Email Overload?

"Would you like to join my mailing list?" How often do you hear this?

Worse is when merchants and vendors invite you to join a contest to disguise them adding you to their mailing list. I really hate this. I'd rather you just ask me.

I have two mailing lists- one for my coaching clients and others interested in coaching topics and another for my book fans, World War II Radio Heroes: Letters of Compassion (www.powletters.com). People choose to join them.

Occasionally someone will say, "oh, another list- I can't. I'm overwhelmed with lists and emails and the phone calls...."

Here's my recommendation to clean up your lists:

1. Look at each list that lands in your email for 30 days.
2. Do you even look at the email? If not, opt out (there is opt out instructions within the email, usually at the bottom).
3. What do you gain from the email? If nothing or little, opt out.


When considering joining a new list:

1. Find out if its email, postal mail or telephone calls that you'll receive from being on the list.
2. Is the list shared with like-merchants, vendors?
3. How often will you expect to receive correspondence?
4. What is your goal for being on the list? What do you hope to get out of it? (write it down)
5. When you get it- will you read it? If not, don't join on the assumption that you'll find time to read it someday.

The same guidance above goes for telephone calls that you receive from merchants. If you don't want to receive them anymore, request to be taken off their list (document that call) and ask how you got on their list to begin with (to follow up with other merchants/vendors).

Opting out can be the best thing you do to decrease your overload. Only opt in when you see the benefit to a list- and will take the time to read or enjoy it when it comes out.