Most marketers know they shouldn’t divulge information about their customers or subscribers.  Many of them even have privacy policies in place assuring customers they won’t do so.  And most marketers really wouldn’t dream of sharing any customer information.

Yet something about having well-known subscribers or buyers throws all common sense out the window for some marketers.  While a marketer may never dream of telling anyone that “Joe Schmoe” is on his list, as soon as someone well-known joins, he blabs it all over the forums.

Around the forums you’ll start seeing posts like, “Mr. Well-Known is on my list!” or “Mr. Guru just bought my new ebook!”

Do this and you could not only end up upsetting the person who’s name your dropping, but you could also make your prospects uneasy about your business practices.  They’ll assume that your privacy policies and any notions about customer confidentiality are just for show and aren’t taken seriously.  And as a result they won’t want to do business with you.

Another way to make your customers and prospects uneasy is to use their words without their permissions.  In other words, you turn their private testimonials into public endorsements.

You see, just because someone raves about your product or service does not mean you are automatically granted permission to use those words in public.  Customer confidentiality standards still apply.  You shouldn’t use any private communications – even if it’s an endorsement of your products – unless you’ve been given explicit permission to do so.

Case in point: I know a copywriter who has dozens of extremely satisfied clients who won’t give her a testimonial.  Why?  Because she’s become their “secret sales weapon.”  If they should endorse her publicly, people would know about their secret …and they’d rather keep her away from their competitors!

That’s just one example, but there really are dozens of reasons why your clients and customers might not want anyone to know they’re doing business with you.  Respect their privacy.  And be sure that you extend this courtesy to ALL of your customers, clients, and even newsletter subscribers.