I’m on a lot of mailing lists—probably even more than you.

I consider it part of my job to stay abreast of what’s going on and to sift and filter the information I think is relevant and reliable for our subscribers. It’s not easy.

Like you, I see way too much hype and far too many gimmicks that it’s easy to become jaded and cynical. 

There’s nothing wrong with a little gimmick to get attention or to make something stand out. A little showmanship is fine. But all too often the gimmickry is all that’s being sold.

And in some cases, the promises are outright lies. 

So here are a few simple tips for how you can avoid being at the other end of  the delete key or having people unsubscribe from your list altogether.

Don’t trick people into opening your message. I don’t see anything wrong with a clever and curious subject line. But if I open one that is ONLY intended for me to open it and the content has nothing to do with the subject, I feel duped. And I’m not inclined to believe their offer, much less do business with them.

Don’t exaggerate. Nobody likes or even believes hype. It’s better to understate than overstate. Tell a story or have a customer tell a story—an honest one. Be specific, but don’t overdo it. Over time,  people will begin to believe what you say.

No get-rich-quick. Yes, there are a few people who have gotten rich quickly. They were exceptionally lucky. But for their sake, I hope they develop a millionaire mindset so they’re able to keep their fortune. Promising $50K a month is not very believable—even if some people have done it. The fact is, an extra two to three thousand a month for most people would make a huge difference in their lifestyle. And if they do better than that, great!

Make it easy for people to contact you. I subscribed to something a few months ago from a well-known internet marketer. Since then, I’ve been unable to cancel the paid subscription. There was no contact info on their website. No responses to requests to cancel, and the charges kept happening. I can only assume it is their intention to make it difficult if not impossible to cancel. I had to do a chargeback via my credit card. And there is no chance I will ever do business with them again. 

We made a decision a long time ago that we were in business for the long haul. We were willing to put our name and our reputation on the line every day. And we have for over 14 years. Did we leave some money on the table in the process? Probably. But we look at the lifetime value of the customer, not just what we can eek out today.

Doing business with integrity isn’t hard—especially when you think long-term. Doing what you say you will do makes you stand out. It shouldn’t, but it does. And under-promising and over-delivering on a consistent basis will definitely cause you to stand out from your competition.

So skip the temptation to follow so many others in playing the hype game. Be straight. Be yourself. Tell the truth. Keep your promises. 

Pretty simple, right? And the pay-off is huge.

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