Some of you know I own a blog about financial stuff. Some of you also know I used to accept guest posts on that blog, but ended it last December after being bothered by the types of requests I was getting, the lousy editing and, well, just the time it was taking away from doing other stuff.
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Even though I still get those requests, I can easily deflect them. However, if the offers are good, I still entertain letters about advertising, although so far I haven’t found any of them to be up my alley. I’m just not going to allow links or banner ads to any businesses or companies that aren’t aligned with finance on that site; that’s the smart way to do business right?
One type of email I get, that most people get, is the form letter. You know it, where you see the same language all the time, the lies about how they’re impressed with your site, yada yada.
One rule I’ve always had, even with the guest posts, is if my name isn’t in the email I ignore it and move on. When I was accepting guest posts, if I got a second email I’d write back quickly informing them that they hadn’t read the guest posting policy; yup, I had one of those, fairly extensive. Nowadays I’ll ignore that second email and move on with life.
Well, the other day I got a third email from someone. However, in both the second email and the third, instead of writing something new, and still not having my name anywhere in it, the emails said “contacting you again; see message below.”
Since I got a third email from the guy, I decided to write him back. This is what I wrote:
Greetings,
I’m responding to this email because it seems ignoring it hasn’t taught anything.
Yes, I saw the other emails. Why have I ignored them? Because every single email is proof that you or nobody else who works with you has ever visited my website. If you had you’ve have seen that I have a name, I have an about page and I have an advertising policy.
Frankly, it’s always been my assumption that if people who say they want to work for me show that they’re too lazy to look at anything on the site that I don’t trust them to keep their word on anything they have to say, thus I’m not working with them. I’m only writing you because you’ve sent this more than once.
If you’re actually representing the company you state you are, you’re doing it poorly. Maybe you’ll treat your job and give the people you hope to work with a bit more respect after this email. In any case, at this juncture I’m not interested. I wish you well as you pursue your career, hopefully with a bit more circumspection on how to contact potential customers and partners.
Was that too harsh? I didn’t think so, and I actually felt it was a good lesson that might help make this guy a little bit better at what he does and how he works.
Y’all know I’m an independent consultant in health care. Because I can’t call all the hospitals within a 7-state radius all that often I have a set of marketing letters to help introduce myself to the people I need to talk to.
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What I have done is researched every hospital I wanted to send something to and found the names of the people in the position, as well as the actual title they hold, and that goes on the letters I send out; almost never email. I do that because I know if a letter is a bit more personal there’s a better chance it’ll at least be opened, and hopefully read. I also try to mention something about the hospital that I’ve learned that might flatter them in some fashion, such as acknowledging a new service they have or an award they’ve recently won.
Sometimes you get a name wrong because, in health care, people move around pretty fast. But that’s not a big deal because you’ll get the correct name when you follow up by phone. And that’s interesting because at least someone will talk to you, maybe not your intended target, if you have a name.
It’s just lazy marketing if you don’t try to find out someone’s name, or if you haven’t even looked at the website or blog of a person or business to see if maybe the information you’re looking for is there already.
Add this to the process of networking, where you reach out to someone without even attempting to know something about them. At many networking events I go to people only talk about themselves, and are pushing their business card at you before they’ve even told you their name. Sometimes I don’t even reciprocate by giving my card out because I know this is someone who could care less about me. Who wants to spend money, or sometimes even make money, working with someone who doesn’t care about you in the least?
Am I in the wrong here? Am I not being forgiving enough to those who obviously don’t know any better? Or do you see where I’m going, what I’m saying, and possibly agree? Let me know, and thanks for reading.
I did not read your post. Too lazy to do so. So I will just say this:
Pretty element of content. I simply stumbled upon your website and in accession capital to say that I get in fact loved account your blog posts.
Anyway I’ll be subscribing on your feeds and…
Oh stop it already. I admire you Mitch. I really enjoy reading your posts. The amount of effort you put into them is obvious and it is clear you are definitely not lazy.
Sure, streamlining is a good thing BUT really far too often we all get those form letters and such. So annoying.
Thanks again Mitch for putting this post together. I look forward to learning more from you. Oh, and ignoring things rarely solves or helps anything right?
I admire you Mitch. I really enjoy reading your posts. The amount of effort you put into them is obvious and it is clear you are definitely not lazy.
Ha! I see what you did there Mr. Copy and Paste. 😛
Mitch was talking about taking the extra effort to put some thought into things and to personalize our communications.
Yep. Point lost…or maybe I just do not get the joke?
Darn Troy, I missed that; oy! Well, I’ve at least removed his link but left the copy so your comment shows him for what he was; ugh!
Thanks Usman; I try. 🙂
Nice beginning Troy! lol Nope, ignoring stuff almost never makes it go away, including insults and the like. I don’t mind marketers all that much but I hate when they’re lazy and not even trying, as if the thing about numbers is all they care about. Heck, some months ago I wrote here that to get rich all we really have to do is get 100 true fans and the rest takes care of itself. Not that it’s easy to do but it’s an easier number to go for than thousands or more.
100? Wow! I would be happy if just 50 people came each and every day to 1KSmiles and then liked it so much, ’cause I know they will, and then they told their friends and so on and so on…
But yes, Mitch, I feel you on this. In fact I just deleted a marketer that fooled me into thinking she was a real person who really cared like you do but then I get the emails, “Hey! What happened? I am COMPLETELY surprised you did not accept my invite to the very special and exclusive presentation on Thursday blah blah blah…”
Yeah, that stuff is so phony it makes me… well, I was going to say sick, but actually I don’t get sick but irritated. These days I block so much & have so much going to spam that I don’t see it as often.
No Mitch,
You are not in the wrong. In fact you have thought most writers what is to be expected when it comes to working with other writers. You are too harsh but have obviously pointed out the reality of things.
Many would-be writers and marketers are lazy, and this is often reflected in them showing lack of knowledge in what their would-be partners offer. It would be better never to deal with any marketer that would not add value to a business or blog!
Sunday
Thanks for your comment Sunday. So I’m not wrong but was too harsh; that’s intriguing. lol It might have been a bit much but sometimes you have to spell it out so people will get the message. I’m adopting that basic message for the many times this happens to me.
I don’t think you’re being harsh at all Mitch. With any luck you’ve taught him something. If nothing else at least not to bother you again.
I get these all the time. I’m not easy flattered and I know these guys have probably never visited my site let alone read any of the posts. I’ve never taken the time to write them. I just continue to delete their emails.
Pete, when I did accept guest posts I had a 3 email policy where, if they wrote a third time, I’d respond to them and tell them specifically to read the guest posting policy. It’s not something I’ve had to deal with as much since I ended the practice but it seems to be starting up again. So, I figure if they’re bothering me, it’s time to shake their world up a little bit… not that I really expect them to read it.
Great article,
Thanks for sharing this post about Lazy Networker. I’m not really lazy. I learned how to work ‘Smarter, Not Harder’ with networking marketing skills.
Thanks for this post….
Vella, that you said “not really lazy” makes me think you believe you could be doing more. If that’s not really what you’re saying then I’d say adopt the language of the confident and righteous marketer; that works much better & makes you feel better also. 🙂
I am not lazy in finding about the name and other information of the people around or specially the one on the blogging world I am concerned with but yes i am too lazy in writing such detailed posts after so much of observation like the way you do putting in so much effort.
Well Prerna, being lazy in that regard only affects your potential income, if you’re hoping to make anything from your writing. Of course, it seems like you at least force yourself to get through it; that’s not so bad in the long run as it becomes a pattern.
Hi Mitch, You really write very well, This article of your i got while surfing net.. i found it very genuine. You have also written in the article that You used to have a blog that You ended in december.. I believe one should not stop blog on feedback of some people.
Greetings Archana,
Actually, I said I’d stopped writing a newsletter that I wrote for 10 years but I didn’t say it had anything to do with feedback. As a matter of fact, it was the opposite; I wasn’t getting almost any feedback at all and never reached more than 175 subscribers at one time. In essence, it didn’t give me what I needed and took a lot of work, along with all my blogs, so it had to be retired so I could redirect my time.
okay,I misunderstood the thing.. thanx for clarifying the things, All the best Mitch for your other blogs, I hope they get good response.I have become a fan of you after reading this article and will definitely follow your writing/blog.
Thanks Archana; I’ll be checking you out from time to time also, though I’m not an “I-anything” guy lol