In this sales‑training video, Ryan Dohrn answers a listener question from Mark in Texas about why he emphasizes email over making dozens of phone calls each day. Ryan explains that while the phone is a vital part of the sales process, most salespeople spend the majority of their time in email, so mastering concise, strategic email outreach is essential. He outlines his "Rule of 3 and 3" (three‑word subject lines, three‑sentence emails), the importance of asking for just five minutes of a prospect’s time, and specific voicemail tactics (save name/number for the end). Ryan also shares a repeatable cadence—phone call, then email, then wait three business days, and repeat—while varying social‑proof references. He frames these tactics within a three‑step sales framework: prospecting to secure meetings, running meetings/closing deals, and retaining customers for life. Throughout, he stresses that strategy, not volume of calls, drives results, and invites listeners to submit more questions via ryan@ryandohrn.com and visit ryandohrn.com.
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Hey, what's going on, friends and fans? I am answering your listener questions sent in to ryan@ryandohrn.com. Keep those questions coming. Love to get them. If we don't reply back, we did not receive it. If we don't feature it on the podcast or the show here, we did not receive it. So keep it coming, ryan@ryandohrn.com. All right, next question comes from Mark in Texas. Hey Ryan, why do you spend so much time focused in on email strategies? Shouldn't we be picking the phone up a lot more, like 40 to 60 times a day? Your friend, Mark. So Mark, are you really in sales, or are you a sales manager that wants me to tell your people you need to pick that phone up 50 to 60 times a day? Okay, so do it, right? Do what your boss says. Mark, the reason I focus so much on email strategies is not because I don't believe the phone is important. The phone is a very important part of the total sales sales process when it's used correctly. The reason I focus in on email strategy so much is because we spend so much of our time, if we're being honest, so much of our sales time in email mode. That's why I know that email can be a huge waste of time. Email can hold us up in a lot of circumstances. Get out there, Mark, and pick up the phone. But the phone is a part of the total process. For those of you that are fans of the channel, I appreciate you, by the way, that are fans of the channel, you remember that Ryan's rule of 3 and 3. 3 words in the subject line, 3 sentences max. But I also have those same rules for the phone, and that is recognize when someone picks up the phone, hey, could I steal 5 minutes from you? Because that's what you're doing, you are stealing time from them. When you're leaving voicemails for people, stop leaving your name and number first. They're not going to call you back. Stop saying, hey, it's Ryan Dohrn calling from so-and-so. Leave that at the end. Be more strategic in everything that you do. So, Mark, just to wrap this up and put a little bow here on your listener question, which by the way, I'm teasing, but you know, I'm trying to have some fun here as well. The phone is an important part of the process. We do need to pick up the phone, but we also need to have great email skills. But more importantly than that, since all of you are looking to work smarter and not harder out there, just remember— good luck with that, by the way— just remember that it's a part of the process. All right, so briefly, what is my process? I recognize there's 3 steps to a sale. Prospecting to get a meeting, not selling, prospecting to get a meeting. Number 2, middle part, hosting great meetings, closing deals. 3, retaining customers for a lifetime. The email and phone part is— that's the first part of the process. So I like to first try to call, usually get voicemail, right? I like to leave a voice message that tells somebody they don't have to call me back. Instead, reply to the email that I'm about to send. Then our email strategy, 3 words in the subject line, 3 sentences max in the email. Be sure to always provide social proof, people you're working with, your point of relevancy or how you can help. And then the 3rd sentence is asking for 5 minutes and that's it. Then every 3 business days, I'm going to try it again. Phone call, email, wait 3 days. Phone call, email, wait 3 days. And each time I reach out, I try to include different names of different clients, different things that I can help somebody with, and again, I'm only asking for 5 minutes of their time. Now, are you going to benefit from making 50 or 60 phone calls a day? The answer would be perhaps if they're really good phone calls and you've got a strategy that's behind it, but just dialing for dollars in most cases for the clients that I work with, Mark, more than likely is probably not going to help. So Mark, you got some bonus there. It's more than email strategies. It's more than phone strategies. It's about, do you even have a strategy? And if you don't, friends, strategy is a very important part of the total sales process. All right, keep your questions coming. ryan@ryandohrn.com. If I can be of help to you, reach out to me. ryandohrn.com is the website. Love to come speak at your sales conferences and jazz up your team and get them excited to sell so much more. We'll see you next week. Get out there. And sell something, would ya?
