UnMarketing

Totally agree. Only trouble is: tell that to your customers whom you do their websites and online marketing campaigns for. Almost always they want to accomplish 3 goals or more in one go. But that is bound to fail entirely. Gluttony. Usually these customers are entirely immune to consultation because they themselves are put under huge pressure by people who have no idea about marketing - let alone online marketing - at all. So what happens: you tell them: "do it and it will fail" and they tell you to "do it nonetheless" and then it fails of course - and next they'll put the blame to you because they could never admit their own or their superiors fault. Tragedy of the modern day business world. -- Shall we have burgers in the car now? I feel I could have one on that! ;-)

Right now I would give my full name, DOB, and social security number for a burger.
But normally, just typing in my email address is a big effort.

Couldn't agree more and oddly I am now craving a cheeseburger!

um, hello. this is all obvious information. who PAYS you for this shit?

No one really, I just pretend people day.

Could I pay you to take the course?

Haha, that was a great video! Thanks for the advice. I would like you to check out my website and tell me if you think I'm asking for to much information from my prospects.

Check it out if you want
www.brandyourselfwithintegrity.com

I would appreciate some constructive feedback...

Fredrick

Hey Scott,

This my first time checking out your site and I would have to say your content is highly entertaining and informative. I will definitely comeback for your new contents.

thx

agree with everything you're saying. I've worked with many companies on their online presence and they always want 10+ fields on forms and to collate all data possible.

It's very much a case of less is more. We sometimes advise they select an area of interest - so that we can send them information relevant to them and not all info - but attention spans are so small online that we need to make sure we dont give people reasons to leave.

I have to agree with you. I work at a two year College and our request form currently asks for everything from first name to birth date and everything in between. Because that information is 'needed' to create a record in our prospect database. We recently launched a microsite and insisted that we should not ask for the world before we're willing to give information out. So we compromised and have a multi-step form. If they only want to give name/email, they still get the information they want. If they want to provide more information for a personal contact, they can do that after. So the form appears to be short. I know its not the best solution, but its the best we got until some on campus change their mindset.

Loved your video though. Really hit the message home.

Thanks.

You hit the nail on the head. If anything even hints at having to give away too much information on their first contact with you they will run away, not unlike trying to sell them on first contact too.

I got full watching you.

Chris Kilber
http://www.ChrisKilber.com
Home of Daily 101 FREE Traffic Generating Strategies

i liked that, good vid.

Scott...this is "you"!!! Funny but very informative...I think we're on the right track...we also ask for the first name and email only...

Keep it up and keep in touch!

Shine on!

Danielle

I ask for: Name, Email, Phone Number. I've found that most people who subscribe to my newsletter I've met at an event or they've been referred to my site (me) from someone I work with or have met.

When I made the move to Aweber, I posted about it and asked folks for feedback on what they thought about the pop-up, etc. They hated it! So naturally, I removed it. I tend to use the blog as a place to gather feedback from my readers. I've been very fortunate in that we communicate freely without any issues so when I ask for name, number and email, they're comfortable enough to give it to me.

Whats the point of asking for phone number?

Follow up I suppose. I hosted a Real Estate conference back in April (barcamp style). I requested name, phone and email on the sign-up form. When the event was over, I randomly called a few folks to ask for their feedback (worked out well).

I also host a monthly mastermind group and have an opt-in email newsletter for that. I like to get to know people personally and though I could accomplish that via email and at our next meeting, I sometimes like to get acquainted before then.

I'm respectful of people's space and so I try not to take it overboard (in other words, there's never a pitch for anything; if anything it's just to say hey, thanks or answer any questions about the event, etc.).

yeah, I tell all my clients and students to just ask for e-mail first [and name] if really needed, although the conversion ratio will drop by over 5% - this has been personally tested by myself...

I recommended your video blog post to my newest list: copywriting related - as it's too hot not to share it with others! :)

First time to your blog.

How can you eat a burger without cheese, man?

Excellent video, kept my attention the whole time. You hit the nail on the head about getting email subscribers. Do you think it also applies to asking people to sign up before they can leave comments on a blog? Cheers. Keep up the great work!

Oh it had cheese! Wonderful, real, grated cheese.

Glad you enjoed it!

And yes, same applies to blog comments, although asking for an email address is important for a dialogue to happen within comment threads, so it's a toss-up

Glad you were using burger & fries in your car instead of beers in a bar to illustrate gluttony :-) Seriously though, surveys are one of my pet peeves. I've been sent questionnaires that rival War & Peace...page after page...and I always bail before the end..angry that they wasted my time. No one needs that much data!

Yep, get what you need, or at least offer an incentive for filling it out

You are so right about the information. I don't want to put anything down half the time and I am so happy when they allow me to do so freely. So less is more is a great strategy and I love the use of surveys to find out the rest.

The only people who actually care about your company is you. So until you have them convinced other wise it is better to not take advantage of them.

I have to say that you're spot on Scott.
I normally ask for a name and email, but have been toying with the fact of just asking for an email. Many of the emails these days aren't totally personalized including a name anyway. Instead of "Hello {firstname_fix!}" I just say "Hello there".
It's what I say to people offline, so why not say it online. I'm still meeting/greeting/communicating with them. Why should it be different?

Woa... had to take a deep breath there before I went off on a rant. Ok.. [/comment end]

OMG!!! The tears are streaming down my cheeks from your Capcha video!! I'm laughing so hard my stomach hurts! I thought it was just me who has this problem!! I thought, being slightly older than most internet users, that I must have missed out on the new Klingon/Hog Wart style alphabet! I'm thinking...can I google the Capcha alphabet so I'll know how to enter the letters the next time? Maybe I just need new glasses? I actually got a magnifying glass out one time thinking it was my eyesight! ROTFLOL!!! You are a prize Scott...thanks for such an amazingly funny video. Made my day!

Ok Scott,

I never thought of that..and you're right !! Just never looked at it that way.. being a new business owner that we are.
And I have to admit, we never know what's up your sleeve in your video's so it's just a hoot to see what's next.
From a long time receiver of your emails !!
Kate

I agree 100%... Thanks for sharing Scott! I learn soo much from you :)

You now made me hungry... going to wheel off and get a snack...
-Tom

The part about people hating to put info into forms is right on! When I had an entertainment agency, I had trouble getting people to input information about their event when they WANTED to give me that info. My contact form prompted them to give information like city, date and time. The client would leave these blank, instead writing in the comment box, "I need hula dancers." So then I would write to them and say, "Where and when?" and they would write back with the info. Why not send the info in the first place? It was a mystery. If I couldn't get people who WANTED to know the price of hula dancers in Phoenix on July 4 to tell me that they were having a party in Phoenix on July 4, I can't imagine those people telling me their names and locations in order to receive my newsletter!

What brilliant advice - it's ALL about making things easier for the person looking for your advice to get to you - not jumping over loads of hoops - it's remembering people just ask themselves "What's in it for ME!" then as you say it's about building real relationships and being genuine and sincere and giving your expertise feely.
Sue

ps love the gluttony metaphor !

Your nose running is a clear indication that you're eating something that you're allergic to.

Kind of like when I see a site that asks for me a phone number. At first I didn't notice, until the telemarketers became too numerous to ignore and I became aware of this sensitivity to providing too much info. The fastest way to get me to leave a site is seeing it ask for my phone number. I won't even stay to look around.

And excellent point about exchanging information! "I came to your site for me, not you." (thanks for that beautiful truth ; )

You're absolutely right, it's taking a little time, but now I'm a fan.

Thanks again Scott!

I want your burger! And I love Weird Al

Seriously, this was awesome

I tweeted it across the universe

twitter.com/pickyouups

There's only one deadly sin here, dude! And, I want that cheeseburger! (You ask for 2 items below and have a - DEADLY - optional 3rd!
;)

Seriously, this was great. I tweeted it out for ya.

Yep, this is one of the 7. Ya think i'm gonna give you all of them at once????

Pfffffft

:)

You are 100% correct Scott. They ask too much. I just ignore them.

Agree 100% on telling them how long the survey is!! I hate getting started and realizing its a 500 question survey.

I ask for First Name and email and a question they want answered. www.AskTheWealthSquad.com/blog/

Sign up is on the right hand. The question is optional. I do need to look at having them asked the question on the thank you page (need to work on customizing it anyway.)

Great video and the hamburger looked great :)

Scott, I used to ask for first name and email address on all my sites in all my businesses for years. This year we dropped asking for the first name and our opt-ins tripled!

Great post my friend. When are we playing golf???

Love this! People don't realize that they can convert better, they just settle...

Get ur arse to Toronto, and we'll golf, or find someone crazy enogh to hire me to speak in Atlanta :)

Golf in Toronto sounds like an oxymoron. Dude, I'm in NASHVILLE not Atlanta. Why don't we just do a seminar here and we can speak, then golf. I can get some people to attend for sure.

Nashville/Atlanta, theyre both much better golf places than here!

Haha, that was a great video! Thanks for the advice. I also have an email that comes after the initial sign up asking for a mailing address. We send out a FREE guide that educates people on increasing curb appeal.

Check it out if you want
www.GardenEducation.ca

I would appreciate some constructive feedback...

Mike

post ur site URL and I'll take a look

I edited my first response. but, if it doesn't show... www.GardenEducation.ca

Thanks Scott!

Scott,
First of all, I have the approach to your video blog and how you seem to always make metaphorical experiential connection is among the most creative, and enjoyable I've experienced.

My other point I want to make is that ever since working with you many years ago, when I first started my coaching and consulting practice (2003, I believe it was), I've only asked for name/e-mail address. So, you've been espousing this simple, relationship developing philosophy for a long time, and I think its important for others coming in to your world for the first time to know that. Looking forward to learning more about your Un-Marketing Bootcamp.

Best Regards,
Skip

Thanks a lot Skip! When I finally decided to create a blog, I wanted it to focus on the strengths that I could bring to the table, mainly video.

And yeah, I've been spewing this message for a long time, I'm glad you remember it :)

Go Rangers!

Fabulous video, Scott! Didn't even mind too much watching you eat. DID take in your advice and thought it was extremely valuable. Thanks for that. First name: Jules. ;-)

Thanks Jules!!

How many takes did it take to get this vid done? Thats a lot of whoppa jr.'s. ;-p

Thank goodness it was one take :)

Agreed, just do first name & primary email on the first date. You have to romance them a bit more before you can get more information.

Here's what I do to get more info from people -- I give them something more! I agree that you want mailing addresses, and the only good reason to get it is to give them something that comes in the mail.

So after someone signs up for a particular special report of mine, they get taken to a thank you page where they get an offer to get a free CD in the mail if they give their mailing address. Not only is this a great idea to build up credibility & reciprocity, but people give me a *working* mailing address so they can get the CD! :)

It's a noteworthy fact that you ask for mailing address after they initially sign-up. If you put it as an option at the front-end, people might get scared away. Good call

here's another weird thing ... some people will give me their mailing address for the CD and NOT their email for the eZine (or they don't confirm the double opt-in).

So when I'm promoting to "other people's lists" I occasionally have them promote the CD, and that pulls an entire different group of people than promoting a teleclass, audio, or special report.