The Inception Problem
You ever seen Inception?
Leonardo DiCaprio plays a guy who breaks into people’s dreams to steal secrets. But the real money is in “inception” itself: planting an idea so deep in someone’s subconscious that they think it was theirs all along.
Wild concept for a movie.
Even wilder when you realize you can do the same thing with emails.
Not the illegal dream-heist part. But the planting-ideas-in-people’s-heads part.
This is what separates webinars with 30% show-up rates from webinars where you’re presenting to your mom and three confused strangers.
OR Listen Here:
Why Most Webinars Are Ghost Towns
Before we get into what works, let’s talk about what doesn’t.
I’ve worked with hundreds of coaches and course creators over the years. And I keep seeing the same mistakes tank their webinar attendance.
Mistake 1: Fear of "Annoying" People
This one kills me.
“I don’t want to send too many emails… people might unsubscribe!”
So they send one polite reminder and hope for the best.
Here’s the reality: if someone signed up for your webinar and unsubscribes because you sent them emails ABOUT THE WEBINAR THEY SIGNED UP FOR…
They were never going to buy anyway.
Good riddance.
Seriously. Those people are doing you a favor by removing themselves from your list. They were dead weight.
The people who actually want what you’re offering? They WANT to hear from you. They need the reminders. They need the context. They need to be warmed up.
Stop being so afraid of offending the people who were never your customers in the first place.
Mistake 2: Cold Attendees
When people show up to your webinar without any pre-event nurturing, they show up cold.
They don’t know you. They don’t trust you. They’re sitting there with their arms folded thinking “Alright, let’s see what this person has to say.”
That’s a terrible starting point for a sales presentation.
You’re basically starting from zero. Every ounce of credibility, every bit of trust, every connection… you have to build it all during the webinar itself.
That’s exhausting. And it makes converting way harder than it needs to be.
Mistake 3: Random Emails With No Strategy
Some people DO send multiple emails before their webinar.
But there’s no thought behind it. No strategy. No understanding of psychology.
They just randomly pick a few emails, hit send, and hope something sticks.
That’s not a sequence. That’s chaos.
The Case Study:
13,000 Registrants, 4,000 Attendees
Let me tell you about Vince.
We helped him run a webinar series over a month. He got 13,000 people to register.
And 4,000 of them actually showed up.
That’s over 30% show-up rate.
In 2025. When everyone’s attention span is completely cooked. When people register for webinars and forget about them 30 seconds later.
30% is massive.
How’d we do it? A psychology stack based on Robert Cialdini’s principles of persuasion.
If you haven’t read his books “Influence” and “Pre-Suasion,” go read them. They’re the foundation of everything I’m about to share.
The Inception Email Framework
Think of every email you send as a dream level from Inception.
Each touchpoint is engineered to plant ideas deeper in your prospect’s subconscious. Moving them closer to that moment where showing up to your webinar feels like THEIR idea, not yours.
There are four types of emails in this framework.
Email Type 1: The Welcome Email
This goes out immediately after someone registers.
The psychology here is commitment and consistency. It’s one of Cialdini’s core principles.
When people commit to something publicly (or even privately), they’re more likely to follow through with actions that are consistent with that commitment.
Think about it. If you tell your friends “I’m going to the gym today,” you’re way more likely to actually go than if you just thought about going.
The welcome email locks in that commitment.
What to include:
- Event details (date, time, link)
- Key points they’ll learn (remind them why they signed up)
- A small action to take (add to calendar, download a worksheet)
- Set expectations for future emails
That last part is important. Tell them you’re going to send more emails. Frame it as “we want to start your transformation NOW, before the event even happens.”
This way, when the emails arrive, they’re expected. Not annoying.
Email Type 2: The Indoctrination Sequence
This is usually 2-3 emails sent in the days after registration.
The psychology here is authority, social proof, and likability.
Most people who register for your webinar don’t know who you are. Especially if they came from ads. You’re just some random person promising to teach them something.
The indoctrination sequence changes that.
What to include:
- Case studies and testimonials (show proof you’ve helped people like them)
- Your personal story (how you got here, why you do what you do)
- Personal photos (you with your family, your dog, your life… make yourself human)
- Client interviews if you have them
- Pain agitation (remind them of life BEFORE the transformation)
The goal is that by the time they show up to your webinar, they feel like they already KNOW you.
“Oh yeah, Terence. I read about how he lost everything in his property business and rebuilt from scratch. I saw his family photos. I read about that client he helped 4X their business.”
That’s a completely different starting point than “Who is this guy?”
Email Type 3: The Countdown Sequence
As the event gets closer, you shift into countdown mode.
The psychology here is scarcity and anticipation. Plus a technique I call “open loops.”
Open loops are incomplete stories or promises that your brain desperately wants to close.
For example:
“You won’t believe how I landed my first $100K deal. It was pure dumb luck… but also completely engineered. I’ll tell you the full story at the webinar.”
Your brain NEEDS to know the rest of that story. It’s like an itch you can’t scratch until you show up.
What to include:
- Open loops that tease what you’ll reveal
- Scarcity (if real): “My Zoom only holds 100 people and 300 registered… show up early”
- Bonuses for attending live
- Countdown reminders (3 days, 2 days, 1 day)
Email Type 4: The Reminders
These go out starting 24 hours before, then the morning of, then 1 hour before, then when you go live.
The psychology is consistency again, plus FOMO.
Keep these short. Three or four sentences max. The only job is to get them to click the link and join.
Examples:
- “Today’s the day you committed to starting your transformation.”
- “Other coaches are getting this blueprint right now. Don’t miss out.”
- “We’re live NOW. Click here to join.”
You can also supplement with SMS, WhatsApp, or Telegram for these final reminders.
The Pre-Event AI Bot
Here’s something we’ve been adding lately that makes a real difference.
An AI chatbot that reaches out to registrants before the event.
The psychology is still commitment and consistency. But it adds a human element.
If someone has a conversation (even with a bot that feels human) where they say “Yes, I’ll be there,” they’re way more likely to actually show up.
What the bot should do:
- Reach out via SMS, WhatsApp, or Messenger
- Have a human-like conversation
- Confirm their attendance
- Reschedule them if they can’t make it
- Ask a question like “What’s your #1 challenge with [topic]?”
That last part does double duty. It makes them feel heard (which increases commitment) AND gives you market research data.
The Webinar Itself: Stop Teaching
Now let’s talk about what happens when people actually show up.
This is where most coaches shoot themselves in the foot.
They think: “I need to provide massive value. I’ll teach them everything I know. I’ll cram as much useful information as possible into this 90 minutes.”
Wrong.
The goal of your webinar is NOT to teach.
It's to create a belief shift.
I talked to Vince about this. He said something that stuck with me:
“You only have 60-90 minutes. If you try to teach them, they’ll get overwhelmed. That’s a disservice. The greatest value you can provide is helping them change their belief system so they believe they can actually do it.”
He’s right.
Think about it. If your prospect doesn’t believe they can achieve the result, why would they buy your program?
If they don’t believe your method is different from everything else they’ve tried, why would they trust you?
If they don’t believe NOW is the time, why would they buy today?
Your job is to shift beliefs. Not dump information.
Reveal Principles, Not Processes
Show them the principles behind what works. Don’t give them step-by-step instructions.
Why?
Because if you give someone who lacks context a bunch of tactics, they’ll go execute them wrong, get bad results, and blame you.
Examples:
✅ Show them the math behind building an 8-figure property portfolio in 5 years
❌ Don’t show them how to negotiate a bank loan (they might buy something stupid)
✅ Show them the 5 steps to closing high-ticket sales
❌ Don’t give them scripts to memorize (they’ll use them wrong without context)
✅ Show them a blueprint to crowdfund their business idea
❌ Don’t teach them how to write crowdfunding copy (they’ll waste money on bad execution)
Reveal Blind Spots
This is where the “aha moments” come from.
Tell them:
“You’ve been doing X for years. But the reason you’re not succeeding is because you’re missing THIS.”
That blind spot revelation is worth way more than any tactic you could teach.
Provide a Roadmap
Give them a clear roadmap. A blueprint. Something visual they can see themselves following.
“Here’s the path from where you are to where you want to be.”
Then position yourself as the guide who can help them navigate that path.
“You now have the roadmap. Let me, as your coach, guide you through it so you actually get to the destination.”
That’s the sale.
Putting It All Together
The psychology stack for webinar show-ups:
- Welcome email — Lock in commitment, set expectations
- Indoctrination sequence — Build authority, social proof, likability
- Countdown sequence — Create scarcity, anticipation, open loops
- Reminders — Final nudges using consistency and FOMO
- AI bot — Add human-like confirmation and engagement
- The webinar itself — Shift beliefs, don’t teach
Each piece builds on the last. By the time someone shows up to your webinar, they know you, trust you, and are already halfway to buying.
That’s Inception. Planting ideas so deep they feel like the prospect’s own.
What's Next
In Part 4, we’re covering the post-event sequence.
This is where most businesses leave money on the table. They think once the webinar ends, it’s over.
Wrong.
The post-event sequence is where a huge chunk of sales actually happen. I’ll show you exactly how to capture them.
Stay tuned.
Want Us to Build Your Psychology Stack?
If you’re a coach, course creator, or service provider doing $300K+ and you want this whole system done for you…
We should talk.
This post is Part 3 of the Perpetual Profit Engine series. Read Part 1 here and Part 2 here if you missed them.
