For email marketing, patience can be a blessing and a virtue

I asked my wife to marry after we had dated for six months.

In hindsight, it seems rash. But 23 years later, we’re still happily married.

In some cases, fast and furious romances can be successful.

There’s passion, sparks, connections, and an appetite to jump into a relationship.

Now, I think what you’re thinking: is this advice or a business post?

Well, let’s get back to how my marriage relates to marketing.

The gated versus ungated argument is still raging.

Ungated is good. Gated is bad, or something like that.

Personally, both approaches work. There’s no wrong approach.

But there’s a massive problem with gated content.

It’s not that you’re forcing someone to cough up an email address.

It’s that people are penalized for doing it.

In short order (sometimes minutes!!), the person receives an email or phone call from a BDR or salesperson asking for a conversation.

Seriously?

The person wanted to read out the content. They’re not a prospect, so back down and back off.

Going back to the marriage analogy, it’s like asking someone to marry you after the first date.

And, in this case, the first date is quick coffee, not a romantic dinner.

If providing an email to get content means being harassed by salespeople, there’s no way that’s going to happen.

Companies need to treat email addresses like marketing and sales “gold”.

Be strategic. Be smart.

An email is not a sales invitation but an opportunity to build a relationship by delivering value and insight.

As trust is established, the time will come when you can ask for more.

It’s a lot like courting (yes, an old term) rather than looking for an instant hookup.

Patience is always a virtue.

This includes the marketing and sales process even in a world of instant gratification