When I first read the subject line, “A quick warning email Peter”
My first reaction was not; oh cool that makes me curious in a straight up positive way. It was more like, who’s trying to warn me? In a sort of negative way. I hate to admit it because it does sound pathetic but there was that immediate thought.

Now don’t get me wrong, I did read the email and I could see it for what it was and I certainly didn’t feel the need to send an abusive reply. But from your feedback even though you achieved some sales you also lost some subscribers. I will avoid using the word Warning in my subject lines [when I get to that stage].

I am sure there are plenty of other positive words that will deliver a good result and keep subscribers in a positive mood. However I do realize, “You can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time.”

I am glad you sent the apology email and posted your feedback and I appreciate the lesson you have taught us.

Peter Ford

In this business of internet marketing, you have to use words that will catch someones attention, if those that complained can’t handle a word, I really don’t think they should be in this business to begin with. This of course is just MY opinion.

Ron Killian

Whats all the fuss, all you were doing was informing us that an offer was running out, as many people have said, a common tactic. What you have shown, however, is that you DO listen to your subscibers and you do admit you have made a mistake, even if in many peoples eyes, including my own, you hadn’t. The people that were offended are either new to internet marketing and tactics used or they don’t belong to many lists. What have we leant by all this? To continue to be subscribed to you and listen to your advice.

Keep up the good work 😉

Paula Brett
http://www.OperationEbook.com

I’ve owned my own retail stores since 2001 and customer satisfaction has always been “key” in the success. However, I have learned that quite frankly you can’t please everybody. (Although you want to). There’s just people out there that are having a bad moment, hour, day, year or are just plain “grumpy” by nature and need to take it out on someone.

I have to say, I used your ebook techniques incorporated with my own to open another eBay ID three months ago on the 10th focusing on physical merchandise. I’ve already earned close to 500 feedbacks at 100% and met powerseller status (except for the time frame, I have to wait until the 10th of December). It’s been huge. I’ve never had an ID go Powerseller that fast, it’s quite incredible.

My point, anything you send, I will read.

By the way, I never received those emails either.

Thanks…Matt

If your looking for the “real” wholesale suppliers of merchandise that retail business store owners get their inventory from then check out wholesalemillionaire.com!

In my 8 years of online marketing I’ve learned one very important truth… you can please all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.

This is pretty funny…not the “warning”…not the “apology”…but the 43 comments you’ve gotten on the blog about it…and I’ll be 44 if someone doesn’t beat me to it

I went through something similar, except probably worse, last summer when I sent an e-mail with the subject “Open this e-mail or get out!” – Whew! Did I make some people mad!

But I heard from them…that was the good thing! And it only cost me 10 or 15 unsubscribes.

Whether it’s an accident (like yours appears to be) or a calculated risk (like mine was), readers have to be shaken up occasionally or they get complacent…just as we marketers do too.

Thanks, I enjoyed this…

David Perdew

I wasn’t offended in the least bit and think you would have to be pretty thin-skinned to be concerned over the word “warning”. Heaven help anybody who calls their new product “eBay Early Warning System” or “Affiliate Warning Tracker and etc.

I personally tend to glance over the subject line – what I do look at is who the email is from. If it is from one of my respected sources, then the subject line doesn’t really worry me in the slightest.

However, in this day and age when everone has to be seen to be “politically correct”. then I guess you have to be more careful with your “p’s and q’s” so as not to offend some sensitive minority!