Stupid Business People Who Don't Get Business

So, the thing about blogging is, we get weird questions and shit. Solicitations. You know.
Let me save you the suspense: No, I don’t want to “trade links”. But thanks for asking.
And if you want me to “add your link” because I seem like Little Miss Nice About Those Things, you’re probably in for a surprise. Like — well, let’s call her “Mae.”
And let’s call her shop, um, “SexStuff.”
Here’s the correspondence between “Mae” and I. I’ve copied-and-pasted ‘cos I want to remove identifying stuff.
So, “MAE” wrote:

Hi, there… I would just like to ask if its okay if you’ll add our shop to your blog?? Here’s our link http://www.sexstuff.goodluckwiddat.net/ and in return we can right an article for you if you would like us too or add your link to our blogs.. and even give you discounts of up to 40%-50% if you purchase or any visitors from your blog who want’s to buy on product on our shop..
Thanks and I hope I’ll get a good response from you..
Mae

Normally, when it’s a form letter that doesn’t have my name, anything about MY blog, or my link, that’s when I hit delete. But since I’m PMSing and Midol can only do so much, I felt compelled to reply.

Mae?
Um, adding your shop to my blog is called “free advertising”. And letting you “WRITE” for my blog would be more, um, “free advertising”.
So, you get that for free, but I get… OH, HEY, if I spend money with you… for giving you free advertising, you’ll just… oh, let me spend a little less money.
Gee, I’m not sure how I’ll muster the ability to say no, but let me try:
Um, no.
See, I’d rather make money. But, at this point, not from you.
Better luck next time.
Moi.

Silly people. Further proof that just because you CAN go into business doesn’t mean you SHOULD.

5 thoughts on “Stupid Business People Who Don't Get Business

  1. aag

    I just got the same email. Here was my response:
    “I charge a small fee for this sort of link. Would you like to know my rates?”
    And her response to that:
    “I see.. But is it okay if I will not pay? I will just give you 40-50 percent discount if you buy jsut what I’ve said, if not just refer to your friends about our big discount. I will place your blog to our http://herpleasures.wordpress.com/ , it has a page rank of 2 already..Please…”
    I checked her site. Her page rank is actually ONE.
    Sigh.
    🙂
    .-= aag´s last blog ..Flood Recovery =-.

  2. Trish

    Wow, some people Just. Don’t. Get. It. People who approach with that kind of “pitch” don’t understand that they need to figure out how the partnership can benefit BOTH of you – how they can show you that it’ll be to your benefit to enter into an arrangement with them. Providing them with free advertising, and then more free advertising, all for a “discount” off their stuff? Is not how it’s done. Amateurs.

  3. ThatToyChick

    It’s enough to make me want to write a primer, which I would if it wasn’t against my best interests.
    Link exchanges are, in my opinion, a dead or dying marketing method if done like this. The folks who would hop on board with this are likely bloggers that have been around about as long as her business – which is “not very”.
    I’d want to give her the benefit of the doubt, but sending a “pleading” email (as in aag’s case) strikes me as incredibly unprofessional, even in the casual setting the industry often fosters.

  4. Jake Holden

    I just reply with a standard ‘thank you for your interest but I only link to websites that I have an existing relationship with (eg product reviews, bought from them before, know the writers behind them)’ email.
    My approach is a little bit more refrained than yours 😛
    .-= Jake Holden´s last blog ..Snippet =-.

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