I Can’t Believe She Did That! (Story Time)

Story time, Life Editor!

This week, I experienced the worst cold marketing ever, and I just had to share the bizarre tale as an example of what not to do.

I had just started a free Discovery Call with a potential member for my Goodbye 9-to-5 program. I explained how I would ask her questions about her business, tell her about to program, and see if we’re a good fit.

“Oh, I’m not interested in joining.” she said. “I’m here to share why you should hire me as a copywriter.”

What. The. Frick. 

Apparently, this woman finds coaches who offer free calls, schedules a call under the guise of being interested in coaching, and instead uses the call time as her own personal job interview.

The audacity! I stared at her dumbfounded for a minute before ending the call. 

This woman wasted my time, wasted a spot in my calendar that another truly interested person could have used, and is completely convinced that this is a genuine way of marketing your skills.

In case I’m not being absolutely clear . . . DON’T DO THIS—EVER!

Does she really think this is how you get a job, by hijacking a coach’s free call spot?

And if she had bothered to look at my website, then she would realize I (1) have a journalism degree, (2) was a book editor for 10 years, and (3) have been writing my own marketing content for 11 years.

I would never hire a copywriter. Also, I would never hire someone who blatantly disrespects me and my time.

This is an example of cold marketing, which is something I teach my clients to avoid at all costs. It’s when you try to sell something to someone who doesn’t know you and you don’t know them. That’s why it’s “cold” and utterly gross.

I receive cold marketing emails every day that I simply delete, but this is the first time someone has abused my free call offer for their own purposes.

I might have expected this naive approach from someone in their early 20s or fresh out of school, but this woman was at least in her mid 60s. I guess rudeness has no age limit.

Whew! OK, rant over.

If you want to learn kind ways of marketing to people who are actually invested in the solutions you provide, then please schedule a free call with me.

No sleazy sales tactics. Just the right offer for the right client.