The little things add up… don’t they?

Marketing is tricky. The boundaries are always shifting and there are always new ideas to consider. For someone who tends to be fascinated by the ‘bright and shiny’ it’s a minefield!

But the little things make a HUGE difference!

Let me explain…and please excuse me if I sound a little grumpy!

I’m on a lot of mailing lists, as I like to see what other people are doing.

They give me ideas for content, for blog posts, our BaranovTV episodes and of course, things we could tweak or implement in our business to improve the service that we provide to our clients.

One of the people who regularly writes to me has a pretty high profile, is a published author, and runs workshops and masterminds for businesses with aspirations of serious growth. Her content makes me think, and I follow her on several social media platforms too.

The thing is, I don’t think I could ever work with her.

Why?

Because she advocates building relationships but routinely sends emails without any salutation at all, not my name (thought she has it on her mailing list) or even a simple ‘Hi’, and signs off with just her initials.

They are two REALLY small things, but to me, using someone’s name when you email them, and using your own when you sign off, are basic if you want to build a relationship. You need to move someone from being a stranger to being a friend, or at least trusting you enough to progress to have a conversation.

How can you make that next step happen if you can’t add a salutation to your mailing system, or include your actual name at the bottom?

So why do it?

• Is it cultural? Maybe, but with the most simple email systems these days you can group your contacts by region to overcome that.
• Is it laziness? I can’t see why, given that the content coming out is good quality and fairly prolific.
• Is it just me? Maybe, but if I see this as an issue, I can’t be the only one! My assumption is that these emails are going out to a LOT of people, so there must be more than just me for whom this grates.

I know I’m picky, but this is what I do for a living too, so I am supposed to be! Our marketing is built on my being aware of the impact of those tiny points and I think someone who is holding themselves up to be a marketing guru should be looking at them too.

Are there small things that we’re missing? Probably, but I’m doing my best to spot and address them, since seeing these emails. The last thing I want to do is create a negative impression with potential clients or advocates.

(If there ARE small – or large – things that I do that aggravate you, please let me know!)

Are there similar things that you should tweak in your business to avoid doing the same? It might be worth having a think about that…