To spam or not to spam

On Friday night, I was at dinner with my husband and I got this email.

"Please remove me from your spam mail. I have no interest in any of your bull#$@^"

If you follow me at all, you know I get annoyed with the people that send connection requests on LinkedIn and then immediately pitch me with their services. Or the messages trying to sell me things that have nothing to do with my business which shows that they have made no effort to see if I am actually a prospect or if I have any use for their product or services. 

For these companies, it is a numbers game. They are typically bots that send automated messages on the LinkedIn account. They use some programmed algorithm that clearly doesn't work. Here is a short list of recent pitches I have received.

• You can enter the 2023 Ice Fishing once per day between Monday, January 9, 2023 at 12:00 AM and Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 11:00 PM Central Standard Time.
• What are we waiting for? Here at blah blah blah Logistics we offer many options to ship your goods.  
• Just circling back to see if you require any customized packaging at the moment. We can produce a fully customized box in almost the same price as the generic ones.
• Got big ideas for Total Displays, but lack the staff to implement them?
• You are invited to HackerX, an invite-only recruiting event for developers
• Are you looking to rent a car in Dubai? Look no further!  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

• I’ve been offering a FREE consultation call to a select number of people but…  My schedule is filling up and I can’t offer this incredible opportunity for free all the time!

• There are many tax planning strategies that can save you money
• We help companies like Total Displays increase productivity consistently with our note-taking software. You can put an end to repeating key details from every meeting!
• Pls see attached cataloge 221218 ceramic pot We are manufacturer and exporter
• Would you be interested in acquiring high quality email list of Social Media Executives?

That is just a small sampling from the last two days. Are they annoying? Yes. Primarily because I have ZERO use for most of them. A couple, like tax planning, productivity, staffing and those sorts of offers I might have interest in them, but unless they are top of mind, I wouldn't likely respond to a blind/bulk email or message like that.  So, the chances are pretty slim that they would get a response from me. I understand it is a numbers game. The theory is if you automate this and get 1 out of however many, 10, 100, 1000 it is a good thing.

I disagree.  If I email someone, I make sure they are a company that exhibits at trade shows.  I already know that they could use my products or services. Typically, if I email them, I will call them first.  Sometimes, I email first and then follow up the next day with a phone call.

So, back to the bull poop... what would you have done?   Normally, I wouldn't engage. This time, I did. I was so taken aback at a Friday night email like that, I replied. I thanked him for his message and told him, not to worry, I would never do business with someone so rude. I told him I happily removed him from all my databases. I quickly put a HUGE note in his CRM record that said, DO NOT EVER CONTACT THIS COMPANY.

Ironically, he replied and apologized for being rude but proceeded to tell me he still wasn't interested in my products or services.  Yup, I replied, no worries, I wouldn't do business with you even if you did.

Remember that most people are just trying to do their jobs. I don't like the bot emails, but there is no point in being rude. Simply delete and or mark the email as junk and move on. Life is too short.

2023 & Beyond!

I am NOT a fan of New Year's resolutions.  My personal opinion is that they set you up for failure. Very few people actually accomplish or live out their resolutions. So, I thought I would share my small bit of wisdom.

This is always a time of retrospect for me as the year comes to a close. We have MUCH for which to be thankful. There is no doubt about that. 2022 was one for the books for sure.

I have learned a lot this year. After 18 months of wondering if we would survive the shutdowns, the answer is a clear and resounding YES.

What I learned or reinforced in 2022.  These are not in order of importance.

1. RELATIONSHIPS MATTER

Relationships are more important than money. Now, as David likes to say, our door does not say 'not for profit' above it. But what we found, especially this year, is that doing what is right, making things right, working with a client's budget. Those are all important things and that the long-term relationship with the client is more important than the short-term financial gain.

2. SHOW UP

No matter what you are doing?  Show up. Give 100%. People need people and our business depends on live events. What I will tell you? Our clients that fully participated in trade shows were glad they did. Very rarely did we hear from a client that they wished they had not gone. We need to be done hiding at home, not seeing people. Get out, show up and even do something out of your comfort zone.  Show up for your clients, your prospects, your neighbors, your friends, your family.

3. SELF CARE IS IMPORTANT

We had a lot of down time. I went back to exercising and eating healthy. Taking time for yourself, to read, practice a craft, take a class, go for walks. Make time for yourself.

4. LEARN A NEW SKILL

Even if it is not related to your business, learn something new. Get an accreditation. Find something you love and explore it.

5. BE GRATEFUL.

This is SO important. Many studies have shown that people with a grateful attitude and/or heart are healthier. Start a gratitude journal. Write down even 3 things every morning for which you are grateful.

6. LAUGH

Sometimes the only way you can survive the craziness of this world is to laugh.  Laughter boosts serotonin. Read more about the benefits of serotonin here:  Read about serotonin.  Laughter also reduces stress.  Who doesn't need some natural stress relief?

7. GOALS

Write down, small attainable goals. Set yourself up for success! Stretch yourself a bit, but know that they are attainable.