Does Your Ezine Cut to the Meat, or the Chase?

I used to be a cut to the chase type of person. You know the sort who wants info products to get to the point, and not waste my time with personal notes and frilly graphics and random other people's opinions (usually called testimonials...LOL).

I get way too many ezines, and all that overly friendly relationship building stuff doesn't really get me feeling all warm and fuzzy about the sender.

This morning, after getting yet another formulaic ezine I realized that either I'm a terribly unusual consumer, a hard sell (both may be quite true), or I've already been sold and trying to sell me again is having a boomerang effect -- it's actually pushing me away.

The chase makes me run the opposite way. The excessive exhuberance comes off as a little desperate.

So for all my colleagues out there who are falling into the habit of formatting your ezines this way:

• personal note
• picture of family or some past event
• testimonial that promotes your latest program
• promotion about something you're selling
• finally!! the meaty tips that keep readers on the list
• another promotion
• another promotion for someone your list has never heard of
• another promotion for a joint venture partner
• no kidding, another promotion for another JV partner
• and yet a 2nd or 3rd promotion for what you're selling

may I suggest that you think about cutting to the meat of your message instead of leading with so much chase. Quality over quantity, ya know?