The Manipulation of Emails

You reading my emails?

There’s an old story about a man once robbed and beaten by the roadside left for dead. Many passed by the man, either too busy or expecting someone else to help. Among them were a priest and a doctor. Sadly, they didn’t stop to help the man.

However, an outcast of the land walked down the road and saw the hurt man. As he witnessed that no one else was willing to help the man, he stopped on his journey to tend to the poor soul. He bandaged his wounds, made him comfortable, clothed him, and put him on his donkey to a nearby inn to rest.?

The next day the outcast paid the innkeeper double the rate and told him that he would pay any extra needed as the innkeeper took care of the robbed man.?

Who do you think received more, the men who passed by on their busy days or the man who stopped to help??

This story isn’t told to make you or me feel guilty. It’s told to highlight for us the importance of giving without expecting anything. I think about this often in the world of B2B and SaaS.?

Many of us are out here creating something, selling something, or trying to get some traction in community. We’re putting in our all to try to make something happen. And for most of us, it’s all good things. But we can often let the fullness of our lives get in the way of seeing what others need around us.?

How does this apply to B2B though?

Email Newsletters are Dead

Think about this story from the robbed man’s point of view. He was in great need. His life was literally at risk and he needed saving. Now, most of our companies aren’t dealing in the game of life or death, but many of the people we connect with are in need.?

They might need more time. A new perspective. A new tool to increase their output. But very few of us are tapping into those needs on a daily basis. I’m not talking about emotional manipulation to sell here, I’m talking about meeting people where they’re at to connect.

People subscribe to things like newsletters or blogs because they believe that you are available to support them. Maybe you’ve shown them before or they’ve heard stories of your actions. But you’ve built trust and they’re in the game with you.?

Email newsletters aren’t dead, the way of manipulative selling is dead and we can be the ones to live out the change.

Where’s the value?

Simply stating that “no one wants to read your newsletter or blog is shortsighted and ignorant. To be fair, I’ve thought this way before. As people have pitched sign-ups for their “community” (hidden as a newsletter aimed to sell me stuff), I’ve ignored or even judged them because “I know what they’re really doing”.?

But the truth is, if people are getting value from their writing and experiences, then more power to ‘em! Value is perceived individually on where people are, not where we think they are. Communities are built not out of information alone, but out of a mutual willingness to cheer one another on.?

It’s not about you

The value in things like email newsletters or private Slack communities actually comes from what you’re willing to give back. Too many of us are signing up for things hoping to get something in return. But that’s never a sustainable way to win.

The winners I see in the world are the ones giving the most. Their time, their resources, their wisdom, and experiences. Brand and marketing work best when it’s about giving, not receiving or taking.?

So, where will you give back today??