7 Keys to Marketing Genius: Dear "Blank"
The following is an excerpt from The 7 Keys to Marketing Genius by Michael Daehn
Before you get too excited about personalization, realize that it must be used correctly. When I receive marketing pieces with my name on them from companies I have never heard from, I am not flattered but fearful. I think, “How did they get my name and what do they want from me?” Anything that says “Dear Micheal Dahane” goes straight in the trash. And if someone calls and cannot pronounce my name, I know the call will be short. Fake friendliness does not build relationships (Key 5), it prohibits them.
Knowing that names can sometimes get on lists for unsolicited material, I have used pseudonyms. When I signed up for a free muscle magazine I used the name Michael Steel Daehn. That way anything I receive with the name Steel shows me who sold my name. Besides it is fun to see a muscle magazine come with the name Michael Steel Daehn printed on the front. If you want to test a company, use its name as your own. So if I sign up for the ACME catalog, I would put Michael ACME as my name. Anytime I get unsolicited mail for Michael ACME, I know ACME is the culprit.