"No thanks."

"May I help you?" asks another.

"No thanks."

"May I help you?" asks a third.

When store runs out of salespeople, you get to see merchandise. This is called "in your face customer service"

Other stores take opposite approach. When you can't find right size adapter for your new portable electronic zapper gizmo thingy, you look for help in aisle three. Nobody there. Aisle four? Still nobody. Aisle five? Nope. Aisle six? Seven? Fifty-six?

This is called "run for cover customer service".

Then there is equipment shop that welcomes you with open arms when your lawn tractor starts sounding like dentures in a blender.

"It just needs a routine cleaning. We charge $150 for that," friendly salesman says. Then he lowers his voice. "But you could probably do it yourself."

You commend him on his helpfulness. He beams with pride. "Yup. I thought it up by myself. Whenever a customer tries to fix something at home, we make a whole lot more money next day. Think my boss will give me a raise for this?"

I call this "do-it-yourself-extortion".

And what about three companies that came to quote on some ductwork? Each looks around, takes some notes and promises to get back to us with a quote.

We wait. And wait. And wait.

We call back first company, which promises to get back to us with its quote. It makes same promise consistently each time we call. I just love a reliable company.

This is called "consistent filibuster customer service".

It is a natural progression that when your readers trust you, they’ll buy from you, it’s just that simple. However, one cannot develop a trusting relationship with a customer by shouting “buy, buy, buy” at them. A newsletter must pay attention to what customer wants and needs, and it must speak to those issues. The reader will make conclusion to buy on their own, and since they have built up a trust for you through your informative newsletter, they’ll choose you first.

E-newsletter marketing is a less intrusive form of communication than traditional advertising. It is much more appealing to readers and, in turn, is a great deal more effective, as it delivers value to your customers on a regular basis. Additionally, newsletters make it easy for you to track which articles are most read, and therefore what information is most interesting and important to your customers.

The thing is, advertising doesn’t have to look like advertising. It can be an article chock full of interesting information that revolves around your product or service, without specifically mentioning your product or service. People don’t want to read ads - but they do want to find out how to make their lives easier or better in some way. This is illustrated through 1%-3% of readers who open a direct mail piece and request further information, in comparison to over 50% of recipients who click on newsletter articles to seek more information.