How Not to Win Friends and Influence People
I receive a number of please-link-to-me requests each week. Some are for products, some are for random sites. I received one a couple of weeks ago and decided not to respond because I wasn’t going to accept the link request. I received another request, this time with a please respond with an “aye or nay”. I replied “no.” I thought I was being helpful.
Apparently not.
I received another email from the requestor telling me “We had sent you a business proposition. Your response to it is curt, rude, unprofessional and uncalled for. This “discussion” is over. Thank you for nothing.”
You betcha. Except now I remember the product’s name and I will remember to tell people, if they ask me, whether they should do business with these people. Nope.
I certainly see how a negative one-word reply could be seen as curt. Except, they asked me for it! Oh well.
Do be careful about what you ask for. You might just get it.
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9 Comments so far
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*snickers* people are so wonderfully illogical, aren’t they?
By abby, the hacker chick blog on 11.25.09 12:46 pm
Hey, you did not follow directions. They clearly asked for “nay” but your responded with a “no.”
Here is Michael Arrington’s episode.
By gvb on 11.25.09 1:23 pm
“Now I remember the product’s name and I will remember to tell people, if they ask me, whether they should do business with these people. Nope.”
If they were that rude, why don’t you put their name in the post, so that other people know to avoid them?
By Joe Grossberg on 11.25.09 2:51 pm
OK, Johanna, I’ll bite – which product was it? I’m all for boycotting the unprofessional.
By Mike Haden on 11.25.09 10:41 pm
It is amazing how many times people ask if you will do something. They become quite upset when you say “no.” This is especially true in volunteer organizations.
By Dwayne Phillips on 11.26.09 10:16 am
Their response is hilarious. I’m with Joe, I’d like to know who that was.
I don’t give link requests a second thought. If another site has anything to (truly) add to the conversation, they leave a comment. If their site is compelling enough, I’ll write an entry about them.
By Kathleen on 11.27.09 1:53 pm
Seems like you are a real expert. Did you study about the topic? *lol*
By Floumbele on 11.30.09 10:36 am
I just saw this and thought of you (see item #1) :) http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/10-proposals-for-fixing-the-e-mail-glut/
By abby, the hacker chick blog on 12.04.09 11:28 pm
Managing Product Development » How Not to Win Friends and Influence People…
Managing Product Development » How Not to Win Friends and Influence People…
By yentit.com on 12.17.09 12:52 pm
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