Our team does advise companies on best practices when it comes to creating and sending email messages. We truly believe that respecting recipient’s wants, needs and desires is critical in maintaining email as a viable channel to promote offers, engagements and events.

I doubt I will get much of an argument that many companies do a poor job of communicating via email (something that I am working on with the several companies in China to which I am heading off to see tomorrow) as well as demonstrate best practices for email protocols.

So when a good one crosses my inbox it becomes particularly noticeable. I recently signed up for the Export Yellow Pages. This site provides our company with a listing via a partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce. I really have no idea if we will generate any interesting leads or engagements via our listing but it was relatively easy to do but offered nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

Today I received an email from a firm called ExpertsBusiness Direct which I mistook for having something to do with Export Yellow Pages (maybe I need to wear glasses when reading my screen). Anyway it got me to read the text which I thought was very good:

Dear Mark,

Once in a while, business-to-business emails will be sent by ExpertBusiness Direct to introduce you to special offers, industry events, or invite you to participate in customer surveys where you have the opportunity to make your opinion count. This is an exclusive brand serving the Business-to-Business community.

No one wants or has time to be inundated with unwanted emails, so we have committed to making sure the emails we send are relevant and we hope, valuable to you. Typically, you will receive less than 3 emails per month – never consumer offers and always pertinent to you, your company and your business. ExpertBusiness Direct does not provide possession of your email address to sponsors or advertisers without your consent.

Before we begin sending you emails, I want to be certain that our emails are welcome. If you do not want to receive these types of emails in the future, click here:

If you choose not to remove your name at this time, you will always be provided an opportunity to unsubscribe from ExpertBusiness Direct on each and every offer we send – removing your name from our email database is always an instant click-away.

If you would like to receive business and career related offers from us, you do not have to do anything.

Thank you for your time,

Maria Bartell
Program Coordinator, Email Marketing

Many things are right about the text of the mail. Tone being a big one as well as respecting my wishes at all times. But there was a big problem. Once I realized it was not from the Export Yellow Pages I looked again and realized I have no relationship with this company. In reality this email was a come-on so that I could be sent email from a company that wishes to business with me. And yes I immediately unsubscribed. Shame on them. Too bad what was just the right message was so dead wrong.