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Talking about "thinking outside the box" is one thing; actually getting out of the box is quite another.   To break through the walls of our boxes--a.k.a., "the rules"--it helps know what each wall of the box is made of.   For example, consider this illustration from the authors Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans in their book "Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay," about the constraints managers deal with in trying to retain key employees:

• "Concrete: This wall represents rules that are truly rigid.  It cannot be broken, pushed, bent, or shattered.  Example: You must have a medical degree to practice in this hospital."
• "Glass: This wall is strong and sturdy, but if you hit it just the right way, with the right instrument at the right time, it will break.  Example: Women will never be Supreme Court justices."
• "Rubber: This wall is thick and strong, but it has some give to it if you are willing to push hard.  It represents rules that might be bendable. Example: We all put in a forty-hour week, from eight to five, five days a week."
• "Vapor: This wall is made up of our beliefs, assumptions and perceptions about the rules. Example: People will never fly."

The email marketing industry definitely has its concrete walls, CAN-SPAM regulations being the most notable among them.  But how many of the other rules you're operating under are made of lesser material?  Which of the walls constraining you are not even walls at all?  Here are some examples of walls I've seen Delivra clients overcome:

• Glass: We don't have the time to create professional email campaigns.  It does take time to develop an email marketing program if you want to do it right, and marketers today are being asked to do more with less.  But that's why Delivra offers a full-service option including design and deployment services.
• Rubber: We can't send email to people who haven't given us permission to contact them. That's true, you can't.  But your recipients are free to send your message to others.  Give them "Refer-a-friend," or "Forward this email," or "Share with your social network" links, and create compelling content that makes them want to share.  We're currently working with national brands that are growing their lists using viral campaigns that begin with email to existing subscribers.
• Vapor: We can't afford to integrate our email program with <insert name of system here>. Hmm...have you really defined your requirements in detail and sought estimates?  Check your assumptions.  Delivra's custom programming rates are cheaper than most competitors', and you may find much of your integration need satisfied by built-in features of our product, like our API.

Don't mistake concrete walls for walls of glass or rubber, and don't be fooled by walls of vapor that are only assumed to be real walls at all.  It's good advice for business in general, and email marketing in particular.

Chris Broshears | Product Development