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Random Thoughts and puzzlements…

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Marte Cliff Copywriting

Today we went to Coeur d’Alene to do a little Christmas shopping before the roads get slick and we just want to stay home.

Riding along looking at all the new stores and thinking about how that city has grown over question marksthe past several years, I noticed two signs that made me wonder.

One was Grabba Green. I wondered what the heck that was. Did it have to do with green building? Green décor? Or ?? After we got home I looked on line and learned that it’s a “Healthy fast food” establishment that is apparently a well-known franchise in Arizona.

The next one was “Gross Donuts.” What? Why would anyone name any kind of food “Gross?”

The third thing is a question I ask with regularity, and it's one of my pet peeves. When someone has thanks to give or an invitation to issue, why don’t they just do it?

Why do they so often say “We would like to invite you” or “I would like to thank?” Why don't they just say "Thank you for..." And if it's an invitation, why don't they just say "You're invited to..."

That's always my first reaction. I think "Then why don't you just do it? Do I need to give permission? Are the thanks coming later after I say it's OK?"

I just got an email today from some Healthcare place I've never heard of saying "...Healthcare Foundation would like to take a moment to express how thankful we are to have donors like you."

I know that thanking your regular list for donations even if they haven't donated is a well-established way to guilt people in to sending some money. (I did study fundraising.) But as I said - I have no idea who these people are!

Meanwhile, if they'd "like to take a moment."  What!? They just took a moment. Just say thank you if that's what you'd like to do.

 

Comments (12)

Lynnea Miller
Bend Premier Real Estate - Bend, OR
Premier Real Estate Service in Central Oregon

Hi Marte. You have made me think about how I write and that I need to just "invite" or "thank" people. Good post.

Nov 21, 2018 04:34 PM
William Feela
WHISPERING PINES REALTY - North Branch, MN
Realtor, Whispering Pines Realty 651-674-5999 No.

Great points.  Now days so much of out conversations are theatrical in a sense.

Nov 21, 2018 04:54 PM
Francine Viola
Coldwell Banker Evergreen Olympic Realty, Olympia WA - Olympia, WA
REALTOR®, In Tune with your Real Estate Needs

I agree with William Feela - there are a lot of theatrics and pontificating. And I’ve never heard of Gross Donuts.  I’ll pass on that one!

Nov 21, 2018 05:19 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Lynnea Miller - It's one of my pet peeves, but I see and hear people doing it all the time.

William Feela I hadn't thought of that. Now I'll pay more attention.

Francine Viola Maybe Gross is a family name or something - I did know someone by that name (and he WAS gross in that he was a crook) - but I still wouldn't label food that way.

Nov 21, 2018 10:03 PM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

The back handed thank you or invitation is something I have become so aware of since reading your posts.   Thank you for that.

Nov 22, 2018 09:05 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Chris Ann Cleland - The rest of the world may not object - it's just one of my pet peeves, right up there with "Please call I" and "Please call myself."

Nov 23, 2018 11:40 AM
Debbie Reynolds, C21 Platinum Properties
Platinum Properties- (931)771-9070 - Clarksville, TN
The Dedicated Clarksville TN Realtor-(931)320-6730

I agree with you on that, Marte, Just say it like you mean it.

Nov 23, 2018 05:15 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Debbie Reynolds - I would often like to be a smart-mouth and say "Well then, why don't you?" to someone who says "I would like to..."

Well - I DO say that to them, but since it's usually the written word, they can't hear me.

Nov 23, 2018 08:44 PM
Sally K. & David L. Hanson
EXP Realty 414-525-0563 - Brookfield, WI
WI Real Estate Agents - Luxury - Divorce

Ohthose tricky pronouns...hmmm?

Nov 26, 2018 08:43 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Sally K. & David L. Hanson Our language is tricky in so many ways - I find it fascinating.

Nov 26, 2018 10:47 PM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Marte Cliff - I got such a chuckle when I read your blog post. It was so good! I was reminded of columns I read in the newspapers in the small town in Northern, IL I lived in before coming to Texas. They were so fun to read.

Grabba Green? What? Never heard of it! What are they talking about? Two words; one isn't in the dictionary. So does that mean, if someone stops in Grabba Green and walks out the store after picking up something green without paying, would their lawyer argue in their defense because sign says, "Grabba Green?" 

Gross Donuts? This doesn't sound appetizing to me and I think I was pass. 

The rest of the content of your post was really interesting too and very enjoyable! Thanks for putting out good content.

Nov 28, 2018 08:55 PM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

I would like to thank you for this post...  I kid, I kid.  I got a thank you note a while back for gifts and I thought it was written in a really odd way like that... but in the end I was happy I got one because someone else in that family didn't bother to send one at all for her baby gifts.

So did you solve the mystery of Gross Donuts? or are we left to wonder why anyone would go in there?

Nov 30, 2018 01:16 PM