Creating your list is all about creating a community of people and prospects who have self-selected and let you know (by opting in) that they want what you uniquely offer. 

The people on your list have chosen to give you permission to contact them with your automated messages. Something that simply amazes me is people who go to in-person events gathering business cards – all with the aim of “building their list”. 

It’s perfectly ok to do IF and only IF, you get permission from the person to add them to your list. For example, if you’re speaking and you do a drawing. The aim of your drawing is to collecting email data for your list community and it must be crystal clear they will be opting into your list community. And, it’s a good idea to give them an “out” if they want to participate in your drawing and do not want to be added to your list community. 

Recently, I presented at the eWomen Network annual conference. Usually, I don’t take business cards but this time had some printed up. A few weeks after the conference,  my inbox was flooded with newsletters I never signed up for. 

I opened one and distinctly remember having a meal and conversation with a perfectly nice woman. We exchanged business cards during our shared meal. She never got permission from me to add me to her community. 

She’s a chef. 

I do NOT cook. 

I’m not interested in learning. 

At the end of the email newsletter was a “Why am I getting this?” link. It took me to the attached screenshot that reads: 

You are receiving this email because you opted at our website 

Not true. 

You’re damaging your reputation as a business owner when you do this. 

You’re angering people, potential partners, even possible prospects, when you do this. 

Please stop being lazy. Create something your ideal prospect wants. Then offer it to them. If you’re not seeing them amount of people signing up for your free offer – take the time to find out what your prospects want and work on improving your existing offer. 

Don’t do it. EVER. 

It’s annoying. 

It’s illegal. 

You are officially a spammer. You don’t want to be seen as a spammer, do you? 

According to the FTC website, if you violate the CAN-SPAM law, you could be fined $11,000 for each offense. Meaning that however many business cards you collect and add (WITHOUT explicit optin permission) to your email list, multiply that by $11,000 and there’s your fine. 

This has been law since 2004. It’s almost 10 years later. 

C’mon, it’s just rude. You wouldn’t collect business cards and start calling people on the phone to ask if they want or need your services, would you?