Podcast Summary: The $100 MBA Show – MBA2726

Q&A Wednesday: How Do I Increase My Email Open Rates?

Date: January 7, 2026
Host: Omar Zenhom

Main Theme & Purpose

Omar Zenhom answers listener Peter's question: "How do I increase my email open rates?" Instead of offering common but superficial hacks, Omar delivers a deeper, counterintuitive approach. Drawing on lessons from expert copywriter Matthew Kimberley, he focuses on how to become a person your subscribers genuinely want to hear from—making your name an asset in their inbox, rather than relying on spammy tricks or gimmicky subject lines.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Problem with Traditional Open Rate Hacks

• Superficial Tricks Are Annoying:
  • Bad tactics include weird subject lines, excessive emojis, capitalized words, forwarded headlines, and fake urgency.
  • “Please do not be that person. Okay, that’s so annoying.” (01:00)
• Core Message:
  • High open rates come from being “someone worth opening.” (01:12)

2. The Real Driver of Open Rates: YOUR NAME, Not the Subject Line

• Mental Shift:
  • People open emails because they value the sender, not because of clever subject lines.
  • Example: “If your best friend emails you, you don’t care what the subject line is. You are opening that email because you want to hear from them.” (03:32)
• Realization:
  • Become valuable in the eyes of your subscribers so that your name is an asset in their inbox.

3. Why Your Emails Aren’t Getting Opened (According to Matthew Kimberley)

Omar channels lessons from his mentor:

• A. Lack of Authenticity:
  • Many emails sound “too corporate,” “too guru,” or “too vanilla.” They lack the sender’s personality.
  • Fix: Write like you’re talking to a friend. Email is about real connection, not posturing. (05:10)
• B. Inconsistent Sending:
  • Irregular or infrequent emails make people forget you.
  • “Don’t wait too long between emails… you’re out of sight, out of mind.” (06:45)
• C. Absence of Delight:
  • Most emails aren’t fun, entertaining, or emotionally engaging.
  • “You gotta make people feel something when they read your emails. If your emails are not doing that, they get ignored.” (07:19)

4. The “Delight Rule” – Three Points of Impact

• Three opportunities to delight your reader: (08:05)
  1. When they see your name. – “Oh, Omar emailed me!”
  2. When reading the email. – Fun, insightful, courageous, or vulnerable content.
  3. When they remember your email later. – The real win: your message lingers in their memory.
• Test for Value:
  • “Is my content valuable enough that they’re thinking about it later in the day or telling someone else about it?” (09:15)

5. Becoming a Person of Value

• Stop Focusing on 'Value-Packed' Content:
  • Instead, focus on being a valued person to your subscribers.
  • Analogies: Most people open emails from friends, family, or people they respect—regardless of topic.
  • “You care about this person. You see them as a valuable person in your life.” (12:00)
• Relationship over Information:
  • Build a relationship with your audience.
  • Share stories, opinions, and personal moments rather than just lessons and tips.
  • “You could literally send a poem about potatoes and they’d still read it.” (12:58)
• Personal Example:
  • Omar always opens emails from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Seth Godin, Matthew Kimberley, and his wife Nicole—because of the person, not the content.

6. Paradigm Shift: Write Like a Pen Pal, Not a Publisher

• Emails should be conversational, not instructional manuals.
  • Use stories, anecdotes, humor, and vulnerability.
  • “You’re writing to pen pals, not leads.” (15:28)
  • “My job is to communicate, not just strictly deliver value.” (16:00)
• Mix Content Styles:
  • Jokes, personal stories, takes on current events—these create connection.

7. How to Include Calls to Action (CTAs) Without Killing the Mood

• Segue Technique from Matthew Kimberley:
  • Use light, relatable transitions from random stories or opinions into your CTA.
  • Example:
    • “I hate socks with sandals. I also hate chocolate ice cream. And people who text and drive. I know a lot of people also hate writing emails. If you’re one of those people, I can help you out…” (17:23)
  • You can segue from literally anything—a random story, memory, or observation—into your ask.
  • This creates an enjoyable reading experience rather than a hard sell.
  • “This makes you sound real, it gives you personality, and again, it makes the person chuckle.” (18:04)

8. The Hard Truth: Why People Ignore Your Emails

• They Forgot Who You Are:
  • Usually because you don’t email enough or your content is too transactional.
  • “And there is no delight, no entertainment, no enjoyment.” (18:54)

Action Steps for Listeners (Summarized by Omar)

1. Email more often – at least once a week.
2. Make your name an asset – infuse your personality.
3. Tell small, real stories.
4. Use segues for CTAs – tie stories naturally into your asks.
5. Stop over-teaching – don’t write a textbook, write a letter.
6. Focus on delight – make readers smile, nod, or feel something.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you want to dramatically increase your open rates consistently, there’s only one thing that actually works: becoming someone worth opening.” (01:10)
• “People don’t open emails because the subject line is clever; they open emails because you are someone they want to hear from.” (03:50)
• “Stop trying to write valuable emails. Start becoming a valuable person in their inbox.” (04:20)
• On how to write:
  “Write your emails like you’re writing to a friend, like you’re writing a text message to a friend.” (05:30)
• On delight:
  “If you can delight people, you’ll always be able to get them to open the emails, especially if you hit all three.” (08:52)
• On identity shift:
  “I had to stop focusing on creating valuable content and instead become a person my audience values.” (10:15)
• On the paradigm shift:
  “You can write about absolutely nothing in your emails and still get massive open rates if you are a person they love to hear from.” (13:35)
• On segues:
  “Isn’t that fun and entertaining and actually enjoyable to read?... That segue technique is a great one to use.” (17:45)
• The lasting impact:
  “If you want higher open rates, don’t chase tricks… chase connection. Be someone worth hearing from.” (19:16)

Key Timestamps

• 01:00 – What not to do with email subject lines and open rates
• 03:30 – Why people really open emails: sender matters more than subject
• 05:10 – Top mistakes that kill email open rates
• 07:20 – The “delight rule” for email engagement
• 10:15 – Becoming a person of value vs. packing emails with “value”
• 13:35 – Paradigm shift: Write to pen pals, not leads
• 17:23 – The segue technique for CTAs
• 18:54 – The real reason subscribers ignore your emails
• 19:16 – Final actionable recap from Omar

Conclusion

Omar’s advice overturns the traditional wisdom of “more valuable content” and “catchy subject lines.” Instead, he champions relationship-building, genuine delight, and personality as the real forces behind higher open rates. The goal: become someone your readers never want to miss in their inbox—and delight them again and again.

Big shoutout to Matthew Kimberley for foundational insights.

Action for listeners: Focus on connection, show up often, tell stories, and delight—your open rates (and business) will thank you.