I just received an email in my inbox regarding a (complimentary) magazine subscription that states:
You have been part of a select group of senior IT professionals who rely on [Magazine Name] to bring them 50 issues per year loaded with unique editorial and in-depth analysis for business technology buyers.
Okay, so how big is a "select group"? Let’s imagine it’s 100. So is there really a company that’s willing to produce 50 complimentary issues of a magazine that is "loaded" with stuff for only a select group of people? C’mon. I will continue to subscribe to this complimentary magazine, but not because I feel like I’m in a "select group" of people who are receiving it. If I were really in a select group, would I receive an impersonal email about my subscription? Don’t associate the wrong kind of value with the message being delivered. There is nothing "select" about being on an email blast.
If you truly value your customers, that’s great. Then make sure the delivery method and message match appropriately. A phone call makes me feel a little more select (unless it’s coming from a hired call center, of course). If you are going to throw out a mass email, don’t try to persuade the recipient that they really are special with your words.
What you are shouts so loudly in my ears that I cannot hear what you are saying. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
If you are an email, you’re not fooling anyone with your fancy wording!