Article: Secret Sabotage:
Emailing without Permission
By Julie Friedman Bacchini
Have you ever:
- added new contacts you’ve
met through networking to your email mailing list?
- added members of
groups of which you’re
a member to your email mailing list?
- added your current
customers/leads/donors to your email mailing list?
- sent
an email to anyone “inviting” them
to subscribe to your email list … by saying you
would subscribe them to your list UNLESS they wrote back
and asked you not to do so?
I know: there are many sales
and marketing resources out there who would encourage
you to do any or all of the above. However, I must disagree.
And, if you consider email communications from your customer’s
point of view, I think you will come to the same conclusion.
First, what is at the foundation of email marketing? A
permission-based email list. The federal laws are very
firm about requesting permission to email. Marketing gurus
have shown the success of requesting permission to email.
We are very cautious ourselves about giving our permission
to email.
If all that is true, why are
we so cavalier with securing others’ permission to email? Somehow, we think that
as soon as we shake a person’s hand, talk to them
on the phone, or collect their business card, we have their
implicit permission to bombard their email inbox with our
marketing messages.
Now stop for a moment. Consider that person’s perspective.
Take this scenario: you have met a good prospect at a networking
event. Perhaps you had a great conversation; perhaps you
only spoke briefly. But the net result is that you think
this person could be a good contact for you or your organization.
So, what do you do next? Do you pick up the phone and call
them? Do you send a nice personal note via mail asking
for a follow-up meeting? Do you send a personal email telling
them how much you enjoyed meeting them and that you’d
like to schedule a time to talk further?
OR, do you send them an email that reads something like
this:
Dear Jane,
It was so great meeting you at
the ABC event this week! My company specializes in X,Y, & Z
services and we can service your needs!
We also publish a weekly e-newsletter
with helpful tips on X,Y & Z. I would like to ask your permission to
add you to my email list. If you do not wish to be added
to the list, please just reply with “No Thanks” and
I will not add you to the list!
Thanks!
Or, even worse, you simply add them to your list and the
next thing they know, they are getting your emails – like
it or not!
Think about the awkward position you have just put that
person in! You do not have a solid relationship with this
prospect, but already you’re putting them in a position
of having to say “no,” rather than “yes.” Can
you think of a worse way to start a potential new relationship?
Permission-based email marketing is all about trust – and
that trust must be earned. I understand why it is tempting
to just dump everyone onto your list, thinking, “Well,
they can always opt-out.” But a wiser practice is
to give them great reasons to
opt-in! Every time I am added
to an email list without my express permission, it creates
a negative feeling toward the offending organization. Is
this fair? Maybe not, but I’d be lying if I said
it didn’t impact my impression. On the other hand,
when I choose to opt-in to an email list, I pay specific
attention to the company’s emails when they come … and
give them my business.
In short, be respectful of your prospects, give them information
that is truly useful to them, and you will be thrilled
with the results!
© 2009 Julie Friedman Bacchini
Article Source: http://www.neptunemoon.com
About the Author:
© 2009 Neptune Moon
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