mailing lists

The forum for discussion on business aspects of working with glass.

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rodney
Posts: 167
Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 12:05 pm
Location: new mexico
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Post by rodney »

charlie writes,,,,,,,,,,,the proper definition of spam is uce, or unsolicited commercial email.

what part of unsolicited do you not understand?

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you know, i totally agree with your difinition, but i think there is also THE SPIRIT of the law......for me the "spirit" of the spam laws deal with BULK SPAMMERS, the kind i get in my box every day, but if someone that i know sends me an unsolicited email about an upcoming show, im not gonna get upset and think this person is violating me,,,,there is the story of the actor who lied on his resume, and when he became famous was asked about it,,,,he said,,,"show me an actor that hasnt lied on their resume, and ill show you a waiter",,,,,,,,,in this day and age, i think if you dont send emails, spam laws or not, to people to let them know whats going on, then its gonna be tough to get the word out,,,,,,A SIGN OF NO BUISNESS, IS A BUSINESS WITH NO SIGN,,,but technically you are probably correct,,,but if somebody that knows your work gets upset when you send an email, well, this means that that person has some problems,,,,,rodney
Sara
Posts: 89
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2003 9:56 pm
Location: Magdalena, New Mexico, USA

Post by Sara »

I have what I believe to be the perfect solution . . . ha! at least it is for me.

I got tired of entering all those addresses into my computer data base so had a beautiful postcard made up with the information on the back suggesting to customers to go to my website and do the email sign-up for unadvertised specials. At a bead show I may hand out 100+ postcards and right after the show there is a spike in my email signups (usually about 50%+). This is win/win. I don't need to enter information into my database and the customers or interested parties have signed up who might be interested in a purchase.

I make certain to hand out the postcard rather than having it within easy access, I ask if the person is computer savvy (about 95% say they are and have a home computer) and then I actually point out the fact that they need to sign up etc. etc. so I'm blathering off at the mouth, yet saving key strokes.

Yes, I do follow through and have unadvertised specials and also let people know the next show I'll be doing.

patting myself on the back with this marketing technique :lol: . . .

Sara
Phil Hoppes
Posts: 298
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2003 2:20 pm
Location: Overgaard, AZ

Post by Phil Hoppes »

Sara,

That is the best solution I've seen posted yet. My beef is that consumers need to be given a choice. As an artist, a commercial one at that, I see the need to support my customer base to help continue sales. Your method strikes a great balance for both.

Phil
Sara
Posts: 89
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2003 9:56 pm
Location: Magdalena, New Mexico, USA

Post by Sara »

Thanks Phil. Maybe all my years at marketing and that dang newspaper are continuing to pay off :wink:

Wholesale is a tad different. I make certain that my catalogs are NOT where they can be picked up without my getting a business card back from the interested gallery. Of course if they refuse to give a card I'll still give them the catalog, although why are either of us there if it's not to exchange information . . . after selling of course! These I do enter into my db along with information about which show etc. that I've met the gallery at. I have both a large database of galleries and quite a substantial on-line database. Both have taken me a number of years to compile. I've had my website active since 1995 and been entering addy's into my computer database since 1991, and that be a lotta names and information. Surprisingly even after this long amount of time the majority of both databases are current. Plus I'll still get first time customers from a source many years back.

Three years ago we purchased a laptop to take to the wholesale shows with our complete business history. Galleries loved this! Not only could we tell them the last order they placed and what it was, we could also access our database letting us know if they were a first time purchaser or catalog requester or how long they'd been interested. Ain't technology grand!

Glass be my first love, graphics/computers and advertising be my second one.

Sara
Phil Hoppes
Posts: 298
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2003 2:20 pm
Location: Overgaard, AZ

Post by Phil Hoppes »

The following link is points out exactly what I've been talking about.

http://money.cnn.com/2003/07/02/news/co ... marketers/

They mention the "big guys" like AT&T and insurance companies but these companies get their mailing lists from multiple sources. They will buy them from anyone who is selling a list. It is not the responsible merchant that I'm worried about, it is the one's who will do anything for a buck and will sell anything including customer data. Once it's out who know's where it goes.

Phil
Mark Kemp
Posts: 59
Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 11:57 am
Location: Corvallis, Oregon
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Post by Mark Kemp »

My feeling is that when someone gives me personal information in order to pay me with a check, they are doing so for that purpose and trusting me not to use it for some other purpose. I would feel I was betraying that trust by taking the address from it for mailings without permission. Perhaps I am more sensitive to it as someone who has borne the considerable burdens caused by identity theft, and because I get sick of the millions of people/businesses shouting (literally or figuratively) at me for my dollars.
Geri Comstock
Posts: 340
Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 4:16 pm
Location: Northern CA
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Post by Geri Comstock »

In the 12 years I've been doing shows, I've only had one customer object to my sending them information about my show list.

I don't like junk mail...we must get at least a stack about 6 -12 inches high every week, but I much prefer junk mail to SPAM or telemarketers. Junk mail can be look at when I have a little time recycled with minimum effort.

Luckily I don't get much spam. My pet peeve is telemarketers and door-to-door salespeople who invade your space and demand your time at THEIR convenience, not yours. To avoid the door-to-door people, I simply never answer the door anymore unless I'm expecting someone or I see the postman's/UPS/whatever truck in front of my house and know it's a package or something. I'm simply rude to telemarketers and as soon as they start their spiel, I interrupt and say, "Thank you. I'm not interested; please put me on your do not call list." And hang up.

I've also been the victim of identity theft...first 7 years ago and again this year, by the same person using the same information. They haven't been caught and probably never will be.

It's a giant pain in the *** to take care of, but it can be dealt with nowadays. It had nothing to do with spam, telemarketers, companies exchanging information, etc. I can't remember if it was a state of CA program or a federal program, but some government agency has now instituted new policies to make it easier to take care of.

I send postcards to my customers who give me checks and ask credit card and cash customers if they want to be on my mailing list. Generally, they do. If they don't want to get cards from me, they can return them to me with a note to that effect. I'm very clear about who I am and why I'm sending them.

Sending postcards sometimes makes a HUGE difference in my sales at shows. I suspect some of my customers must be very happy to get a reminder that I will be around. I don't sell my mailing list to anyone, nor will I provide it to anyone else for any reason.

I get reminders from my dentist, my car shop, my eye doctor, my hair stylist, offers from my phone company, etc. I'm glad to get them because otherwise I might forget. I look on the postcards that I send to previous customers in the same way and hope they do, too.

Geri
Dani
Posts: 493
Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 3:17 pm
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Post by Dani »

And throughout this discussion, we're all keeping in mind the environmental impact of bulk mail..... right? :twisted: It's something to seriously consider, which is one reason email notifications can be doubly good.
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