Facebook Sales Tactics….NOT!!

I have to laugh…..

Today I witnessed a great example of bad sales behaviour. In fact. It was even worse. Let’s say it was just bad human behaviour.

I should know better than to roll out of bed and check my email before I have even put my glasses on, let alone had a coffee. But hey! I am in Seattle, and it’s  6am here. So 9am on the East Coast and stuff is happening already at the office. My first emails this morning were a shock, and then a laugh.

The first email was a rude email from a man who signed up to our newsletter in August. Let’s be clear about the facts. He answered a Google Adword Ad. Went to a our site that clearly states you are signing up for a twice a month newsletter. He signed up and stayed in our database for 2 months while receiving the information he asked for.  Then he decided to send me a note that said:

“Stop bothering me bitch”

….Me bothering him? He signed up. He received the product we promised to send. But I am bothering him. Oh well. 

But it gets worse. Less than 15 minutes after he sends THAT email, he sends a second. This time a friend request on Facebook asking me to be part of his personal and professional community! I couldn’t help but respond. Normally I ignore this stuff but come on….how could I let this one go!

“Dear Octavio…what gives……”  + a passive aggressive lambasting

Suffice it to say I have not heard back from him.

Sales lesson?  Facebook is a great way to build a profile and a network for your business, if used correctly. My advice: if you want to build a Facebook following of friends, and an online professional network , start by being nice to people first. Calling them names and then asking to be their friend will not work at building a network nor will it work at building sales.

Rant over. Thanks for indulging me. Back to recession proof sales tactics tomorrow. I promise.

Cheers Colleen

2 responses to “Facebook Sales Tactics….NOT!!

  1. Well at least it made your day more interesting. Facebook is getting more impersonal, as people use it to network with people they don’t know. Similar to abusing Linked In and creating a network of 5000 connections with only knowing 20 of them, some people think Facebook can raise their social network by friending any professional. Oh, and yes, being nice is very important.=)

  2. Idea for a Facebook App: Jerks List. I mean you have a friends list, so why can’t you have a Jerks list?

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