Way back in 1999, Seth Godin, my favorite marketing thought leader, published a book entitled “Permission Marketing,” where he introduced the idea of permission marketing as a concept that enables marketers to shape their message so that consumers will willingly accept that message rather than interrupting them with it.

The book had such a positive impact on me that I still hold the concept of “permission” near and dear to my heart, and regularly help clients understand its importance to them as well.

Today I had a run-in with marketers who don’t believe in the idea of permission and are perfectly willing to sacrifice consumer trust for adding a couple cheap email addresses their mailing list. Let me tell you a first-person story that illustrates what NOT to do with your email marketing.

It’s late October and Halloween is almost here. My kids, 13 and 9, have never been to a haunted house, but this year they feel they are up to it. Being that they are rookies and easily freaked out, I have been looking for some of the more mild haunted house experiences we can have together.

I settled on a local campground/resort, Clay’s Park, who is having an outdoor haunted house called “Frightful Forest.” I jumped onto Clay’s website to get some ticket pricing, start times, etc.

When I clicked over to the Frightful Forest section of their website, I was presented with a link reading “Click here to win tickets.” OK, free tickets would be nice, so I clicked the link.

In order to enter the free ticket drawing, all I had to do was provide my name and email address (red flag) and vote for the most freakish Frightening Forest ghoul (they had pictures of their ghouls to vote on). As soon as I saw they wanted my email address my suspicions grew, but I took a chance and filled out the form.

Sure ’nuff, as soon as I hit submit, I get an email response thanking me for my “interest in Clay’s Park resort.” I didn’t show an interest in Clay’s Park resort. I showed an interest in winning free tickets to a haunted house.

Nowhere in the entry form was there an area where I could choose to subscribe to a Clay’s Park newsletter, or any disclosure that by entering the drawing I was agreeing to receive future email from Clay’s Park. Nope, just name, email address and my vote for the scariest Frightening Forest character. And nowhere in the automated thank you email I got next were the tickets or contest even mentioned.

The automated response did offer up the “double opt-in” option whereby clicking a link in the email signified my confirmation to join their list. Out of curiosity I clicked the confirmation link to see if by doing so I would see mention of the drawing for free tickets. Nope. Just a page stating I was now subscribed to their mailing list.

Now I know in the big picture I have not been hurt or damaged. But as marketers there is a thing called “trust,” and marketing and sales professionals bust their tails daily to earn the trust of consumers. Clay’s Park apparently doesn’t want to take the time to earn my trust. It’s too hard and can take too long. They want to take the shortcut and “assume the permission” to market to me because I entered a simple contest. It’s easier that way. Lazy marketers take this approach. Clay’s Park are either lazy marketers or terribly ignorant of good marketing practices.

Note to the Clay’s Park marketing team: I have a well-read copy of “Permission Marketing” by Seth Godin I will give you. Just email me at todd@newpointmarketing.com to set up a meeting. You will learn a great deal from the book. You can’t assume the permission. Tell me up front what you are going to do. That’s the right thing to do at both the human and professional levels. Give me a box to check, or a link in the first automated email response, asking me to indicate my willingness to receive future marketing from you. And if I don’t give you my permission, that’s OK. At least you kept your word to me and entered me in your ticket drawing, which is what you told me was happening. Otherwise all you did was trick me.

I wonder how worthwhile adding my email address to their list will be after I post this to twitter and facebook. Interesting how that works, isn’t it?