Is It OK to Add People to Your Email List After They Give You a Business Card?

Really? Now that's interesting to hear. I know the rules are more lenient for B2B than B2C, so maybe that's why. Still, I bet Aweber wants them to confirm the opt-in.

The 2 things no one else seems to be able to beat Aweber at are the automation (adding people automatically to a second list when they sign up for one list) and the stats reporting.

So for the moment, I'm staying there til I can swing Confusionsoft. LOL (Infusionsoft for those who aren't familiar!)

Hi Tracy, I'm afraid I can't make this years gathering in Raleigh.
I'll be at one that I'm co-hosing on the beach near my house here
in Florida... very informal but one that we've been planning for a
while.


I do most of my networking with the local chamber of commerce
groups, or at local Glazer-Kennedy Insiders Circle meetings. These
people show up after running their businesses all day and often spend
2-3 hours networking with fellow business owners. Their time is so
tight that they are sort of speed networking and WANT the right people
to follow-up with them.

I was introduced as one of the internet experts, and after telling them
that I had maxed out of Facebook Friends and had built lists of over
1 million, and could help them to get more leads via the internet, my
biggest problem was fitting in all of the follow-up meetings that people
wanted to set up.

I get lots of free lunches as I discuss things with potential clients.

I haven't had anyone add me to an email newsletter where I didn't know
the person, and hadn't infact discussed their businesses.

Many of them have gone out of their way to subsccribe to my ezine, but
I WOULD feel comfortable adding any of them that gave me business cards
to my list. I haven't but I do think that I have implicit permission.

I perfer following up with direct mail (letters, greeting cards, and
even gifts). Part of my chamber membership allows me to send mailings
to the entire chamber database using the chambers bulk mailing permit
if I want to. They will also do "email blasts" for members... they
essentially sell solo mailings :-)

So, it is a very different environment, but we sort of expect to be
followed up with by mail, email and or phone when we give out our
business cards.

I have developed the ability to tell someone fairly quickly that I'm not
looking for a new business opportunity :-)


on Aweber, unless I'm mistaken, there was a time when you COULD turn
off the requirement to opt-in to a list. I haven't looked at that
lately but do have list on Aweber and 1SC.

Willie

Yeah I have to admit, one of my first thoughts was that they must not have Aweber! But like you said, all of the AR companies want you to have some kind of OK first.

I guess it's just desperation marketing.

Very true! Hadn't thought about it doing that. LOL. Still, I have a feeling they wouldn't be very good prospects for me.

And yes, I'm not a big fan of the "having to get a card from everyone" thing. I think you should get a card when you have a reason to get the card. (Reason which is not merely to spam you!)

I agree, I sometimes send an email, "It was nice meeting you, you may be interested in my 7 Deadly Sins of Web Copy report...yada, yada, yada. If you are, just click the confirmation below"

That's sent from inside aweber so they only have to click that confirmation link.

yeah its a really cool app called chipadoodledoo, and it let me sync it to my mailchimp newsletter signup form, and my seminar attendee can just enter their name and email directly into the app, and thats it, good to go. its awesome and free to

Basing your business practices on a ToS, as opposed to the way clients feel about it doesn't feel like a great way to make decisions.

That's a good way to put it. I wish Outlook let you report email as spam, but I can definitely do it in Gmail if annoyed enough.

If someone is new to internet marketing, I tend to cut them some slack. But they're certainly not winning any points from me by doing it.

I am very strict about opt-ins, but the above is not quite right. If someone gives you verbal permission or requests to be on your list without themselves performing the opt-in, it is both legal and ethical to add them to your list.

For example, if you give a business talk and you say, pass in your business card if you'd like to be on my email list, then everyone who passes in a card can be added to your list. They have given permission.

Or, if you have a voice mail message that includes an invitation to sign up for your list, someone who leaves their email address there can validly be added to your list.

On the other hand, if someone just hands you their business card with no such context, you should not add them to your list. That's poor business practice and shows a lack of respect for the other person.

Marcia Yudkin