I was thinking in the post more of face-to-face networking but you’re right – it can happen online too.

I know there’s a plugin for wordpress that allows commenters to subscribe to your newsletter by checking a box. I’ve looked at it myself. And it’s also possible to get it to default to having the box pre-checked which I don’t think is a good idea. We’re all increasingly intolerant of that sort of thing.

Ian

It’s hard to take someone seriously when they turn their online “social” interactions into nothing but a snare.

Double opt-in isn’t required by CANSPAM. Single opt-in is enough – as long as there’s an opt-out link in the email. And having a pre-established “business relationship” allows a name and email address to be added to a list without an electronic opt-in – meeting face to face and swapping business cards would seem to meet this criteria of a pre-established relationship.

I completely agree (as per my post) that you shouldn’t auto-subscribe folks – but there’s nothing in CANSPAM to prevent it.

Ian

Dinesh Kandanchatha
blog-http://www.mysticselling.com

Here’s a slightly different approach: Do something for them. Chances are you talked about their needs at some time in the conversation (right?) — follow up with a resource, an article, something. Ideally, it would be something on your website (where your opt-in box is clearly displayed). Even if it’s not, you still have the chance, similar to Michael’s suggestion, to put an invite to your newsletter in your email sig (along with twitter/facebook/linkedin addresses.)

People will always remember that you helped them and didn’t ask for anything in return
Terri Z
@TerriZSoloCEO

Chelsea

You also rightly point out that it gives you a more qualified list too. If someone is so uninspired by the meeting with you, your email and/or sample newsletter that they can’t be bothered to click a button to sign-up then they’re unlikely to have been a great prospect anyway.

Ian

Thanks for the excellent insight. As a fellow business consultant and sales professional I have pondered this question regularly.

I have personally settled on a little more extensive effort that does a much better job of fostering trust and credibility with my potential buyers even though I may have only met them over a handshake and a cocktail.

After each event I send a template email, that is personalized with their name and the name of the event we met at. I point out that it is rare for me to share all the elements of sales I am involved in at any given event and that I like to send an email follow up to personally invite them to participate in any of the sales activities I participate in that may support them. I clearly recognize in the email that they may not be interested in anything and they are certainly under no obligation but they are more than welcome if they choose.

I then share my Linkedin profile, my twitter address, my blog, and an invitation to several online and live sales associations I lead or participate in.

It is a completely opt-in environment that only draws people who have demonstrated an interest in knowing more. Frankly, it helps qualify future prospects more effectively. ( I aint gonna sell nothing they aren’t interested in…)

While it is more work, it establishes a trust relationship, invites them into my world and lets them opt out with no further action required on their part. In fact, the email has a scrubber in it that allows them to never receive an eamil from me again in the future. That option has not been used yet, I suspect because, as you said, the indications are I will not attempt to take advantage of them.

Hope this is something your readers can use. I am not following you on twitter and if you get feedback, I would love to hear about it.

@GoodmanSales