When GDPR arrived, it should have signalled the end of unsolicited emails, or at least that’s what I thought.

Judging by the ones I receive on a daily basis, this isn’t the case because a vast number of companies are still sending emails to recipients who have not opted in to receive their messages.

Therefore the first way you’re offending potential customers is contacting them cold, without their consent.

The chasers you’re sending then compounds the issue.

Leave me alone

I, like many business people, am generally run off my feet. The only emails I respond to are those from my clients, enquiries for my services, and any others that are related to the running of my business.

I don’t have time to respond to all the ‘cold calling’ emails.

I didn’t ask you to email me, so it’s junk, and it gets deleted.

Don’t rub salt into the wound by then chasing me umpteen times. Especially when you sent the curt emails making it out as though I’m wasting your time because I haven’t responded to your original email. You know, the one I never asked to receive in the first place.

As you can tell, this is a real bugbear of mine.

I know business is business, and we all need customers to survive, but there are better ways to go about it.

How about calling to introduce yourself? Don’t launch into a sales pitch; build relationships.

Usually, the minute I get a whiff of a suggestion you’re trying to sell me something I switch off. That’s why I avoid networking events like the plague.

If I’m in the market for a product or service, I will go out and look for it and do my research.

Cultivate relationships

The business world is a very unforgiving place.

Launch in with a sales pitch, and you’ll find no one wants to listen to you. It’s important to concentrate on building relationships – it’s the only way you can learn about the needs of the people you’re talking to.

How can you sell without finding out if they have a need?

Stop wasting your time and alienating people.

Stop sending out blanket cold emails in the vain hope one of them will pay off.

As soon as you start to think relationships rather than quick sales, you’ll begin to see your business and your reputation grow.