Your List Is Not An ATM
October 6th, 2009
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by BobTheTeacher · Filed Under: Autoresponders · Bob The Teacher Training · Business Building · List Building · Mindset · Twitter
Every day, I get an email from somebody that promises to help me turn my email list into an ATM – something I can press a button and just get instant cash any time I want.
Usually, these wind up in the spam folder, where they belong.
Regardless, it’s important for you not to take this line of thinking with your online marketing.
If you’re like me (a former high school teacher with no professional training in sales or selling), you may feel funny asking people for money whether in person, on a website, or via email.
So when you’re taught by gurus that your list is an ATM, you get this knot in your stomach, but you figure that’s the way it is.
Well, it’s not.
Sure, your email list is a revenue generating part of your business. And used wisely, can be responsible for more income each month than you ever made in a year in a previous job.
But you don’t actually make that kind of money by treating your list like an ATM.
You get there by having a solution-based approach to your marketing, and recognizing that although you may have a list of 100 or 100,000, each email is read 1 person at a time.
And each person is unique, with responsibilities, bills to pay, vacations to dream of, and to-do lists a mile long.
People aren’t looking to give you their money. They want to solve a specific problem, and they want to find people they can trust to give them those solutions fast and cost effectively (notice I didn’t say cheap).
When you’re writing an email to your list, think of this formula:
- Serve
- Earn
- Serve
- Earn
First, you need to help them realize there is a problem that you can help them with. Serve
Then you earn their TRUST so they will listen to you. Earn
Then you help them solve their problem (either with your direct help, or a recommended resource that you connect them to). Serve
Then you earn your keep so to speak (i.e., get paid). Earn
In this economy, people are increasingly tight-fisted with their cash, and wary of people who are going to treat them like an ATM.
Think about this with every email you send to your list (or tweet you post, or status update on Facebook).
There’s nothing wrong with getting paid what you deserve for helping people. But make sure your priority is your readers’ priority, (i.e., connecting people to solutions to make a difference in their lives) and you’ll do very well in the cash flow department as well.
As a result, you may find yourself enjoying generating revenue in your business instead of feeling slimy.
Bob Jenkins
p.s. What do you think? Post a comment below and let me know!
p.p.s. Want help with your email marketing, so you can help people AND increase your own revenue? Be sure to take my 30 Day Autoresponder Challenge, and I’ll walk you through building a serve-first email system.
21 Responses to “Your List Is Not An ATM”
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| Bob Jenkins is an internet business marketing teacher, with ten years experience teaching teenagers and teachers. He is the creator of several online training courses that teach you how to get better customers and increase your profits. Specializing in social networking strategies for business and creating information products from teleseminars, Bob can help you use internet marketing tools and strategies to promote your business online. |
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I have always approached list building as relationship building. The ‘formula’ of a optin page, sales letter, and 7 followup emails to close the deal just never fit my style.
I am thrilled to know that I have people on my list from 2006 who are still reading and getting value from my newsletter. Enough of those people buy my products, or products that I recommend that I make a very good income from my list.
When I get a call from a subscriber and I check their optin date- I am sometimes shocked at how long ago they started ‘listening’! But I also know that I am talking to a very qualified prospect and someone who is likely to be a repeat customer.
I certainly don’t think of my list as an ATM – but I do consider it to be pure GOLD. Gold has lasting value!
Melanie Milletics
Love your thoughts here, Bob! It really pays to remember that the ‘unique visitors’ to your website really are just that – unique! They are people – humans just like us. It is so easy when working online to see the visitors/customers as just dollar signs. When I remembered/realized/was slapped in the face with the reality that my customers were people, too – it really made me sit down and think and rework a lot of what I was doing.
Great video – like the idea of the series – I’ll have to check out the rest of them. It really helps to drive the topic home to relate it to ‘real stuff’ in life. And I love the ‘Serve – Earn – Serve – Earn’ – good stuff!
Tired of feeling slimy – ready to generate revenue,
Lisa ;)
@Melanie: “I certainly don’t think of my list as an ATM – but I do consider it to be pure GOLD.”
That’s an awesome addition to the post, Melanie – thanks for your comment. Your list building is indeed relationship centered. As an MLM expert, you’re one of the rare people to focus on attraction marketing and solutions.
I totally agree, Bob.
This is exactly what I tell the VAs that I mentor – each person is unique and therefore each person’s path to success is going to be unique. There are some amazing training programs out there and we always need to be educating ourselves. But I strongly believe if someone is telling you this is how you SHOULD run your business, it’s time to run.
People want to deal with people who care about them and are genuinely interested in helping them find solutions to their needs. When we treat our list in that manner, we are going to get great returns.
And I don’t know about you – but my ATM doesn’t always give me money. LOL!
How refreshing to read your post! I’m busy UNSUBSCRIBING to emailing lists which describe the internet business in speed-freak, pushy, overly-aggressive terms which suggest the very attitude your posting warns against. I will keep subscribed to yours! Thank you for the guidance and plain descriptions.
Well said Bob!
I NEVER bom-bard my lists ‘just because’. It has to be of value to them, otherwise it serves zero purpose. ‘People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care!” PERIOD.
It’s amazing to see Internet Marketers being truthful these days. This is definitely one of those posts that need to be viral in a huge way!
As usual, you are a voice of reason!
Who wants to feel slimy? Not me. I want to serve and truly help others and make money for my contributions.
Your “common sense” approach to business is not as common as I would like!
Thanks Bob for being authentic and helping us to be our best selves.
Outstanding post Bob! I especially like your comment, “…each email is read 1 person at a time. And each person is unique, with responsibilities, bills to pay, vacations to dream of, and to-do lists a mile long.”
When I write my emails it’s easy for me to write like I’m speaking to that one person because I’ve created some great friendships with the large majority of my subscribers. I actually picture the faces of many of my readers when I’m writing my emails. I see their smiling faces and I want to keep them smiling.
As a reader myself I enjoy seeking out affiliate links from the experts who have taken the time to get to know me and treat me with respect.
Thanks for yet another great post Bob.
Scott Tousignant
PS Love your monumental metaphors bud ;)
What list? I am still living in a pool of information overload. I appreciate your guidance in this email. I too have a problem trying to find it in myself to describe what I have to offer as “explosive’ or “grab it before you are left in the dust” style of approach, which has kept me from signing up at an autoresponder to get one going.
I am happy and agree this is the way I would like to go about a list, Thank you, Kathy
Hi Bob,
Hope your Poland trip went well!!!
I am just starting to build my list and i was on a webinar the other evening where the host said that you should not promote anything to your list for at least 30 days.
I am thinking of trying to do this but 90 Days later. Its a lot of groundwork to put in but i think in the long run it would pay off in terms of keeping “Happy Subscibers”
I agree with Eleanor, there are lots of lists that I am on but not too many i actually get in my inbox and think “Yes, I’ll open that, it’s someone i trust and has given me value for nothing in return in the past”
That is the way i want people to think of my messages when i start building my list.
I am just about to launch my first real optin page so we’ll see how that goes.
Cheers
Richard
Very good Bob indeed. As an older person coming from traditional international trade to this online business, I have been quite confused about “possible easy money” you can make just joining some programs and let others take care of everything. Now after reading and studying a lot and making mistakes, I am convinced that on line marketing is very much similar to traditional sales and marketing. The customer is the most important person in the whole process. That is why it was so great to read your Blogpost. Your definition SERVE EARN SERVE EARN is so right. It is easy to recommend your Blog to my friends and collegues.
I rarely post on blogs but can’t help saying AMEN to this post. I have been teaching what I call the “breathing method” of email marketing for years. It’s great to hear that someone I respect and trust believes the same thing.
Not surprised however since I agree with almost everything you teach!
This wisdom has spanned the ages – “give and you shall receive”. It’s true with list relationships, money and all other aspects of life. Give of yourself – your passion, your experience, your life – with your list and they will reward you with loyalty and their trust. And they will buy again and again because you are real.
Stay real and they will keep following you, and buying from you, for years. I literally have clients that have been with me for 11 years now.
Thank you for sharing from your heart and not just your head. VERY well done!
Charlie Page
Hello Bob as always your advice is very sound we should be trying to get a-lot more people to watch your lead. Really getting sick of the approach you speak of. now some new things have been released in full force. Gmail blaster,viral list builder to name a few. Fairly new but getting old just as quick as it started. Thank you so much for the true VALUE.
[...] See the rest here: Your List Is Not An ATM [...]
Great post Bob! I’m delighted to hear someone say what I’ve been thinking all along. I’m on many “Guru’s” list and some of them email me 2 even 3 times a day a slew of products or services that they’re affiliated with.
I lately have begun unsubscribing to those that I perceive aren’t truly offering me value. I agree, I have questions and concerns that I want answers to as I journey along the Internet Marketing Highway but as you know, everything isn’t a quality recommendation.
The way I see it, if it helps their bank account but can potentially harm me financially or distract me then why promote it? If I’m on a list building email list why promote some Network Marketing opportunity to me? I want to build a list obviously not a downline! :)
It’s great to see that you care Bob… keep up the great work!!
Richard
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Hi Bob The Teacher,
I totally agree with you that your list or even my list is not an ATM. Your exposition of the approach to list building is so much a function of your background as a Teacher who has lots of Psychological knowledge. When marketing online, we should appreciate that our customers are made up very intelligent people who must be convinced that solutions have been found to their individual problems and that the money is spent wisely. Your formula of serve,earn,serve earn is quite instructive and I also agree totally to it.
While building my list, I make sure that my customers are not bombarded with sell, sell, sell. My emails are usually rich in content,just as you do,and the policy of giving gifts before selling is always paramount in my mind. By so doing, I get a higher conversion rate each time I offer products to them to buy.
John.
This is so true. I am making money online, from relationships, not hype. I have an online hair jewelry store, and I make more sales from return customers because they know that they can trust that I am legitimate and do a good job on my work. Great post Keep up the good info and I will keep reading. :D
Just one of the many reasons I dig you so much, Bob.
I REALLY hate the whole “ATM, Bank-account-stuffing, Wallet exploding” line of crap that permeates the industry and gives people the wrong ideas and the wrong starting point…. Your list is made up of PEOPLE- people with questions and hopes and families and car payments… it takes so much work and time to actually GET a customer. The last thing you should do is hype them up and make everything seem unrealistic for them… because REPEAT customers should be your ultimate goal!!
Building relationships with people is key to being successful online. It is hard to engage someone on a personal level when they are staring at their computer screen… but well worth the effort if you intend to make a living online!
Thanks for putting this out there… you are the best!
Keith
The reason for the list is to build relationship yet some people seen to forget that and bombard their list with nothing but offer to buy something. The great thing is that you may unsubscribe at the drop of a hat. I have no problem purchasing from people who provide me with true value. When the value received is great, Repeat business guaranteed. When the value received is negligible, one time purchase if any.
I have also received those e-mails about list building. Personally, I’d prefer to have a small e-mail list of quality prospects ( people who want to hear what I have to say) as opposed to a list of poor quality prospects.
I have found that the best way of achieving this is by adding more fields to my opt-in form. If people are willing to give up their their phone number and address they are serious prospects.
Then its a matter of providing value and offering a solution to their problem.