Do YOU know what Spam is??

Well ...

Over 30 years ago, it was "Junk Mail" not "Spam" and those of us in mailorder spent considerable time and a great deal of money trying to find out the difference between "Junk Mail" and acceptable mail.

After literally thousands of tests, questionnaires, surveys and physically watching people discard mail into the trash at Post Offices, we finally had a definitive answer ... "Junk Mail" was anything a recipient didn't want - but - acceptable mail was any mail the recipient recognized and accepted as having value.

Business Opportunity Seekers labeled almost any mail offering an opportunity as "acceptable." Others, who were not Opportunity Seekers labeled it as "Junk Mail." -- People who liked tools, household gimmicks and doodads labeled the Gift Catalog mailers as "acceptable" ... people who didn't like those kinds of things labeled the very same Gift Catalogs as "Junk Mail."

It was the same across the board with every kind of direct mailing you can imagine. -- That's when we all spent a great deal more time studying the demographics of the lists we chose to mail. -- If the people on a mailing list did NOT fit within the demographic profile of our particular products, we simply didn't mail them.

I email my thousands of customers almost every day ... sometimes twice a day - but - I don't get spam complaints. Only had spam complaints once (over a year ago) ... that was when I rented an email list. -- Countless of the people on my email list have told me that they scan their emails first thing to see if there are any emails from me ... if there are, they open those emails first.

Why? -- Because in direct mail we can get a demographic profile of the people on a mailing list. Email lists; no matter how they are labeled, are NOT demographically profiled. Almost every email list; no matter what it is labeled, is generic ... it is just email addresses.

You NEVER have to worry about being labeled a spammer if the people on your email list "want" what you send them. If they recognize you ... know what you are about ... and respect your integrity.

Those who are labeled spammers are UNKNOWN to the recipients. As a matter of fact, most of them hide from their customers by never revealing their address or phone number - and - even a great many of them that do display a phone number use answering machines and voice mail to keep from talking with their customers.

I have heard some otherwise intelligent people claim they don't list an address, or a telephone number, because they don't want to be harassed by people coming to see them, or asking to speak to them on the phone.

Guess what? For over 15 years I operated our business from the 2,000 square feet office in a daylight basement (with it's own entrance). Over that 15 year period, I can count the number of people who just dropped-in on my fingers. And, as far as phone calls go, nearly 40 years ago when I was just a puppy in business, I got more than a little aggravated at telephoning the "gurus" of my time but never getting to speak with them - so - I promised myself that if I ever got to a point in my life when people wanted to speak to me on the phone, I would speak to them. After all, it is those people who call me who are literally paying for my lunch each day (breakfast and dinner, too).

For sure, if you "fear" your customers ... hide. Don't list your address or phone number. One of "them" might get you. But, if like me, you do not fear your customers, enjoy your interaction with them.

Spam, like Junk Mail, is in the eye of the beholder.

As a matter of fact, I would be willing to bet that even Roadie receives emails that are "acceptable" to him/her.

Be open, forthright and honest in dealing with the people on your email list and you will never be labeled a spammer.

Keep well,