Here at A3 Media, we do our best to read and reply to every email that comes our way. Since we’re an advertising agency we see quite a bit of account executive turnover from our vendors, year over year. So, we really need to be on the watch for new introductions.
There are also tons of informational emails we need to review for client issues. And finally, we need to stay current on industry news and tech that can benefit us and our clients. So, we spend a considerable amount of time reading and responding to many of these emails. You might think that’s crazy and ask, “who has that kind of time?” Well, we try really hard!
Typically, our first email response might be returned with questions about their product or services, or if there is no interest: “a thank you, but no thank you” or “not at this time”. We might suggest that we will keep their contact on file, and if anything changes and we find a need for their services at a later date, we will reach out then. We think that’s respectful behavior and what we would hope for if the roles were reversed.
It’s the next email or ten that follow that tends to be the problem. After politely saying “thank you but no thanks,” I most often receive another email shortly thereafter that clearly tells me that they are not reading the correspondence, or they have chosen to disregard my response as if my answer doesn’t matter!
This tells me that they have less respect for us, than we have for them, and we find it downright annoying! When we do have questions, instead of answering them or admitting they don’t have one, they’ll answer quickly but not address the issues we raise.
This clearly shows they read the email but chose to ignore the content. So, once again, I will politely respond with another, “thank you but no thank you” and add that I already responded to their first email, supply them with the date, and go about my day.
Inevitably, another email comes in saying they haven’t heard from me, and they would like to schedule a call. This is when I lose my patience. We respond one last time, more aggressively, and hope for the best.
A few days pass, then I’ll receive a call from the same person that I had been emailing with. They talk to me like we have never had any correspondence and proceed to talk over me. Right then and there, it’s a done deal and no brainer. They’re removed from any future considerations, period!
This might be the normal sales process these days, but if they are the ones sending out mass emails and can’t remember or manage their CRMs and follow the email chain, then why would we consider working with them in any capacity?
We’ll continue to do our best, be professional and respectful and read everything that comes through, with the hope that those who send them out also try to do the right thing and keep up with their systems. Responding to an email is good business. Wouldn’t you want someone to reply to your email in the hopes that you might have an opportunity later to do business with them?
But professionalism should always be a key part of the process!