Want this edition on the go? 🎧 Listen to the episode, here!
________

Hey you,

Something I see often that impacts sales 👉 Entrepreneurs leaning too heavily on their superfans.

Superfans are incredible. They’re the people who grab your freebies the second you post them, join your launch lives without hesitation, and enroll in your programs the moment the cart opens. They’re your easy yeses, and are truly invaluable.

But the problem is - if your entire business depends on superfans, you'll eventually hit a wall.

I see this all the time. A coach will say:

"I had two stellar cohorts of my program, and when I went to sell it a third time, I had to claw for every sale. Did everything suddenly change?"

Usually, the answer is no. The strategy didn't fail. The market didn't collapse. What happened is they ran out of superfans - without warming up the next group of potential buyers waiting in the wings.

This group of buyers aren't skeptics that are too deep in their objections to be worth you time right now, and they're not yet superfans...

...This group is what we marketers call The Unsold Middle.

And here’s the kicker: while the Unsold Middle will eventually warm up over time, there's a huge opportunity for us is to speed up that journey. The faster someone stacks enough trust-building moments with you, the sooner they’re ready to say yes, and the less reliant you are on superfans carrying your sales.

So, if you’ve ever wondered why someone follows you, watches your Stories, maybe even grabs a freebie, and still doesn’t reply or buy, this is why. They haven’t hit their conviction quota yet, and it's keeping them in The Unsold Middle.

The good news? By making sure people enter your world already warm, you reduce the number of touchpoints it takes to convert them, and speed up the time between “I’ve heard of you” to 👉 “I’m ready to work with you.”

Here's how...

A 2025 study found that buyers making a $1k – $10k investment typically need about 25 interactions with a brand before they feel ready to purchase (eRelationship, 2025). But if someone comes in as a warm, inbound lead, that number drops way down - usually just 5 to 12 touchpoints (EmailTooltester, 2025)

What creates a warm, inbound lead?

• Hearing your name recommended inside their mastermind when a peer shares how your framework solved a similar problem.
  
  

• Being referred by others who’ve heard of your expertise (“I’ve heard she’s amazing at X, you should check her out”).
  
  

• Discovering you through a trusted collaboration - like a podcast interview, guest workshop, or joint training - which transfers credibility to you instantly.
  
  

• Finding your content and feeling immediate resonance because your messaging is specific, sharp, and clearly rooted in your expertise.
  
  

• Being re-engaged after time away - like when a past subscriber sees your name pop back into their inbox and remembers, “Oh yeah, I’ve always loved their stuff.”

The key is that warmth isn’t only created by new people hearing about you. It’s also built by how you show up for the people already circling your orbit. That combination - external credibility + internal reactivation - is what shortens the path to purchase.

So, how do you actually build this kind of referral-and-reputation pipeline? ⬇️

How to Create this Consistent Referral and Reputation Pipeline
(for The Unsold Middle)

1. Borrowed Trust at Scale

They might not trust you yet, but they already trust the people and platforms in their orbit. Get in front of them where that trust exists.

• Guest on podcasts they’re already bingeing → e.g. if you help coaches scale, pitch yourself to a program-design podcast and teach a framework (not just your story). Give them a worksheet at the end with your branding so listeners associate your name with implementation.
  
  

• Partner for joint workshops, summits, or challenges → instead of a generic collab, pick a complementary angle: if a peer teaches Instagram content, you come in with “how to turn Instagram leads into booked sales calls.” Together, you cover the full funnel, which makes both of you look stronger.
  
  

• Teach inside someone else’s program or membership → contribute a diagnostic checklist (e.g. “5 questions to diagnose if your offer is scalable”) as a bonus inside their curriculum. The host looks good for bringing you in, and you become the expert their students thank them for.

Why it works: borrowed trust isn’t just visibility, it short-circuits skepticism and compresses the touchpoint requirement because credibility is transferred instantly.

2. Surprise First Impressions (Beyond the Freebie)

Instead of the usual PDF download, think about how you can create a memorable, first-experience touchpoint.

• Swap the static checklist for a Loom walkthrough → e.g. your freebie is “10 Hooks for Hot Leads.” Record a 5-minute Loom showing how you’d actually use two of them. They immediately hear your voice, see your thought process, and feel like you’re already coaching them.
  
  

• Invite a one-question reply when they opt in → “What’s your biggest struggle with X right now?” → You send back a 1–2 line tailored response + a resource link. That moment of personalization skyrockets your trust factor.
  
  

• Add an unexpected “welcome gift” inside the freebie delivery email → e.g. “By the way, I threw in a 10-minute audio note on how I personally use this tool each week - hit play here.” Surprise creates stickiness.

Why it works: it moves you from “download and delete” to “wow, I feel seen,” while stacking touchpoints right from the start.

3. Thoughtful Reactivation Plays

Consumers often go cold simply because life got busy. Reactivate them in ways that feel generous.

• Send a “resource refresh” email → e.g. “You grabbed my 2023 Pricing Guide. here’s the updated 2025 version with 3 new examples.” No pitch, just a reason to re-engage.
  
  

• Circle back to past registrants → “You joined my webinar on evergreen funnels last fall, we’re hosting a fresh round with new case studies. Want the invite?” Feels personal, not mass-blasted.
  
  

• Drop a voice memo reply in their DMs → If someone posts about a struggle in Stories, instead of a heart emoji, send a 30-second voice memo: “I saw your post about launch stress, one tip I give my clients is X.” It’s advice, not a pitch, but it reopens the channel.

Why it works: you’re jogging their memory and showing up generously, which puts you back on their radar without the pressure of “buy now.”

4. Social Proof with a Twist

Don’t just share “here’s what my client did.” Frame it so your Unsold Middle sees themselves in the story.

• Show the “before” → e.g. “When Sarah came to me, she had three overlapping offers that cannibalized each other. Here’s what we streamlined.” This creates relatability.
  
  

• Show “client math” → post the Slack screenshot where the client says, “This tweak saved me 7 hours and made me $2K.” Numbers + informality = believable proof.
  
  

• Spotlight the actual work → instead of just saying “my client grew her newsletter,” share the email draft or landing page you helped refine. Tangible artifacts make it feel real.

Why it works: the Unsold Middle doesn’t just need to believe your results, they need to see themselves in the journey to get there.

5. Engineered Omnipresence (Layered Exposure w/o Being on ALL the Platforms)

With so much going on, it’s easy to post once, get and hope it lands. Instead, deliberately layer touchpoints around a single idea so your Unsold Middle can’t miss it.

• Kick off with a myth-busting carousel → e.g. “Why evergreen funnels aren’t actually passive (and what to do instead).”
  
  

• Follow with a Story showing the behind-the-scenes → a short video of you mapping a client’s funnel with sticky notes on your wall.
  
  

• Send an email later in the week → tell the story of a client who thought evergreen was “set it and forget it” and how you helped them fix it.
  
  

• Repurpose into a contrarian Threads post → “Hot take: if your evergreen funnel isn’t converting, the problem isn’t the funnel… it’s your indoctrination content.”

Why it works: instead of feeling repetitive, it feels like everywhere they look, the dots connect back to you.

These strategies are what create warmth - trust, recognition, and reputation in the eyes of the Unsold Middle. But warmth alone isn’t the finish line. To get them from “I know of you” to “I’m ready to buy from you,” they still need to stack enough interactions that build belief in both you and your solution.

Which brings us to the real engine behind conversions: touchpoints. ⬇️

What Counts as a Touchpoint?

A touchpoint is simply any meaningful moment of exposure, engagement, or trust-building. And while the average buyer may need 12, 20, or even 25 of them, the good news is you’re creating them all the time if you’re intentional.

Marketing & Awareness

• Seeing your Instagram Reel or Story

• Reading a newsletter or private podcast email

• Listening to you on a podcast guest spot

• Downloading your freebie

Engagement

• Replying to a poll or DM

• Commenting on a post

• Attending a live training/Q&A

• Binging your blog or podcast

Social Proof & Trust

• Reading a client testimonial

• Seeing you spotlight a client win

• Hearing your name in a peer call

• Skimming your sales page

Sales & Conversion

• Booking or attending a call

• Reading a case study email

• Clicking “learn more” on your offer page

• Reviewing your FAQs before buying

My goal for you: your business isn’t built solely on superfans who eventually hit a cap. You’ve built a reputation engine that continuously moves the Unsold Middle closer to yes - so every launch, every offer, and every activation has fresh, warmed-up leads ready to go.

👉 So ask yourself: What’s one reputation-building action you can take this week to deposit into your trust bank?

DM your answer to me on Instagram @TheSocialBungalow, I'd love to chat it through!

One of my clients just pulled off a $185K launch - her biggest ever. 

Here’s the quick breakdown:

• Came in with an existing group program that had already cycled through her superfans.
  
  

• Refined the offer + sharpened the messaging so it was positioned to re-enter the market with strength.
  
  

• Implemented my proven launch strategy - this time weaving in Unsold Middle warming tactics for maximum reach.
  
  

• Result? Just 3 months into Make It Online, she hit her record-breaking launch at $185K.

Trust me… this is the place to be 😉

New episode has been dropped to The Goods private podcast where I riff on all of this and MORE! 

Would you rather listen to the email?

🎧 Listen to the episode, here!

Kirby turned 10 (how?!).

Our fridge decided to quit on us, but we were able to replace it right away, and I felt such gratitude for not carrying the kind of financial stress that moments like this used to bring back in my corporate days.

Lots of long walks with the Strip in the distance, plus a peaceful, love-filled weekend: lunch with Polina, an afternoon at my mom & stepdad’s, dinner with my sister, and brunch with Andy & John. My heart (and calendar) feel full.

How was your long weekend?

& Don't miss the FREE summit I'm speaking at THIS Fri, Sept 5th...

I'm joining forces with an extraordinary group of women who've cracked the code to building million-dollar businesses while creating deeply fulfilling lives. 

We're also giving away all of our secrets in The Millionaire Playbook (FREE SUMMIT!), where 10 self-made millionaire women will reveal their exact strategies for scaling thriving businesses, optimizing their health, nurturing meaningful relationships, and designing lives they love - without the usual sacrifices you might expect.

Grab your complimentary spot and learn how to make your millionaire dreams a reality while staying true to what matters most to you.

Save your seat for the free 10-speaker event, here!

Ready to Work Together?

Here’s how to make it official:

Make It Online → Our signature offer to rebuild your business from the inside out. From clarity to content to conversion strategy. → Starts at $735/month

1:1 Strategic Consulting → Custom monthly strategy for $300k+ entrepreneurs ready to scale. → Starts at $6,500/month

Curious but not quite ready? → Start with Uncover Your Genius or one of our other free resources to warm up.