The most effective abandoned cart and activation emails do this...

People don't abandon checkouts and free trials because they forget, they abandon because they object. Here’s how to win them back.

Instead of sending “reminders,” figure out why they bailed and address the real objection – Not just in your emails, but at the root cause, before they abandon.

How to find the real objections that lead to cart abandonment

If you ask Google or ChatGPT, they’ll tell you to offer free shipping and enable guest checkout – but you know it’s not that simple. Addressing “process friction” will only get you so far – most abandonment is caused by psychological friction, like an unanswered question or a nagging doubt.

The 6 Main Sources of Psychological Friction (And how to fix them)

1. Missing information – Is it compatible with…? Will it fit in my… Fix: Live chat & detailed Q&A

2. Will it actually help me to [customer’s goal]? Fix: Show the main use cases, testimonials with specific results

3. Will I actually use it? Or forget it but keep getting billed?Fix: Generous cancellation / return policies

4. Social Friction – What will my boss / team / spouse think? Fix: Give them a story to justify the purchase to themselves (e.g. “it's cheaper in the long-run” or “you only live once.”)

5. Is this for people like me? (e.g. Coders, non-native speakers, gen Z women?)Fix: Say & show who it’s for

6. Once bitten – They are switching from their last product for a reason, so they need to believe your product won't have that shortcoming.Fix: Position against your competitor’s flaw (e.g. “99.99999% availability,” or “24/7 live support.”)

How to uncover your psychological friction:

Ask your salespeople or your customers: 

1. Salespeople – “What are the main objections you hear from prospects?”

2. New customers – “What made you almost not buy?”

Prospects who abandoned probably had the same concerns as the ones who didn't.

One fake reason you can ignore

Many people will say they’ve “been too busy.” That’s bullsh*t. Reality: either they don’t understand how it helps, your product or site confused them, or they don’t actually need it.

For a deep dive on this topic, check out this incredible video by Diego de Jodar (Here's his Substack).