next.

But here's where most consultants break the flow:

They get someone to subscribe with a compelling lead magnet, then immediately try to sell them a $5K program.

That's not flow. That's a brick wall.

The person went from "This free thing looks interesting" to "Holy crap, they want me to spend five grand" in about 30 seconds.

No wonder conversion rates are terrible.

The Bridge You're Missing  

Between Subscribe and your main offer, you need what I call "trust bridges."

These are smaller commitments that prove your value while building confidence in your ability to deliver results.

Think of it like this:

▸ Free content gets them to subscribe
▸ Low-stakes value gets them to trust you
▸ High-stakes problems get them to hire you

 Most consultants skip the middle step entirely.

The Three Types of Subscribers

Not all subscribers are created equal. There are three distinct types:

1️⃣  The Information Collectors (70%)
They subscribe to everything but buy nothing. They love free content but aren't buyers. Don't chase them—just deliver value and let them stay on your list as social proof.

2️⃣  The Researchers (25%)
They're genuinely considering hiring someone like you. They're doing homework, comparing options, trying to make a smart decision. These people can become clients with proper nurturing.

3️⃣  The Problem-Havers (5%)
They have an urgent problem, budget to solve it, and they're actively looking for the right person. They subscribe to evaluate if you can help them. These are your ideal clients.

The mistake? Most consultants create content for the Information Collectors when they should focus on the Problem-Havers.

How to Identify Your Hot Subscribers

Within your first few emails to new subscribers, you can identify who's actually a potential client:

📌 Ask Direct Questions
Don't just send welcome content. Ask about their specific situation: "What's your biggest challenge with [your area of expertise] right now?"

Information Collectors give generic answers or don't respond. Problem-Havers write detailed responses about their specific struggles.

📌 Offer Application-Only Resources
Create valuable resources that require a brief application. Just name, company, and their main goal.

Information Collectors skip it. Problem-Havers complete it immediately.

📌 Track Engagement Patterns
Who opens emails immediately? Who clicks multiple links? Who forwards to colleagues?

Problem-Havers engage like their business depends on it. Because it does.

The Value Ladder Concept

Instead of hitting subscribers with your main offer immediately, create a series of increasing value experiences:

Level 1: Free valuable content (what got them to subscribe)

Level 2: More valuable content with mild commitment (webinar attendance, resource download)

Level 3: High-value experience requiring moderate commitment (workshop, assessment, consultation)

Level 4: Your main offer

Each level should naturally lead to the next, with the commitment and value both increasing.

But here's the key insight: Not everyone needs to climb every rung.

There are three levels of buyer urgency:

🟢  "Now" Buyers: Have an urgent problem and budget ready. They might jump straight from Level 1 to Level 4 if they recognize you can solve their immediate need.

🟡  "Soon" Buyers: See the value but need more proof or have timing constraints. They'll typically move through Levels 2-3 before committing.

🔴  "Someday" Buyers: Interested but not urgent. They need the full ladder experience to build enough trust and urgency to act.

Your job is to recognize which type of buyer each subscriber is and serve them accordingly. But here's the catch: you can't identify "Now" buyers without giving them something to say "now" to.

This means you need to make your main offer available early in your subscriber sequence—not as a hard pitch, but as an option. Something like: "If you're dealing with [urgent problem] and need help right away, here's how I can help..."

The "Now" buyers will respond immediately. The "Soon" and "Someday" buyers will ignore it and continue through your value ladder. Don't force "Now" buyers through unnecessary hoops, and don't rush "Someday" buyers who need more nurturing.

What to Send Your Subscribers

Here's the framework I recommend:

🗓️  Week 1: Deliver on whatever promise got them to subscribe, plus something extra they weren't expecting.

🗓️  Week 2: Share a case study or example of results you've helped others achieve. Make it specific and relevant to their likely situation.

🗓️  Week 3: Provide a tool, template, or resource they can immediately implement. Something that saves them time or money.

🗓️  Week 4: Invite them to a higher-value experience—webinar, workshop, consultation, etc.

The key is each piece of content should be more valuable than typical "newsletter content." You're proving your worth with every interaction. 

The Temperature Check Method

Once a month, send a simple email asking: "What's your biggest frustration with [your area of expertise] right now?"

This serves multiple purposes:

• Identifies who's actively struggling (potential clients)
• Shows you what problems are most urgent in your market
• Demonstrates that you care about their specific situation
• Gives you content ideas based on real problems 

The responses will tell you everything you need to know about subscriber quality and readiness.

Common Subscribe Stage Mistakes

❌  Mistake #1: Treating Your List Like a Broadcast Channel Your email list isn't a place to dump content. It's a relationship-building tool.

❌  Mistake #2: Inconsistent Value Delivery If your first email is amazing and your second is mediocre, you've broken trust.

❌  Mistake #3: No Clear Next Steps Every email should have a clear, simple next action. Don't leave subscribers wondering what to do.

❌  Mistake #4: Not Accommodating Different Buyer Types Many consultants either sell too fast (alienating "Soon" and "Someday" buyers) or wait too long (losing "Now" buyers). The solution is to make your main offer quietly available early while focusing primarily on value delivery.

❌  Mistake #5: No Subscriber-Exclusive Value While you can repurpose content across channels (the hub and spoke model), subscribers should get something extra—deeper insights, behind-the-scenes context, or early access that makes their subscription worthwhile.

Your Subscribe Stage Audit

Here's what to check in your current process:

☐ Immediate Value Delivery: Do new subscribers get something valuable within minutes of signing up?

☐ Escalating Value: Does each email provide more value than the last?

☐ Clear Progression: Is there an obvious path from subscriber to client?

☐ Engagement Tracking: Do you know who your hot subscribers are?

☐ Response Mechanisms: Can subscribers easily respond and engage with you?

If you can't check all these boxes, you're leaving money on the table.

The Real Goal of the Subscribe Stage

The Subscribe stage isn't about building a big email list. It's about identifying and nurturing the people most likely to become clients.

A list of 100 engaged, problem-having subscribers is infinitely more valuable than 1,000 information collectors.

Focus on quality, not quantity. Focus on value, not volume.

Remember: as long as they see the value, they'll keep wanting to receive it. The moment the value stops, so does their attention.

Your job is to maintain that value flow all the way to the sale.

Next Week: Step 4 - Convert The moment subscribers become clients—and the biggest mistakes consultants make in this crucial transition

P.S. If you're struggling with your subscriber conversion rates, hit reply and tell me your biggest challenge. I read every response and often turn them into future newsletter topics.

Want to dive deeper? Check out these related articles:

👉 Client Value Journey: Stage 2 – Engage
👉 Client Value Journey: Stage 1 – Aware

You might also find these interesting:

🔎  How To Analyze and Improve Performance of Your Linkedin Posts
🔎  A Proven Framework that Turns Readers into Clients

P.S.: When you're ready, here are more ways I can help you...