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Just Hit The Unsubscribe Button!

By
Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker Residential

I don't know about your experience, but for the last 5 years or so, I have spent about 30 minutes going through the unsolicited and unwanted emails that have shown up every day in my email box.  Of the typical 150 or so emails, at least 50-75 could just be deleted based on the source and the subject line.

About 60 days ago, I finally just said "enough already!!!" and against Conventional Wisdom, I began officially hitting the Unsubscribe button on those emails.  Conventional Wisdom is that all that happens if you "unsubscribe" is that it alerts the source of these spam emails that they have found a live target.  Once they know that you are alive and responsive, they will just hit you with more more more of their emails. 

There has actually been a little bit of that.  HOWEVER, the overwhelming majority of the emails have just gone away.  As things stand now, I am only getting about 30 emails a day.  Almost all of them are coming from real people who have something I need to know about.  About a third are coming from professional sources that I really can't cancel, such as the home-office of my broker-franchise or my local Board.

Some of the things I have canceled are my favorite retail sources.  Canceling those subscriptions took me being brave, really brave.  I had to gently walk myself through the reality that those emails are total time vampires...and it is common for me to click on the emails to open the websites and then I loose 5 or 10 minutes just day dreaming and not ordering.  I clicked on the unsubscribe button for those emails, too.  I know who those retailers are.  I know how to find their websites when and if I actually need something they sell.

Bottom line here?  Let me tell you how much faster it is now for me to respond to my email.....

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Tom Jansson
Acuity Home Inspections - Chicago, IL
Chicago Area Home Inspector - InterNACHI Certified

Hi, Judith-  I was thinking exactly the same thing this morning, as I have 75+ emails in my in-box that have accumulated in just a few short days.   While their causes may be noble, these notes are little more than the modern-day equivalent of junk mail.  I need to start unsubscribing!

Hope you're having a great day in Dallas,

 

Tom Jansson

Oct 17, 2013 06:28 AM
Judith Abbott
Coldwell Banker Residential - Dallas, TX

Tom, go on and hit the "unsubscribe" button...you will be glad you did!  I unsubscribed from something else yesterday, a newsletter that I enjoy but don't read that often.  The test to apply is do you delete emails from that source more often than you open the body of the email.  If yes, unsusbscribe!

Oct 17, 2013 10:29 PM