Why it’s unethical to email less than once/day…

Here’s why businesses lose customers:

(Broadly, but it certainly applies to the sports supplement industry as well.)

1% die.

There’s really not much we can do about this.

3% move away.

People do move from time to time, and even though this isn’t as impactful as it once was due to eCommerce…

…the longer distance may put someone off due to the higher shipping/delivery costs.

Still:

Not much we can do here.

9% leave because of competitive reasons.

Some will listen to a friend/relative – or an online testimonial – about switching to a competitor.

And while it is tempting to say “not much we can do here” either…

I’d beg to differ:

How come we lost that customer to a competitor? Best man won perhaps?

14% are dissatisfied with the product.

Some of this 14% can’t be prevented – some people you will just never be able to satisfy no matter what.

But I’ll argue that some could be prevented.

Why don’t we have the best protein powder and/or if we do…

…why didn’t we communicate it better to the customer?

But add all that up?

You’ve accounted for only 27% of the losses. 

Why do the majority of customers leave?

73% of customers quit because of what they perceive – and describe – as indifference from the company.

(Or someone in the company’s organization.) 

In other words.

They felt unappreciated, unimportant, taken for granted, neglected even. 

None of this theory – all of this was said by actual customers.

(Source here.)

Cambridge dictionary defines caring as the following:

===

The process of protecting someone or something and providing what that person or thing needs.

===

This naturally raises the question:

How can you protect/provide for someone if you’re not there?

By there, I mean:

You’re not frequently present.

Because that’s the reality of 99% of sport supplement brands – after spending 9 years on the consumer side in this industry…

(Being on genuinely hundreds of newsletters…)

Most supplement brands follow-up/email – on average – anywhere from 1-5x/month.

Last I checked:

There are about 30 days in the month.

So where are you for the other 25-29 days?

Well…

You’re certainly not protecting (from other, possibly shady, competitors) nor providing (with your supplements that they want).

So aside from the fact it’s wholly unprofitable to NOT email frequently – daily, ideally…

(For reasons why behind that, check out Blind Spot #2 inside my book.)

It seems, at least according to Cambridge…

It’s also unethical to email infrequently.

Make of this what you will.

If what you will do is start providing protection & care to your customers in the manner of ramping up your email game?