Hey gang. Happy Friday night. We got to the end of another week, yay! Bring out the cheerleaders. And now it’s time for Sam’s Rant. Haven’t had one of these for a while. Tonight’s rant is brought to you by all the idiots out there adding people to their mailing lists. What the hell? Honestly, people have jumped on, need I say, the bandwagon of what’s going on and are adding people that may have bought something off you 10 years ago. They may have gone to an event you had 15 years ago. They may have… I don’t know, sold you girl guide tickets in 1985, but somehow you’ve kept their details and you’re adding them to an email list. It’s not cool. It’s not cool in any realm and it’s illegal apart from anything else. So let’s go with a legal and moral and just downright rude.
Why do I want to talk about this tonight? And what the hell has that got to do with confidence? Because these people are reaching. They’re seeing this opportunity and going, “Hey, I know what I can do. I can bring all those people back into the fold. And I will sell them something extra special with a great big pivoting COVID twist on it. And my business will just go gangbusters.” Well, it won’t. If people have unsubscribed from your list at some point, or people have not bought into whatever you’re doing` at some point, they don’t want it. They don’t. I almost would say it’s as bad as someone saying to you after a date, “Thanks for the date. But I just didn’t feel anything. So didn’t really get the right vibe. So how about we just call it quits? Don’t go any further. And I wish you so much luck on your quest for love.” Great response. Then that person that you’ve said that to starts calling you everyday, starts texting you every day. “Oh, but I could do this. Oh, but I could do that. Oh, but what if I wore something else? Oh, what if I took you somewhere else? Oh, Oh, oh.” The answer is still going to be no, thank you. And it’s creepy.
Honestly, adding people to your email list is like a creepy person not saying no after a first date. You can’t do it. And if you’re not confident enough to know that what your offering is of service and if someone wants it, they will get on your list. Just like if someone wants to go out with you, they will say yes to a second date. If someone does not want to be on your email list, don’t put them on there. Full stop. The worst business practice ever.
I got an email today from someone whose event… And I looked it up, whose event I went to in 2008. 2008 people, that’s 12 years ago. Never bought anything from them, I went to one event. And I got an email today. That is absolutely ridiculous. It really is like a creepy person after one date. So please don’t do it. I needed a rant, I haven’t had one for a while.
It’s like this COVID life has brought out the best and the worst in so many people. There’s magic happening everywhere with families walking and people baking things and taking care packages to older people that aren’t getting out. There’s kids learning how to ride bikes. There’s people offering services. Let’s not talk about the incredible people on the front line, amazing things. But on the flip side, it’s bringing out all the nutbag marketers. It’s not cool. If you provide a service in business, provide that service to the people that want your service. Don’t try and sell a quarter pounder to a vegetarian. Don’t do it.
Sorry, I did need a rant. God, wonder what it’ll be tomorrow? No, tomorrow will be back to normal scheduling. But please people just before you think about sending something out or picking up the phone or doing something because it’s reactive, because of what’s going on at the moment and not a genuine thing with someone who’s been a client or even a friend. Just don’t do it and ask yourself, are you doing it because you’re feeling a lack of confidence? You kind of want to scramble for everything that you can. Or do you genuinely feel you have something to offer to them? Because if you genuinely feel you have something to offer to people, do a Facebook ad and see if people will get on your email list again. Not that hard, even I can do that.
Happy Friday night guys. And I will see you all tomorrow for Anzac Day, bright and early. If you’re in Australia or New Zealand, please bright and early, sun coming up. We want you all at the front of your driveways, paying respect to our past, current, and future diggers of Australia and New Zealand. So please, please, please do that. It’s a very, very important day. I used to be up every single Anzac Day with my dad, helping him polish all his medals. And for the last few years Elodie’s been marching, well, watching her other grandfather march and wearing my father’s medals, which has been quite beautiful. So that’s obviously not going to happen tomorrow, because of everything going on. So please do pay your respects. Get out there in the morning and then make Anza cookies.
Bye. Or Greece. Yes. Are you doing that in Greece too, Bill? It’ll be a different time zone, but please do it. It’s so important that we pay respect to diggers all around the world. Stay safe, everybody. And I’ll see you all tomorrow. Bye.