Stupid is as Stupid Does (a Cautionary Tale)

Another day. Another stupid marketing trick. Here’s the story…

Last month, my pal Adam received a cold email pitch from a guy named Jim who wrote:

“Hey Adam, My boss asked that I connect with you about a potential advertising opening for Words That Click…(his email below)…”

Jim then described his advertising service and suggested he and Adam meet.

Below Jim’s pitch was “the email” from his boss, Brian.

It read: “Hey, please reach out to someone at Words That Click and give them a heads up that we might have an opening in the marketing & advertising category…I have Adam in our notes as a good contract to start with.”

Adam didn’t bite.

His only response: 

He forwarded the email to me and wrote, “Well, if his boss asked…”

It makes me wonder…

…do pitches like this work?

I picture someone getting the email and thinking, “Oh, great. Jim’s boss wants him to contact ME!? How cool. I’m honored. I usually don’t respond to cold email pitches like this, but Brian chose me, and that makes me feel special. So I’m going to respond!”

That seems to be what Jim is going for.

But, at least in Adam’s case, he got an eye-roll, instead. I suspect Adam isn’t alone.

And even if some people on Jim’s list respond favorably…

…is the deceit worth it?

I’ll bet my bottom Peso that Brian isn’t sending “please-contact-so-and-so” memos to Jim.

This reeks of a rotten, automated mail-merge. Jim has a list of leads that includes names, emails, and company.

He spits out hundreds — maybe thousands — of these emails, each claiming that the boss asked him to contact YOU.

Hey [first-name], My boss asked that I connect with you about a potential advertising opening for [company-name]…”

No offense to my pal Adam. But he’s just not that special. His company, Words That Click, still has a website. But he no longer focuses on that business. He hasn’t focused on it for years.

If Jim’s boss actually wrote a memo saying, “Reach out to Adam…” Jim’s boss needs to improve his prospect research game.

What does this mean for you and your business?

Ditch the stupid marketing tricks.

At best, they invite eye-rolls. At worst, they’re dishonest and reflect badly on you and your business.

If you want to send automated, data-merged pitches, go ahead. Just deliver an honest offer without the “my-boss-asked-me-to-write” B.S.

One last thing, Adam recently co-founded a business called The Marketing Advocate, and it IS special. Adam and his fellow advocates help middle-aged business owners grow their businesses with ethical, effective, no-BS marketing.

If I had a boss, he’d ask me to ask you to sign up for Adam’s emails — The Daily(ish) Advocate. 

Check that… I know and respect Adam, and I recommend his emails without reservation…

The Advocates serves you “powerful portions of actionable digital marketing wisdom” without an ounce of BS. Details and sign-up here.