Is email marketing outdated, or is it the most powerful growth engine small businesses aren’t fully leveraging? In this episode of DissedMedia A Startup Story, I sit down with Perry Sheraw, a marketing automation specialist who has spent more than two decades helping companies, from e-commerce startups to healthcare innovators, turn inboxes into revenue engines.
From her early days in print journalism to building marketing systems before Salesforce and HubSpot were household names, Perry has seen it all. She joins us to share her story and explain why email is still the channel that closes sales.
You’ll hear how Perry approaches email as a conversation rather than a broadcast, the flows every Shopify store should set up, and why tools like Klaviyo are game-changers for small businesses looking to scale. Along the way, we dive into cautionary tales, best practices, and her tested strategies for turning browsers into loyal customers.
If you’ve wondered how to start using email automation without spamming, or how to compete with big brands on a small business budget, this conversation will give you the roadmap.
00:00 – Introduction and welcome to DissedMedia A Startup Story 01:00 – Meet Perry Sheraw: marketing automation specialist 03:00 – From journalism to mergers & acquisitions to early CRM innovation 06:00 – The rise of email: why Perry knew “this email thing’s gonna stick” 08:00 – Why email outperforms social: 38:1 ROI and the ultimate closing channel 10:00 – Capturing emails at events and trade shows: making connections last 12:00 – Early mistakes: purchased lists, shutdowns, and lessons in reputation 14:00 – Deliverability matters: domain setup, verification, and staying compliant 16:00 – Why Klaviyo + Shopify is a powerful combo for small businesses 17:00 – The welcome series explained: starting the customer conversation 20:00 – Balancing automation with respect: how not to annoy subscribers 23:00 – Abandoned cart strategy: the surprising power of a fourth email 25:00 – What good metrics look like: open rates, CTRs, and healthy unsubscribes 27:00 – Practical tips: send times, subject line testing, and preheader text 31:00 – Segmentation and personalization: going beyond “first name” marketing 33:00 – Small business vs. big business email strategy differences 36:00 – Where AI fits in email marketing and Perry’s take on its risks and rewards 41:00 – Favorite tools for businesses of different sizes and budgets 46:00 – Building long-term client partnerships and retention strategies 51:00 – Pushing creativity inside highly regulated industries 55:00 – Closing thoughts: why email is still the most reliable marketing channel
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