Do you ever feel pity for the people who are trying to earn your business? I do.
Not long ago a message arrived that begin “We are trying to reach people who need website design services.” It went on to apologize if the message has reached me in error – and to beg me not to label it as spam.
Oh boy – what else could they do wrong?
Beginning their letter with “We” and explaining what they wanted was the first mistake. Do I have any reason to care that they are trying to reach me – or that they need my business? Not even one.
And then, of course, it WAS spam. I have no idea who those people are and surely didn’t ask for their message. Some will no doubt label it spam, simply because the message made them think to do it.
Messages similar to this one arrive every day – telling me that my website really needs their help. Some of them promise to get me more real estate listing leads – showing me that they didn’t read my website at all.
I feel sorry for them because they ARE trying to promote their business, but don’t have the first clue how to reach out to prospects. Their approach is sure to cause hundreds or thousands of people (whose addresses they have no doubt purchased from some crook) to hit the delete button without giving them a second thought.
I suppose I shouldn’t feel sorry for them, but I know they’ve been given bad advice by people they believe to be marketing gurus. They’ve probably spent a considerable amount of money for the advice – and then spent more buying the names and getting a mailing service set up.
At the same time – Wouldn’t you think that with all the instruction and good marketing information available here on the Internet, that these people would learn?