11 reasons why I don’t use salutations in emails

In which the question was asked: === Why do you choose not to use a greeting at the top of your emails? You go right into it. I thought personalization helps connect with the audience. Did you once greet the subscriber by their name? Why did you stop? === I stopped doing salutations probably around 2008 or 2009. And here are a few reasons why: 1. They don’t matter to the audience I’ve built, and if they did matter to someone that person is in the wrong saloon anyway 2. Less info for someone to screw up on inputting in the opt in form — as it is, the number of people who reply with “I agree” to the confirmation email telling them to click the button to confirm (instead of clicking the button they're told they need to click to confirm) is astounding… and I legit wonder how some of those types dress and feed themselves 3. A lot of blue flame specials desperate for attention or who want to look like edge lords put in some dumb word for a first name on those forms for fun or to try to troll or whatever, and I figure why encourage ‘em? 4. The subject line is far more important than the salutation 5. The from line is far more important than the subject line 6. In my experience if you get those two right then salutations not only don’t help or matter one way or the other as far a sales go… but might even hurt depending on the market/list/people on that list 7. People I want to sell to or do business with already know it's not me really writing them one on one 8. If the people you want to sell to legit think your salutation means you are writing to them personally, then maybe you should use one — and if by some miracle they are good buyers all the power to you 9. I don’t believe a single word anyone who claims to have tested salutations in emails to the sale (lots of people claim "clicks" and "opens" - neither of which I care about) says for a whole laundry list of reasons I won’t bother going into here 10. All that said, I have never said people “shouldn’t” use them, I simply don’t 11. I say that for the little peabodies who will now run around saying I am telling everyone not to use salutations in emails when I am not saying that at all Lots of people put words in my mouth I have noticed. And, in some cases, even give me credit for saying things I have never said. So it goes on the internet. All that said: BerserkerMail does let you put a salutation in if you want. But I obviously never use the option because I don't need to. As for BerserkerMail: It’s primarily for email marketers who want to use email via a near-frictionless interface, with world class inbox deliverability, and a support team run by two Email Players subscribers who use BerserkerMail in their own companies — and are not just hired guns stacking support tickets and shooting out copy & paste replies. i.e., our support “gets” email. To get a free test drive (no credit card needed) go here: [https∶//www.EmailPlayers.com/berserker]( Ben Settle P.S. Another reason I don’t use salutations is because I have a strong suspicion that could be considered deceptive to certain overachieving attorney generals. Maybe not currently. But in the future, when congress inevitably gets around to revisiting Canspam — with all the cold email bois blatantly abusing the medium right now scraping emails, circumventing the opt-in process, playing games with buying and warming up multiple domains instead of just building an opt-in list, growing a relationship with that list, and selling it quality offers they want while giving them a world class experience in the process. The hoops these people jump through is astounding. So much easier & more long term profitable to grow an opt-in list and mail it engaging content. Something else: Email has always been trendy. One year it’s popular and “the thing.” Like now, where people think email "newsletters" are new and weren't being done in 90's (that was how I originally built and grew my own list - buying ads in email newsletters). Then, suddenly, everyone grifts back over to social media or whatever. Back and forth, back and forth. Just depends on which goo-roo is grifting to and fro at what time. One thing that makes BerserkerMail stand out is the company’s ownership and head of customer service are (1) Email Players subscribers (2) use email in their own businesses and (3) understand the game far more than a programmer or social activist manager who is probably more worried about you getting someone’s pronouns right than making sales ever will or can. That’s not even an exaggeration. If anything I am holding back. And that is why I prefer people go see for themselves (not take my word for it) who owns and runs and does the training at your current email broadcasting/auto-responder platform. Some are better than others, and do good work and are not enslaved to social activists worshipping at the altar of DEI. But some are total clown shows. Totally infected with the same corporate cancer taking Disney, Budweiser, etc down. Even if they "look" healthy now, probably you'd see a lot of rot going on underneath, which is why you see the backasswards advice nobody who sends emails for a living to pay for food and rent would do, price raises even after taking lots of funding, and DEI trainers whose faces are painted up almost like literal clowns and who I wouldn't let within 10 feet of Willis. Don’t take my word for it. Do your own research. And probably if you do, and probably if you are anywhere to the right of Mother Jones or the “squad” in your values and/or politics, you will not be able to “un-see” what you find, and realize your current email broadcasting/autoresponder platform could turn out to be quite hostile to you as the 2024 elections and inevitable censorship ramps up this year. All right I’ve said enough. Again, they aren't all bad. And some are better than others. And no email platform is perfect (BerserkerMail certainly isn't). But ignore doing the above research at your peril. Can’t say you weren’t warned.. This email was sent by Ben Settle as owner of Settle, LLC. Copyright © 2024 Settle, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this email may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from Settle, LLC. Click here to [unsubscribe]( Settle, LLC PO Box 1056 Gold Beach Oregon 97444 USA