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It never fails . . .
After returning from a conference or networking event, I find my mailbox and e-mail filled with newsletters and marketing materials from people with whom I exchanged contact information.
That is funny . . . I never remember any of these people asking, “Hey, do you mind if I add you to a mailing list so I can send you a load of marketing crap materials for our crap products and services?”
Repeat after me . . .
Exchanging Business Cards is Not a Free Pass to Add Someone to Your Mailing List
Just because you had a fishbowl out to collect cards for a contest, exchanged cards with someone between sessions, or got a card through a mutual acquaintance doesn’t give you permission to add card givers to your mailing list. Many of the people you meet will have no interest in you or your company. In many cases they want to do nothing more than win a prize, be polite, or make a networking connection. The offering of a card does not say, “Please market your product to me.”
Stop Wasting Your Time Carpet-bombing Card Givers
There are many marketing professionals that feel it necessary to deluge contacts with their newsletters, glossy brochures, and other marginally effective marketing materials. Not only is this a colossal waste of your time and energy, but it can make your contacts have an unfavorable opinion of your company through your carpet-bombing of people that did nothing more than give you a business card.
When many people are suffering from information overload, what makes you think that your unsolicited marketing will be more effective than anyone else’s unsolicited marketing materials?
Stop wasting your time, because when you try to market to everyone, you end up marketing to no one.
Some Advice on What You Should Be Doing
The first thing you need to do is keep track of where you got the business cards you came home with. Was it from a contest? Was it in person? Was it through a referral?
Now ask yourself, “What do I remember about this person? Do I know what their needs are? Can my product or service help them?”
Once you have that information, you can segment your contacts by how you got their card and what level of interest they have in your product or service.
Using that information, you should make a point of sending a personal e-mail to each of the in-person connections you made that might have a high level of interest in your products or services. Tell them that it was nice to meet them, remind them of a point of discussion, and give them a way to reach out to you if you can be of service. At the end of the e-mail, if you have one, you can give them the ability to opt-in to any newsletters or mailings you might have to offer.
If you had a contest or don’t remember how you got someone’s business card, a simple mass mailing can help you keep in touch with the people that want to know more about your products and services. Include in the e-mail how you got their card, and then give them some incentive to opt-in to your marketing message. Provide some value in the form of a report, consultation, or other free information and then if they want to know more, give them a way to opt-in to receive your marketing.
The Result of Allowing People to Opt-In
When you give your new contacts a choice of opting-in, you give them the power to listen to you. Many people should respect this gesture even if they don’t opt-in. This helps you develop trust with your contacts and makes it possible to connect again in the future.
Have you ever gotten unsolicited marketing materials after a conference?
How did it make you feel?
Let us know in the comments.
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