4 Seconds From Disaster

A catastrophe almost happened on the main road in my hometown Saturday evening.

Two drivers blatantly ignored the warning lights and gates designed to protect their lives.

The first guy in a white pickup pulling a utility trailer weaved around the crossing arms like he was a stunt driver in Fast & Furious.

On the opposite side of the tracks, the driver of a gray minivan saw this and thought, "If Billy Bob can do it..."

So he turned his wheel to the left and swung around the crossing arm blocking his path.

But he had the coordination of a drunk penguin. He couldn't maneuver around both obstacles.

He barely cleared the tracks with just 4 seconds to spare before the train barreled through just a couple feet from his bumper.

Both drivers got lucky.

This time.

I'm watching email marketers pull the EXACT same stunt every day. They flat-out ignore Google, Microsoft, Apple and Yahoo's clear rules about how, to whom, and when to send emails.

When their Email Health Scores are sitting in the danger zone - 400s, 500s, 600s - it's like those flashing red lights warning that disaster's coming.

Yet they continue doing what they've always done the way they've always done it.

But that train is coming.

Maybe their emails won't land in spam today. Maybe their emails won't get completely rejected tomorrow.

But next week? Next month?

When it happens - and it WILL happen - you'll wake up to inbox silence.

No sales notifications. No webinar registrations.

Just the sickening realization that months of list building just got flushed down the digital drain.

Is it really worth the risk?

I've seen too many good businesses get crushed because they thought the rules didn't apply to them.

Don't be the minivan guy. Please. I'm begging you.

P.S. Want to know if you're about to get hit by the email deliverability train? Request your Hit The Inbox™ Audit and I'll show you exactly where you stand - and how to get out of the way.