Effective email marketing isn’t just about using list management software to do the work for you. Sure, it’s crucial. But a highly functioning online contact management program should never be the only thing of value in your extensive bag of tricks—not when there are other businesses out there running their campaigns a lot more effectively than you are. So what can give you an added edge? Learn how to sell yourself.

Some people have a tendency to read words like those I’ve just uttered above and immediately close down. But that’s because far too many people either don’t know how to sell themselves, or look on it as a negative. If you’re in either camp—or if you stand firmly with a foot in each—consider this: if you don’t sell yourself, who will?

The fact is, there’s a big difference between selling yourself and being a slick “salesman” type with huge phony capped teeth and an immovable hairdo. Selling yourself can be as simple as reminding your customers of the advantage of being a regular subscriber, and letting them make up their own minds. Here are few advantages of list subscription to stress to your customer base:

• Convenience: Having updated information come to them, rather than having to go in search of it every time.
• Timely updates: Finding out about a promotional event a day after it’s ended is a bummer, but knowing about it in advance is anything but.
• Money saving opportunities: Offering frequent discounts to list subscribers is almost a sure-fire way of growing your list exponentially and maintaining frequent activity.

Remember, selling yourself is what you do. And there’s no contact management software in the world that will sell the benefits of being a subscriber to your customer base. That part’s entirely on you.