A Few Thoughts On Permission

I am not opposed to being marketed. I have been known to sign up for on-line entrepreneurial offerings. I have taken classes on creativity.

I do, however, abhor the idea of being taken advantage of in email-marketing. If I share my email address with you and invite your marketing, do not, do not, do not take that relationship as a free pass to intrude.

Example: A couple of points to make up front.

1. I am not particularly religious nor do I hold many things to be sacred.

2. I do, however, greatly value my off-time.

I received an email Easter Sunday. I was on the road working, so the idea of interrupting my holiday was not the issue. The email I received had this in the subject line, “I know it's Easter, but when you have something this good...”

Am I wrong in reading an implied promise of something so good that it was worth interrupting my Easter Holiday (my off-time)? The email, it turns out, was just another shameless self-promotion. I am not offended by receiving self-promotional emails. I get that. I am, however, highly offended that they implied that there was something so good that it merited intruding on my off-day (A specific day that is, to many, a holy day…A day that is, to them, sacred).

Do Not, Do Not, DO NOT interrupt your audience with a promise of something so amazing that it merits interrupting a holiday, or any other day for that matter, when it’s just the same message you always send.

Permission marketing is just what it sounds like. I give you permission to market to me. I do not, however, give you permission to interrupt me and make false-promises.

The Easter email drove me to action. I took the 3 minutes time to log in and un-subscribe to the email list. I also took several minutes to write this blog post. Be very careful with the permission you’ve been granted. Over-step your boundaries, and you’ll lose any and all credibility you ever had in one click of the send button.