This got me thinking about email marketing.

I understand that without marketing you are unlikely to get anywhere in business and we do market via our weekly email update (every Wednesday evening – UK time) from this you can get access to a free training course on management and a whole range of other relevant  FREE information.

We get very few unsubscribes – so we must be doing something right.

But this type of update is generally in the minority.

It seems that every time I request a quote for car insurance, check out home or travel insurance, read or click anywhere – I seem to be added to list of people who are sent “newsletters” – which in reality are catalogues with items for sale. What value do I get from that! so why would I read them?

It’s a known fact that people hate to be sold to. (When was the last time you went to buy something and DIDN’T shy away from the sales person who was “hunting” you down.

It’s not hard to see that from the marketers point of view, as a previous customer, I am more likely to buy from them again. But from my point of view – I don’t have time to spend, looking through a catalogue of irrelevancy that may or may not be what I want.

Then there are the marketing strategists who just; collect, buy or or obtain large amounts of email addresses add them to a list and broadcast them. I am but a number. I know there is a healthy trade in names and email addresses.

(Here’s a tip – Sign up to buy something but call yourself Miss instead of Mrs or deliberately mis-spell your name just to see where your details end up)

With these I do get an option to unsubscribe -

“If you want to unsubscribe just click on the following link:  UNSUBSCRIBE”

But why should I unsubscribe to something that I never subscribed to in the first place?

These always seem to come from some sort of automated email sender with a “noreply” as the sender. So replying isn’t likely to do me any good.

So to anyone considering adding me to your “list”

Firstly, please don’t.

Secondly, However you dress it up (and legal eagles will probably tell you that it isn’t technically spam), you are probably breaching the terms of your internet service provider.

Thirdly,If you really want me to take your newsletters seriously,  I  would strongly advise you start by building up my trust. Show me your expertise. Give me something of value.

This isn’t a marketing blog but please feel free to share it with those people who keep sending you their ‘Offers’

When asked about networking, most people will immediately think;

• Who wants to meet me anyway?
• What do I say?
• Will it take a lot of time?
• Won’t I end up getting referrals for strange people I have never met?

That’s not to mention the dry throat, trembly knees and nerves.

Unfortunately, which ever way you look at it, business networking is the new way to do business.

Here’s why

Cold calling is labour intensive, needs a thick skin and is downright hard work.

Direct mail is expensive. You might spend thousands on your brochure and printing and be pleased at 2% response rate. (This means that 98% of people ignored you).

It’s an old saying but a true one that “people buy people” and to get your goods and services to market, you need to get out there and meet people.

Learning how to network doesn’t come easy for many of us. Talking to strangers is socialised out of us these days.

Going on a training course run by a networking “guru” is likely to be very expensive and time consuming.

The new Sharp End Training “business networking course” will give you a structure approach to your networking.

It walks you through the different kinds of network and how to prepare for each one.

The course takes you through how you can prepare yourself mentally and make sure your offer doesn’t get lost in the networking abyss.

You will learn

• 3 Essential networking Do’s
• 6 Absolute networking Don’ts
• How to (politely) start and end a conversation
• Deadly networking sins to avoid
• Why food and drink can spell disaster for your networking

What’s more – the training is available free – for Sharp End Training weekly update subscribers who sign up before 5.00PM (UK Time) Tuesday 9th June 2009

You can sign up below for free priority access.