Are you filtering more than spam?

Permission-based e-mail systems have become an increasingly popular weapon in the battle against unsolicited commercial e-mail. Software like SpamAssassin, Mail Wiper, Spam Arrest, ChoiceMail, and others maintain a list of approved senders and ask those not on the list who send you e-mail to perform a one-time task to prove their legitimacy (e.g., fill out an online form or send a follow-up message).

While these products certainly work at turning away spam before it reaches your in-box, they also place an extra step between you and the consumer, and that step carries with it the risk of losing leads and clients. No matter how clear and well-written the approval instructions are, some users will be confused or think it’s a virus or scam.

Before you rush to install a permission-based e-mail system, test it yourself to see what it’s like to be a non-approved sender. Send yourself an e-mail from an "unknown" e-mail address and go through the steps to get your test message accepted by the software. Once you’ve experienced the process from the other side, you can make an informed decision whether the reward of reducing spam outweighs the risk of losing leads and clients.

Illustration © Eyewire.

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