Would you fill out a form without knowing what you’re getting?
Back in the Michael Jordan days, I was a loyal Chicago Bulls fan. I had to watch his every move because I knew a player like that only comes around once in a generation.
Grace. Determination. Drive – these three raw elements set him far apart from his peers.
Today, however, I’ve exchanged my high tops for a hockey stick. The Chicago Blackhawks are in the playoffs and are (fingers crossed behind my back) poised to make a run at Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Between games, I frequently visit Versus.com. Versus, a ‘newer’ cable channel carries many of the NHL playoff games. Versus.com provides me with hockey news and notes as I anticipate the next ‘drop of the puck.’.
I am a Web site ‘evaluator’. My whole career has been spent in the world of the Web, so it must be in my DNA.
A recent trip to Versus.com had me noticing a ‘vertical tab’ labeled: ‘Join the movement’. 
‘Join the Movement’ had me thinking of Greenpeace, a politician’s campaign, or some new dance craze. Being an inquisitive guy, I clicked the tab and up came the following ‘window’:
Nothing shocking here – just your standard ‘first name, last name, e-mail address’ form fields. I scratched my head: What am I signing up for on this window? What am I getting?
There’s no sample. No ‘link’ available for more information. No comfort level that I am doing the right thing with my ‘personals’.
The lesson here is simple.
Today, we are barraged with information. Television, newspaper, the Internet, magazines all clamor for our attention. If I am going to share information with Versus (or any company for that matter), the following must be strikingly clear:
- What’s in it for me? My ‘attention’ is extremely valuable. If I give you my ‘trust’ in the form of name and e-mail address, you better do all you can to guarantee that this is the start of a fruitful relationship for both of us.
Versus: You’ve done a marvelous job at weaning me away from Michael Jordan and towards the competitive, fiery, feisty game of hockey.
Your Web site is very sharp, yet I’ll strongly refrain from ‘joining the movement’ until I know who is my dance partner.
Go Hawks.
Until next time.
Dan Naden
