Home Business Communication Before You Ask Me to Sign Up for Your List..

Before You Ask Me to Sign Up for Your List..

Posted on September 12, 2012 Written by 7 Comments

Dear Internet Marketers,

I’m not naive. I know the reason you’re offering free webinars, ebooks and other products and services is to get me to sign up for your mailing list.  I’ve been around the block a few times and I get that you’re not really offering something for nothing. Free info products aren’t free, they always come with an upsell or specific request. I get it.

Here’s what I don’t like.

I don’t like when you’re not clear what I’m receiving in return for the download.

  • If I’m signing up for your mailing list, tell me.
  • If I’m going to receive email from you Every. Single. Day, tell me.
  • If I’m going to receive email from you once a week, tell me.
  • If your email updates are going to include more selling than teaching, tell me.
  • If the product is available for a price so I don’t have to get put on your list, tell me.
  • If you’re going to upsell immediately upon my downloading your freebie, tell me beforehand.

I understand you’re trying to make a living and you have something to sell and I don’t begrudge you that. However, if I’m signing up for something I think it would be great customer service let me know exactly what I’m signing up for. If you as an Internet marketer don’t wish to be associated with smarmy people, please don’t use smarmy tactics. Be honest about my membership and what it entails and don’t try and get one over, otherwise you’re no less annoying than a telemarketer.

Thanks so much for understanding,

 

Deb

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Filed Under: Communication, Customer Service, Trust
  • http://johnfalchetto.com/about John Falchetto

    “If I’m going to receive email from you Every. Single. Day, tell me.”

    There should be warning sign, right next to the box saying ” I will fill up your inbox, sure you want to sign-up?”

    Also if every newsletter is a pitch, I know people don’t care about loosing subscribers and they feel that as long as the subscriber to unsubscribe ratio is positive they are happy pitching away but, I really don’t get it.

    You are right Deb, the bottom line is be transparent.

    • Deb Ng

      Thanks, John. I ‘m all for the entrepreneurial spirit and selling one’s passion. But I think too many people make the mistake of being “in your face.” There’s something to be said for the soft sell.

  • http://about.me/sefcug sefcug

    I feel the same way. However, things are not going to change, as long as the majority does not really research everything before signing up.

    If I am not really sure what I am getting into, I usually use a throwaway email address, and bogus personal info.

  • http://twitter.com/bobWP Bob Dunn

    Hey Deb, I am so with you on all of this… it’s crazy. And I agree, people seem to have lost perspective on promoting vs. in your face. What even drives me crazier is the popups that ask me to sign up for something, and I haven’t even been on your site for 5 seconds.

    These are probably the same people who, before going online, would take your card at a Chamber of Commerce networking event and assume that gave them permission to put you on some freakin’ list.

    Thanks for the great post!

  • http://www.poewar.com/ John Hewitt

    I have recently been signing up for newsletters, even daily ones, but not from people who want to sell me courses or services. There are some great newsletters out there. NextDraft is my current favorite.

    I also push my Emailed RSS rather than traditional feeds, because it builds up an email list in a no-fuss way. I don’t have anything I want to hard-sell, so for the most part, it is just a way of staying in touch. Sure, if I ever have something I really want to push, I’ll be glad I have an email list, but otherwise I let the work do the talking.

  • http://twitter.com/BetaMotivation Kola Olaosebikan

    :) love this! straight to the point and hits the nail right on the head

  • OBVAVirtualAssistant

    Deb this is so bang on article. “If I’m going to receive email from you Every. Single. Day, tell me.” It actually happens. The whole mailbox of full with the daily not wanting emails. Thank you so much for bringing this into light.