I mentioned last time how important it is to ask permission before starting a regular follow-up campaign with someone. And I saw a great example of that in practice via Linkedin a couple of days ago.

I'd just connected with someone and they messaged me to say they like to send out a weekly message through Linkedin to their contacts with new ideas and insights on their field of expertise. They asked if I'd mind if they sent one to me too. 

I said no as the topic wasn't one I was that interested in.

But the important thing is that they asked, and I respected them for that.

A lot of the training you'll see on winning clients with Linkedin suggests you connect with people and then start sending them messages to “add value”. The problem is that if the person you're sending it to doesn't see it as valuable to them and they haven't asked for it, they'll see it as spam.

Usually they won't tell you to stop – people are too polite for that. They'll just get silently annoyed with you.

That's what would have happened if this person hadn't asked permission. But he did, and so now he's in my mental “good guy” pile.

And, of course, had I been interested I'd have said yes to the messages. And because I'd specifically given permission I'd have read them more intently than if he'd just started sending them.

That's the secret power of permission. It also creates a commitment.

If you ask if I want something and I say yes, it becomes a bit beholden on me to make more use of it.

If you just sent it to me, then even if I thought it was good, when the going gets tough and I'm short of time and looking for things to ditch it'll be high on my list.

In the back of my mind I'll be able to say “well, I didn't ask for it in the first place”.

But if you asked permission and I said yes, a little part of me feels as if I have to keep my end of the bargain and keep it.

Weird, but that's how it works.

It's why it can be good, every now and then, to confirm with people who haven't been reading your emails whether they want to keep getting them.

Some will say no. Most will do nothing. But the ones who say “please keep sending them” tend to really make the effort to read them in future.

Inside their heads, giving permission also commits them to read them more.

So not only is it polite to ask for permission, it's effective too.