Things That Make Me Unsubscribe #7

Indeed - I agree completely. The problem comes (as my eye-roll comment stated) when things that start out honest get 'picked up' as a 'technique.'

Hi Eric (post #34),

It's funny that you use the word 'psycho' in your sig -

You do realise that being insane or nuts is completely different to being a psychopath? Many people equate psychopathy with brutally stabbing women in their showers, thanks to the Hitchcock film.

It's actually got a lot more to do with a complete lack of empathy, or conscience. This is often displayed as a complete failure to understand/consider the feelings of others - to see the world through a narcissistic lens where the only thing that matters is personal gain, with a complete disregard of the consequences to others and how they feel about those consequences. They have also been observed to encourage a negative outcome for others who they see as inferior to them, purely for their own sadistic pleasure. Can you believe that?

It may sound odd to some people, but there's actually absolutely nothing wrong at all with conducting business in a manner that is designed to produce a 'nice' or 'fuzzy-warm' result for both parties of the business transaction. It's completely and utterly normal, healthy, socially responsible and mutually beneficial to take this approach (unless of course, the other party is a psychopath, in which case they may not be able to handle the fact they are not the only party to benefit from the transaction.)

It's also totally possible to take this 'fuzzy-warm' approach in conjunction with a healthy desire to turn a good profit at the same time - the two goals are not mutually exclusive.

Hope this helps.

Hi Terry (OP),

Why?

I don't mean 'why are you unsubscribing from those particular lists.'

I mean why are you subscribed to any of them at all?

I'd love for someone here to explain to me what they think I am missing out on by not being subscribed to any internet marketer's email lists.

But I doubt that they can come up with anything credible, except some lame attempt to prove that it's worth studying what others are doing so that I can copy them and become another copy/paste marketer.

I would hate to dilute my originality, creativeness and free-thinking skills by spending my time absorbing n'th generation regurgitations. It's just not logical, unless one is distinctly lacking in those originality and creativity areas and has given up on developing their ability in them.

Therefore, perhaps those who feel that creativity and originality are useful and valuable traits to bring to the information marketing arena which could help them to rise above the general noise, saturation and proliferation of tiresome copycats should understand and recognise the conflicting approaches to this business and carefully choose the advice they absorb, or ignore, accordingly.

I am on your list because there's something I want. You want me on your list because there's something you want. That does not mean that one of us is in this relationship to exploit the other. Quite the opposite, it needs to be beneficial to both, otherwise, one of us would leave. But, it is still just a business, not a love story.

So, when it comes to you benefiting from me (that is, to sell me something), the email you wrote is simply not going to cut it. The fact that you openly admit you are trying to sell me something does not mean much, because I already know that fact. Admitting an obvious fact to gain trust is a good copywriting technique and may work on many people, but it is a much harder sell when it comes to IMers (assuming the product was geared towards IMers).

If you tell me you did not sell as expected, I could certainly relate, we've all been there. But to start asking why I did not buy the product? The answer is always the same - I was not interested. Of course, if you want to know WHY I was not interested, than maybe make a simple and quick poll to get me participate, but do you really expect me to write you an email explaining my reasons why I did not buy something? Maybe you should explain why I should buy the product instead...

It actually sounds like a decent marketing idea to send out an email reminding people about what you have for sale.

Maybe it could have been worded better but it doesn't sound so horrible.

Re paragraph 1 above: this is, of course, your opinion, though you seem to minimize the importance of "opinion" in paragraph 3

Re paragraph 2: I didn't say the marketers methods were a "questionable tactic" as if he were being underhanded or anything. He's in his perfect ethical right to re-email me.

Re paragraph 3: I didn't say anything about feeling violated, only about making a "quality" decision about my time management, and sharing that decision. Regarding whether it was "valid" -- that, of course is your opinion -- an opinion I value, by the way -- that's why I'm on your list

Re paragraph 4: I didn't even imply that the marketer was deceptive. Where are you getting this stuff, Robert?

I wrote the most epic reply, which crashed and vanished into thin air.

Which is to say that sometimes despite our best intentions, sh*t most always somehow, in someway goes wrong.

We should all be sympathetic and understanding to the fact that marketing is intended to shape and affect our most personal emotions.

As list owners don't shy from it and pretend you weren't the cause of it when it invariably goes wrong(as in not your desired result).

As a subscriber, realize list owners are often speaking to massive amounts of people, where as I eloquently explained, sh*t happens.

At the end of the day, email marketers must be true to themselves and their own best intentions, albeit at the expense of a few dissenters. Don't chastise them or feel as if they are unjustified and wrong, it's merely a result of the act of marketing.

In short, your emotion is perfectly valid, yet at the same time impossibly unavoidable.

You'll learn this as your audience grows.

Goodness grief...

I cant be so warm and fuzzy responding to this thread. Am I reading this thread right??

Some respected marketer sends "follow up emails" to his/her list and some of you are complaining about that? Tell me it isn't so! Oh God no! How dare he/her do such a thing! Let's pitchfork him right now!

And to think... I've actually sent "follow up" emails to my list telling people to unsubscribe if they have not bought yet!

If I had an offline company and some of you were my sales people, you'd be fired. Follow up is essential in marketing and sales. If the follow up attempts did not work, then guess what... there would be no follow up emails sent!

It's amazing to me... it really is... how so many "marketers" are offended by "marketing"... and go as far as to state their disappointment of being marketed to... on a marketing forum... to other marketers.... who market for a living.

I certainly mean no offense to you all who are so nice and fuzzy-warm to your list and are timid to sell them stuff, but that'll get you put square in the "I dont make crap online" group.

Seriously.

There are newbies and marketers reading this thread thinking to themselves "yeah, I should not follow up with my subscribers" and that would DEAD FREAKING WRONG!

Ah, why do I even bother.

Oh and Caliban, I dig you and you know that, but your technique of telling them to hit reply is a good technique on one hand (for interaction and seeming different) but since we're on the topic of "time wasters" that could be a big giant time drainer if you do that every time an email does not convert.

Lastly, any time I've increased my aggressiveness in marketing to my lists, I've made much more money. but, I understand... for some... it's not about the money... it's about being nice and fuzzy-warm.

~Donald Trump

Roger,

Sorry it took me so long to respond. Anyway, after rereading your earlier comments, I think I interpreted them incorrectly. My apologies.

As for the oil change shop...my example was meant to illustrate a relationship where you liked & trusted the shop that you do business with. And therefore, you're probably not on a bunch of oil change lists.

Regardless, since you weren't arguing against the validity of follow up, it's kinda a moot point. Reading comprehension isn't always my strong suit. In too much of a hurry at times, I suppose.