I don't know about you but after about 3rd e-mail following sign-up to someone's list, I pretty much ignore all follow-up e-mails from marketers that I know for sure their e-mails deliver nothing but promotions. What's your take on that?

However, as I said earlier, I almost always open e-mails from marketers that send me a free content. Did I just say, "Almost Always?" What's that all about?

There are quite a few e-mails, newsletters, ezines and such that provide a free content in forms of articles, reports, tips and so on. So then, which ones would be ones that I always look forward to?

In other words, which ones are e-mails (non personal e-mails) that I always open no matter what?

Have you ever thought about this? Which e-mails do you open and read most of time and which e-mails go straight to trash can?

Well, I currently have only 4. Only 4 e-mails that I actually can't wait until next issue. How about that?

By way, I'm subscribed to quite a *few hundred* lists that I receive e-mails from. Yet, there are only 4 that I can't wait until next issue. I open and read those 4 even if I'm dead tired or busy over my head.

To make one thing clear, I'm talking about a free subscription. I'm not referring to paid subscription to a newsletter. That comes with special benefits. I'm talking about an everyday marketing or a distribution list that we might end up on.

So, what' so special about these 4?

The content they provide is articles, movie files or other forms that they write or create from their experience. They write what they actually do. At least for most part.

They're not providing articles that have been picked up from ezine directories, even though I enjoy reading those articles too as I spend countless hours browsing through those directories.

But these 4 marketers are unselfishly sharing what they actually do. And that comes with a free newsletter. Can't beat that!

When I open their e-mails, I know that I will learn something that will benefit me. And I will not just learn how to .... whatever .... but I will learn from their ... let me repeat that ... from THEIR personal experience.

So e-mails that deliver a free content from sender's personal experience will get my immediate attention. The e-mails that deliver a free content that will teach me something, but not necessarily from sender's personal experience, are being saved for most part.

The pure promotion e-mails, well .... I do go through them .... sometimes .... when I'm looking for ideas .... but for most part .... I've developed a tendency to ignore them. Shocking but true. Again, what's your take on that?

On other hand, marketers who deliver e-mails with a free content from their personal experience, innocently insert a promotion or two within their newsletter. After one, two, three or so e-mails, I would go:

"Hhhmmm! I wonder what is he or she going to teach me with book that they're selling? I mean, I'm learning quite a lot already but there's gotta be more in these books that they're selling or recommending."

So, there goes my credit card. :-)

Don't get me wrong. I invest all time in products that will teach me something that I lack. But I've spontaneously bought a lot of products that I didn't really need. And that was all due to generosity of marketer that was unselfishly teaching me already, something from his or her personal experience.

Put this to a test. Find out for yourself. Share your experience with people, whether good or bad, and see response. But if you've been spamming them with countless promotions already, it may take a little longer until they see *the new you.*

I'm carefully watching my hit count for each issue of my bulletin. This article was part of my third one. But my first one had a 57% response. My second one had a whopping 72% response. I can't wait until I see numbers for this issue.

TSM Bulletin is located at http://tsmbulletin.ogdteam.com.

5. Integrate your tactics and message across your marketing materials, ads, and web site to prompt people to seek you out and contact you. Trying to generate leads without an integrated strategy is like playing football without a set of plays for quarterback to use with team. He'd end up throwing ball only to find receiver had gone other direction or go for a field goal on first down.

6. The purpose of having a web site is to generate leads. Once you have a lead you can use it to generate sales. Once you get prospects to your web site or reading your marketing materials, make sure you prompt them to contact you.

7. Most sales are result of a relationship based on your credibility and value of your products or services. Developing these relationships can take weeks or months to build. Your marketing strategy should facilitate this process of building relationships over time, with multiple opportunities for contacting prospects.

8. The easiest people to sell to are past customers. Prompt first time clients to buy from you again and again.

Keeping Score In order to know if your marketing is working you need ways of keeping score. Which marketing results are you tracking? Which additional ones should you define each month and quarter to track?

Keep track of these important 'scores' to evaluate your marketing:

1. How many prospects seek your firm out each month? Is this number growing each month by five to ten percent?

2. What percentage of people who are exposed to your ads, your web site and other marketing materials give you their contact information so you can stay in touch with them?

3. How many people are on your house list of qualified prospects? How fast is this list growing each month?

4. How many people buy from you each week? What is dollar volume of each sale?

5. How many sales come from repeat customers?

Whether we're talking poker, tennis, or marketing your small business, objective is to improve your performance and succeed more often. When you have a game plan, know rules and track your scores, you can continually find ways to improve your marketing and be more successful.

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