Drawing the Line on Familiarity

I get a lot of good information free by signing up for other copywriter and online businessman's special reports, white papers, and, as a result, their newsletters.

There is a true science to these e-mails. You have to send them out often enough to stay in the receiver's mind, but not so often that you annoy them.

But repetition isn't the main thing. I have one fellow send me e-mails almost every other day and it doesn't bother me. I've bought his books, spoken with him on the phone, and his copy strikes just the right tone of familiarity. Sometimes he sends me solicitations I don't want and I trash them, and sometimes he sends me articles and advice, which I keep.

Another fellow sent e-mail once a week until I opted out. He was too familiar. He wrote as if he was my best friend. The free report I'd read was simple and not all that helpful, but it had a few good points. The writing style was presumptuous.

I call it the Goldilocks syndrome. If the porridge is too cold, or too familiar, I'll spit it out. If the porridge is just right in familiarity and helpfulness, I'll keep accepting the e-mails. Finding that tone is what separates a professional from an amateur.