What are
you Really Saying?
First Impressions
by: Morgana Braveraven
A funny thing
happened the other day as I was sitting in our local coffee shop
waiting for my daughter.
In walked a
nicely dressed woman with a rather portly build. Normally, I would not
pay attention to a person's size - that's not important to me. But the
first thing I noticed about this particular woman was her belly.
The woman was
wearing a somewhat fitted black skirt and top. The top was tucked in,
and the waistband of the skirt was bright pink. Though I am sure it
was not her intention, the waist band of the skirt made it look as
though she had taken a highlighter pen to her middle to accentuate the
girth of her belly... and thus she was sending the message - Hey, have
y'all noticed my big ole belly?
As I said, I am
quite sure that was not what she intended. Aside from the waistband,
she was very nicely dressed, her hair was trčs
chic, and it was apparent that she had taken great care while making
herself ready for the day. However, that waistband was completely
undermining her effort!
It's funny the
how we sabotage ourselves in such unintentional ways - I don't think
people are even aware that they are sabotaging their own efforts, but
I do see a lot of evidence of self sabotage on the internet, primarily
with inexperienced marketers, but, surprisingly, sometimes with
experienced marketers as well.
I attribute this
to poor training, resulting in misguided effort and desire to generate
income online.
On the internet,
there are a couple of camps. There are the spammers and scammers
whose objective it is to make as much money online as quickly as
possible and by any means necessary, and there are the true
professionals earning a living and building a business in legal,
ethical ways.
I would suggest
that you can't belong to both camps at the same time. True
professionals would not participate in spamming or scamming - to do so
would suggest that they are participate in unethical activities.
You can't build
a solid business if you use techniques that suggest in any way that
you engage in unprofessional business practices. Such activities
sabotage your effort. Professionals know this. Amateurs don't.
So in keeping
with the theme, I would like you to ask yourself a couple of
questions: Who are you in your business? How do you represent yourself
and what kind of impression do you leave with prospective clients and
recruits?
As we start off
the New Year, you definitely want to learn why the answers to these
questions are important.
Everything you
do on the internet, every email you send, every website you design -
everything that has your name on it, represents who you are and how
you conduct yourself in your business.
Before you even
meet a person online, they are formulating their opinion of you.
Remember that your target audience consists of highly tuned, savvy and
intelligent individuals that are bombarded by the media constantly
throughout the day.
They pick up on
the slightest, seemingly insignificant, clues about a person in a nano-second,
and therefore, your communication, be it through email or a website,
leaves an imprint and impression on all who read it.
So, what message
do you want to send? The spammy, scammy, I'm here to take your money,
sort, or the professional, I'm here today, I'll be here in 10 years to
continue doing business with you, type of message?
Time for a
reality check - if you are sending out spam and hyped up ads, you are
flushing your financial future down the toilet ...
If you have been
involved with marketing online for any length of time, you should know
that the market is highly competitive and people are well versed in
the use of their "delete" buttons. If you are serious about marketing
online, you are going to have to learn to develop relationships with
people.
People are far
more apt to engage in business with people that they know and like,
and trust. If you send out spam, you will not be granted the
opportunity to let them get to know and like you ...
Spam? Delete!
Alright - let's
get back to the way that new and experienced marketers often sabotage
their efforts. Here is an example of someone's reply to a message that
I sent them. They are on my send list, and I have permission to mail:
----- Original
Message -----
From: < Removed >
To: <morgana@contactlistbuilder.com>
Sent:
Thursday, December 14, 2006
11:01 AM
Subject: Re: Tessie - a quick question from Morgana at CLB
~ ~ Are YOU Missing The GOLD Boom?
Why Invest In Gold Now?
Did You Know That Many Financial Investment Experts Are
Recommending Their Clients BUY Very Specific Gold Coins?
Many Experts Believe That The Price Of Gold May Be Heading
Sharply Up - Figures Of 400% Increases Have Been Reported -
We Find Out
Why...
http://www.thisisanexample.com
See any problems
with the message above?
Well, there is
plenty wrong. First of all, the sender does not have my permission to
mail me with their biz-ops. They are welcome to respond and ask any
relevant question they may have regarding the contents of the message
that I sent to them, but clearly, this is not the case. Technically,
this is spam.
Secondly, and
most offensively, the sender has not greeted me! I have a name and it
was used at the close of the message that I sent to them. However,
this person failed to acknowledge that I am a person, and would like
to be treated like one ...
Thirdly, the
sender has not closed the message in any way remotely close to
professionally. They have failed to even sign their name.
There is no way
I would ever do business with this person. Their message lacks the
basic formalities required for me to take them seriously in any way.
This is just
spam - I don't do business with spammers. By sending spam, this person
is saying to me - hey, I really don't know what I am doing, but maybe
you'd like to give me your money and join me. I don't know if this
works, but let's see find out together!
This is an
insult to my intelligence... "Delete"!
Here is another
example:
----- Original
Message -----
From: <removed>
To: morgana@contactlistbuilder.com
Sent:
Thursday, December 14, 2006
12:10 PM
Subject: Re: James - a quick question from Morgana at CLB
Hi Morgana,
Thanks. I will definitely take a look.
I wanted to send
a gift in return. Free phone calls for life.
No strings
attached.
Just visit
www.adcats.com/XOXO and download the dialer. You will never have to
pay for a phone call.
Happy Holidays!
James Jaffhiggles
Ok - this is an
improvement.
The sender has
greeted me by name, and has closed the message professionally using
his name. At the very least I know that this person is a somewhat
professional and has some idea of what he is doing.
However, again,
he is responding to something that I sent to him - he is on my send
list, so I do have permission to mail, but his message is really not
related to my email in any way. In fact, it suggests a gift for me -
but that is not the sender’s objective. It's sneaky. What he really
wants is for me to sign up under him in his program.
He is really
trying to be a member of both camps - however, that is not possible
and he comes across as sneaky. I don't trust sneaky people, and am
highly unlikely to do business with this person.
Sneaky spam
parading as a gift... "Delete"!
Ok - here is
final example:
From: morgana@contactlistbuilder.com
To: katMillstrom@abcef.com
Sent: Mon, 18 Dec
2006 3:31 PM
Subject: Re: Hi
Kate, Morgana here with a special reminder
Hi Morgana,
Thanks for the
reminder! Not sure if I can make it
but will do my best.
Morgana, I have
something that I would like to
share with you. Could I have your permission to
send you some information?
Please let me
know and hopefully will see you
at the chat today.
Sincerely,
Kate Millstrom
katMillstrom@abcef.com
http://www.kattieM.ws
Flowers for Peace!
Alrighty! Now
we're getting somewhere!
I am very likely
to respond in a favorable manner to this sender. That does not mean
that I will necessarily join her in anything, but I will give her my
attention. She is serious about her business and that is evident in
her communication. She has addressed me by name, closed her message
professionally, AND ASKED MY PERMISSION to send further information.
She has not
insulted my intelligence and her intention is clear. I have never met
this person, but she has succeeded in leaving a good impression with
me.
So again, I ask,
who are you in business?
Are you claiming
to be a professional, but sending out spam? Does your website whirl,
beep and spin? Do you fire unrelated messages to people that you don't
have permission to send information to? Then you are truly undermining
your efforts. You might as well highlight your message subject in bold
pink font: This is Spam - and I don't know what I am doing!!!
Be careful - you
can't align yourself with both camps. You are either a spammer and a
scammer, or you are a professional - there is no in between ...
I'm sure your
mother told you this a million and one times: You only get one chance
to make a good impression.
Guess what...
It's still true ;o)
Until next time,
Morgana Braveraven
Visit
Morgana Here
