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Persistence is good - peskiness is not!

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Marte Cliff Copywriting

Are there businesses in your life whose emails, letters, and phone calls make you react with "Not that yelling businessmanagain?"

There are in mine. The two that come to mind first are Consumer Reports and Sirius.

We've discontinued subscriptions with both of them, but they won't give up! I get mail or email from Consumer Reports at least weekly. If I wanted to re-subscribe, I'd have done it!

Sirius is even more persistent - they also call on the phone. This is in spite of the fact that it took me many calls to finally end that subscription. It was my son's, but since he was off working in Southern California, it fell to me to either pay their bill or get the service discontinued. There was no sense in him having it, since the receiver was in his truck in Idaho and he was in California.

I finally got it stopped after many discussions and listening to someone tell me repeatedly that I didn't need to pay for the whole year - I could pay only $18+ per month instead.

Because there was something in the small print that said they could renew without authorization, I had to pay for one month, even though it hadn't been used.

Now they just keep writing and calling: "Come back, come back, come back!"

He might have considered signing up again when (if) he's ever working near home and using his truck, but after all this pestering, he won't.

Funny - there are many other companies who email weekly, or even more often, without becoming annoying. Theirs are sales messages, but it's not the same promotion every time, and they don't come across as trying to make people feel guilty for abandoning them. They just make an offer - take it or leave it as you please.

Then there are messages that arrive daily - Bob Bly's for instance. Some of them are promotions and some of them are simply good, useful information. I read every one.

I think there are three lessons to learn from these people:

  • Too much is too much.
  • Don't beg, and don't pressure people.
  • If you want your message to be welcomed, send something interesting or valuable - not just a sales message.

Being persistent is good. Being a pest is only being a pest - like a mosquito you want to slap.

 

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Comments(6)

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Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Real Estate Broker

Love that analogy to a mosquito, Marte... so true. Sirius is one of those companies that never stops. I've blocked them on my phone. Would love to block them in my mail.

Mar 18, 2018 01:55 PM
Marte Cliff

Nina Hollander - I let a lot of the junk calls go to the machine, but any more when I see it's Sirius I push on and then push off. I wonder if they ever get anyone back by being pests?

Mar 18, 2018 02:32 PM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good after noon Marte Cliff ,

OMG I had to chuckle at your analogy to a Mosquito!! I totally agree being persistent is a good thing but pesky no way!!

Mar 18, 2018 02:18 PM
Marte Cliff

They are like mosquitoes - because I'd love to give them a good swat, Dorie Dillard.

Mar 18, 2018 02:33 PM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

There are plenty of pesky businesses in my email daily.  Allstate is one of them.   I just renewed my mom's insurance policy with them, but they email me weekly with other products.  Makes me want to cancel her policy and take it somewhere where I won't have someone bugging me for more business every week.

Mar 19, 2018 10:48 AM
Marte Cliff

It wouldn't help, Chris Ann Cleland - they'd just start writing twice as often, saying "Come back, come back, come back!"

Mar 19, 2018 11:23 AM
Myrl Jeffcoat
Sacramento, CA
Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

"Being persistent is good. Being a pest is only being a pest - like a mosquito you want to slap." 

I love that sentence, Marte!

Mar 19, 2018 04:36 PM
Marte Cliff

Thanks Myrl Jeffcoat - I do think of some of these people the way I think of mosquitoes.

Mar 19, 2018 04:57 PM
Debbie Reynolds, C21 Platinum Properties
Platinum Properties- (931)771-9070 - Clarksville, TN
The Dedicated Clarksville TN Realtor-(931)320-6730

Sirius did that to us to. We cancelled and asked them to not call us anymore.

Mar 21, 2018 08:41 PM
Marte Cliff

Did that work for you, Debbie Reynolds? So far it hasn't worked for me. 

Mar 22, 2018 09:47 AM
Jack Tenold
Jack Tenold LLC - Spokane, WA
Specializing in Reverse Mortgages

Enjoyed your blog, Marte.  We can all relate to the importance of marketing and to the irritation it causes when a vendor just doesn't quit.  Have a great week. 

Mar 26, 2018 11:58 AM
Marte Cliff

Jack Tenold - I really love caller ID when it come to some of these folks. Sometimes I pick up the phone and hit talk, then off - just so I don't have to listen to my answering machine greeting.


Lately GoDaddy has joined the club with calling me way too often.

Mar 27, 2018 09:50 AM