And the world’s worst list builder award goes to…
Good grief!
I just received a “just checking in” email from an “expert” asking me to please confirm that my email is still active by clicking a confirmation link…
Or… they will “remove” my email from their list.
In the P.S. of the message, they reveal the link will take you to their Facebook page.
“P.S. This link simply takes you to my FaceBook fan page where I’ve prepared a great article on how to…
Please visit the Fan Page so I know not to remove you from my list.”
A simple invitation to read an exclusive – only posted on my Facebook page – article on ABC topic could have been more effective.
I guess I don’t respond well to ultimatums. Do this or else.
What’s worse is that I’ve only been subscribed to this person’s list for a very short time… literally a couple of weeks.
The relationship is just getting started and if I don’t do what you say – right now (before we really know each other) – you’ll delete me?
So I’m curious, what do you think?
- Have you ever received a communication like this regarding a list you’re subscribed to?
- Any other suggestions of how this list builder could have handled “weeding the garden” of unresponsive email addresses?
Example: I remember reading a case study about a magazine company that discovered over 80% of their top accounts took more than a year to make a decision to advertise with them. AND that more than 50% of their sales reps were weeding the garden (a.k.a. stopped following up with prospects) after a “3 strikes your out” rule. Mucho dollars were being left on the table.
- What other list building and/or retention mistakes have you noticed?
I’d love to hear your stories… before you go, share your comment (or else! Just kidding)
Now, whether you leverage a resource like the Expert Faculty from List Attraction Week or plan to register for Ali Brown’s forthcoming List Building Tools and Secrets course (or both) – PLEASE do your business and reputation a favor by learning what works and what doesn’t.
In the meantime, let’s get a conversation started here…
~ Gina xo
Hi Gina:
I had an acquaintance and fellow business owner that I knew from a business course we had taken together. After the course he started sending me a bi-weekly e-mail. It was an attempt at a newsletter but it was basically a request to everyone he knew to use his services. Although I did not respond well to the marketing copy at all, initially I was invested in seeing him do well. After some months of not reading the messages I decided to opt out of the mailing. Since there was no opt-out process I had to contact him directly to ask if he could take me off the mailing list. I let him know I was still interested in knowing how his business was going.
Six months after this I had send out an invitation to all the people I knew to check out my first professional article. I was published and excited. I used a VA to send it using Constant Contact so people could opt-out for any future mailings. I got an email from him just reaming me how unethical I was for asking to be removed from his regular e-mails and then having the nerve to send him something. I was shocked to know he had been upset with me for 6 months.
There are a few take-aways I got from this experience but one of them was it is very hard to do business if you are angry at your potential clients for not liking your marketing. Not everyone is going to like or want what you have. If these people are your target market then you should find out what you are doing wrong when they don’t respond they way you want them to and then tweak the marketing message to appeal to your market. If they are not your target market, then let them go – physically, from your list and emotionally.
As you indicated Gina you cannot force someone through an ultimatum or guilt to want to do business with you. It’s surprising that any committed business owner would think this is OK.
Gina,
So true about the intial stages of a relationship. I spent years in outside sales and took a lot of time getting to know them, their business and what they truly wanted and needed. In fact I would rarely expect a sale without doing my homework and “weeding the garden”..which meant maybe a year of follow-ups, helpful hints, gifts, lunches. It takes patience…but WOW does it pay off!
Barb,
Interesting that reaction came from a male, huh? One thing I’ve learned is to NEVER take anything personally…it is the death of your business…ANY business. Obviously he has some work to do with his approach but most of all his ego. It’s a hard one though to accept..not suggesting it isn’t. You have to grow a thick layer of tough skin. I am so glad I spent so many years in sales and grew mine….I remember crying in my car once after being told by a potential client…”I should be home with my kids where I belonged.” I had worked so hard to win him over and that was his response. I waited until I got in the car to throw my tantrum…never let em see you sweat.
Goodness! And great discussion Gina. This is HUGE for reputation marketing.
As a traditional marketer still learning new technology tools to streamline things on my end certainly leaves room for error… lots of error. Like the time someone received 16 emails from me in one week. Turns out SHE had registered for the same free class 3 times. System issue with my service provider for not having something in place to catch duplicates and I’m certain I wasn’t paying attention to that possibility either! But hey, like this said expert, I’m just sorting out my new technology and my kind subscribers are forgiving so far! But mistakes happen. But some companies actually apologize for “mistakes” when they actually spammed on purpose. Tacky. Cheesy. And in the long game will fail.
The other thing really starting to bug me is that as my visibility grows, so does my email inbox with content I have NOT subscribed for. I’m responding like the expert did in Barb’s story (in my head, not out loud) where I want to YELL at them for adding me to their list without asking me… if they should know better and if they were not a friend or colleague. In Barb’s story, she was sharing with someone who could have been a personal supporter. I’m talking about random people adding me to their lists just because they know me… even when I have no idea who they are.
One intro email is fine… I’d read a personal note inviting me. I’d probably opt in if you ask me. Otherwise… that is a No No! And it’s a big credibility burner so stop it people!
Gina, I love the weeding the garden analogy (can I borrow that with credit to you… fits so nicely with my new Grow It Yourself theme!
) – in fact, I’m going to make certain to do some groupings in my list before the next email goes out to segment. I’d say the first email in any promotion could go to the entire list, but the frequency and immediacy (and content0 of reminders would be quite different for new visitors versus loyal followers.
Crystal – tough skin! Yes for sure. Also triggered for me that it’s wise to follow up to an ‘unsubscribed’ because not all are as nice as Barb to let someone know WHY – there would be a goldmine of lost business in unsubscribed followers – usually just means their inbox is too full like mine, not that they’ve lost interest. And tough skin helps us act with more business focus than sense of rejection.
Gina,
I had a similar thing happen this week. (maybe the same person?) Two emails from some gentleman I don’t remember subscribing to, and certainly didn’t remember anything I had ever received from him. He wanted me to click on the link (not doing THAT) if “I was still alive.” Needless to say I just deleted the email and hope that he carries through on his threat to remove me from his list. Terrible approach.
It’s always amazing to me what people consider appropriate business behavior. Maybe those 30 years in corporate set the bar too high, but someone else should be proofing those kinds of emails before hitting the “send” key!
My mistake is not being consistent enough with my emails.
Oh my goodness, Ladies!!!
I thought I was the only one. I constantly get “added” to other peoples lists that I haven’t subscribed to. It’s like once they get my email address (usually by subscribing to MY list) they automatically decide that I must want to hear from them.
I had a “colleague” do it to me, too, and she didn’t use a professional service, just a segmented group through her personal email. I ignored it, also wanting to see her do well.
Then I started to received weird chain letters and jokes!!!!
I forget the exact content of the email that made me go, “okay enough is enough” but I sent her a professional and courteous email asking her to kindly unsubscribe me since I could not find a way to do it myself.
She quit emailing me, and promptly unsubscribed from My list.
LOL. You can’t take it personally, but it does get aggravating.
People: Get a PROFESSIONAL auto-responder, don’t add people without their permission, and just because you get an email from me (that you signed up for), doesn’t mean I want email from you.
Just saying…