One day I’ll be jailed for strangling an internet marketing expert’

I just got an email through from some bright spark who tells me that if people don’t unsubscribe from my list in droves after every single mailing I do then I’m not ‘pushing them hard enough’

I don’t know about you but if someone pushes me I’m likely to push back twice as hard and in email terms I’ll probably push back by clicking unsubscribe quicker than you can say ‘talking out of your arse’.

 I’m pretty sure my subscribers buy from me when they like the look of what I’m offering. That’s it.

I haven’t trained them to buy anything just like I haven’t trained my wife to warm my boxer shorts before I get up in the morning or my kids to dance for money in the village square – because life isn’t about training people – I reckon it’s about mutual respect and harmony (man).

Your list isn’t a bunch of people chained in a room with $47 and nothing to spend it on, and if you don’t start thinking about them as real people if you don’t already then you’re going to be in trouble in the next few years when getting through to anyone by email who doesn’t actively want to hear from you is going to be far harder than it is now. It’s time to start building relationships that are mutually beneficial, and not training them ( that expression really bugs me).

But more than that, internet marketing IS NOT about selling.

Wooooo – I can hear the experts reaching for their Joe Karbo books I as type. But it’s not – internet marketing really isn’t about training your list and it’s especially not about selling to them.

Internet Marketing is about offering products to people who you think could benefit from them. Which in most cases means your list. I refer to my list as subscribers because primarily they are – they’re kind enough to read my newsletter on a monthly basis (subscribe using the form at the top right of the page!!!!!) and then to read and consider the one or two products I let them know about each month.

Mr Experto del Butspeak may argue that if I did change my model I’d make a lot more money. Well I’m not so sure – for one thing he has no idea how much I’m making now so that’s a daft place to start, but also I might make a few more dollars a month – maybe a lot more – but pretty soon I’d either be left with a list who didn’t open my emails or no list at all.

So when you’re reading posts in forums and someone talks about your list using expressions like ‘hitting them hard’, ‘pushing them’, or ‘extracting maximum profit’ think about something – chances are that you are one of the people he suggests hitting hard.

I’m on lists – I subscribe to stuff, and I’m telling you now – anyone starts hittmg me hard with sales email after sales email better have an unsubscribe link in their email.

 As a list member you’re a valuable commodity – so don’t let anyone treat you as though you’re not.

Have to go now – my wife needs her back rub and the washing up hasn’t been done – oh and the kids want me to change the DVD, and……….

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