If you talked to people the way advertising talked to people, they would punch you in the face – Hugh MacLeod

Hugh is not for the tame of heart or those who prefer more politically correct opinions; however, he is someone you absolutely must read to gain insight into how to market your business.

My question to a lot of entrepreneurs is: how are you talking to your customers? You would not go to a party and scream “BUY FROM ME NOW,” but that’s exactly how most entrepreneurs advertise their businesses. Why have iPods, DVR’s, Digital Radio and the like taken over by advertisers sending you adverts all the time? People don’t like commercials and the endless shouting that entrepreneurs and advertisers and marketers do on a daily basis.

People don’t like being tagged on posts on social media, what makes you think they will like being interrupted by adverts. People don’t like spam emails, they have even set their inboxes to filter out what its suspects is spam advertising. People avoid cold calls, they make excuses that they are busy or something just to get rid of the sales agent.

Social media has changed the rules of marketing forever. You can no longer scream the loudest and hope to drive traffic to your showrooms. Its time to get creative.

Its time to look outside the traditional marketing channels and really CONNECT with your customers.

Permission marketing is the privilege (not the right) of delivering anticipated, personal and relevant messages to people who actually want to get them.

It recognises the new power of the best consumers to ignore marketing. It realises that treating people with respect is the best way to earn their attention.

Pay attention is a key phrase here, because permission marketers understand that when someone chooses to pay attention they are actually paying you with something precious. And there is no way they can get their attention back if they change their mind. Attention becomes an important asset, something to be valued, not wasted.

Real permission is different from presumed or legalistic permission. Just because you somehow get my email address doesn’t mean you have permission. Just because I don’t complain doesn’t mean you have permission. Just because it’s in the fine print of your privacy policy doesn’t mean it’s permission either.

Real permission works like this: if you stop showing up, people complain, they ask where you went

Permission marketing is the privilege (not the right) of delivering anticipated, personal and relevant messages to people who actually want to get them.

Never cross the lines you were not given permission to cross.

To get a willing opt-in customer, offer them things of value. Allow them to download e-books, attend webinars etc. and then you would have the right context to start a conversation.

And the conversation that you start has to be really relevant to your recipients.

Know what it is that they want, and serve just that.

Even if you are trying to make a cold-call or cold-reach attempt, tell the recipients why you are in their inbox or calling them. Research them before you reach out, and try solving their problems when you are allowed in.

That’s how you would catch their attention.

Permission is like dating. You don’t start by asking for the sale at first impression. You earn the right, over time, bit by bit.