The DTC Letters

Issue #84 - May 29, 2025

Hey, Michael from AdSumo Digital here.

I just got off a strategy call with one of our Account Managers, and something came up that I see way too often with 7-8 figure brands.

The problem? Treating abandoned cart flows like they're "one size fits all."

Let me break down what I mean and why this mindset is costing you thousands in recovery revenue.

Actionable Tip of the Day

Test your abandoned cart flow send volume over the last 30 days.

If you're getting less than 500 sends per month on your abandoned cart flow, you have a traffic problem, not a flow problem.

But if you're high-AOV ($200+), your flow strategy should be completely different regardless of send volume - you can't use the same approach as $50 impulse purchases."

The key distinction is:

• Low send volume = traffic issue

• High AOV = different flow strategy needed 

Fix traffic first, then optimize the flow.

Top Links This Week

Traffic: The NEW WAY To Scale an Ecom Brand to 7-Figures in 2025
Flows: Klaviyo Tutorial: Creating a HIGH Converting Post Purchase Email Flow
Strategy: The Only 3 Things You Need To Know About Email Marketing in 2025
Campaigns: Boost E-Commerce Sales in 2024 with This Campaign Guide

Deep Dive: Stop Treating Email Flows Like "Set It and Forget It"

Here's what happened on today's call: We were reviewing performance for a high-AOV luxury brand (average order value around $400).

Their abandoned cart flow was generating less than 90 email sends over 30 days.

That's a red flag.

Not because the flow is broken, but because it reveals two underlying issues most brands miss.

The Two-Part Problem

Part 1: Traffic Volume
90 cart abandonments in 30 days means roughly 3 people per day are adding to cart and leaving. For a brand doing 7+ figures, that's a conversion rate problem first, flow problem second.

Part 2: Wrong Psychology
Even if traffic was higher, their flow was built for $50 impulse purchases, not $400 considered decisions.

Why Your Current Abandoned Cart Flow Isn't Working

Most brands copy-paste the same 3-email sequence:

Email 1: "You left something behind"
Email 2: "Still thinking about it?"
Email 3: "Last chance + 10% off"

This works fine for low-ticket items. Someone forgot, you remind them, they buy.

But for high-AOV purchases? The customer isn't forgetting-they're evaluating.

The High-AOV Flow Strategy That Actually Works

When someone abandons a high-ticket item, they're wrestling with objections:

• "Is this really worth the investment?"

• "What if I don't like it?"

• "Should I wait for a sale?"

• "What will others think?"

Your flow needs to handle these objections systematically.

Here's a framework to test:

Email 1 (30 minutes): Acknowledge the consideration + reinforce value
Email 2 (24 hours): Address the #1 objection with social proof
Email 3 (3 days): Risk reversal (guarantee, return policy, trial)
Email 4 (1 week): Founder story or brand mission
Email 5 (2 weeks): Scarcity or gentle discount (if needed)
Email 6 (1 month): Final value-based attempt

Each email has a specific job. Each one moves the needle.

Pro tip: Because you may not have that many excuses, it is very worth it to do SKU specific abandoned cart flows

The "Funnel Thinking" Shift

Here's what changed everything for me: Stop thinking about email flows as marketing automation.

Start thinking about them as sales automation for your CRM.

Every flow is a sales sequence designed to move someone through stages of awareness and consideration:

• Welcome Flow = Introductory sales meeting

• Browse Abandonment = "Let me show you what we have"

• Cart Abandonment = Objection handling

• Post-Purchase = Customer success + upsell

When you think like this, your flows get strategic instead of reactive.

How I Can Help

Working with 7-8 Figure Brands
If you're doing $1M+ annually and want a profit-driven retention system that adds $50K-$250K per month, let's talk. We build the entire customer lifecycle-from first visit to repeat purchase. See Proof Here »

DIY Training Coming Soon
We're building internal training content on high-converting flow strategies. If there's demand, I might package it up as a course for brands who want to handle retention in-house. Hit reply if that interests you.

Free Strategy Audit
Want me to take a look at your current flow setup? If you run an Ecom brand and want to have a 15 minute strategy session with me, book a call here »

What's Your Take?

Quick question: What's your biggest challenge with abandoned cart recovery right now-low send volume or low conversion rates?

Hit reply and let me know. I read every response.

Michael Rathman
Founder,
AdSumo Digital

Building profit-driven retention systems for 7-8 figure brands

P.S. - We just launched a new high-converting pop-up strategy for one of our clients that increased their list growth by 300% in 30 days. I'll break down the exact framework in next week's issue.