The ‘Nitwit Tax’

July 29, 2013

As a business owner, I enjoy receiving information requests from potential clients – well, most requests. These unsolicited requests tell me that I must be doing something right. 🙂

Every once in awhile, I’ll receive an email from someone who does not feel the need to provide his or her name. <red lights flashing>  Often these emails are riddled with poor grammar, punctuation, capitalization, etc. and void of a signature block or website address and the email host is Gmail/Yahoo/AOL ( srsly! AOL!)/or other generic source with an alias username. <alarm klaxons begin to blare>

Case in point:

(click on images to enlarge)

 

 

 

 

 

I responded:

 

 

 

That was nice & professional, right? Well, you wouldn’t think so from the reply sent some 14 days later …

 

 

“Slog through” my [expletives deleted] … :

Dear ??,

Professionally speaking, it is not at all out of line for me to ask with whom I am dealing. I am a service provider, one of the best in the industry, and, therefore, in a ‘sales position’; I would be doing each of us a disservice if I did not seek the information necessary to properly answer your questions. Furthermore, it is only fair that I ask you to identify yourself. You have the advantage, you have been to my website and you know my name and qualifications. You owe me the most basic of courtesies by telling me your name and perhaps sharing a link to your website…most professionals sign their emails or provide signature blocks – even elance requires basic contact information. You sir/madam have asked me to operate in a vacuum.

I am a professional who provides services to other professionals. If you feel that it is not worth your time to treat me professionally, perhaps it is best if you ‘slog through schedules’ yourself.

Respectfully,
Pamela

If I hear back from him/her, and choose to pursue a professional relationship, my fee will include a ‘nitwit tax’.

 

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