Reply All Offenders. I have seen the misuse of this one starting back in my corporate days. I would leave for a meeting and everyone working on a certain project would all give their two cents, and I would have 50 new emails in my inbox. Not cool. In the last 4 years of my entrepreneurial stint, I have seen the same type of behavior, yet it has been more amusing. You do not need to reply to a whole networking group and say, “Hi Brenda – It was so nice to see you today. Let’s do coffee.” I am fairly certain that there are at least 80 people on that list that do not give a rat’s A$$ about you coffee date. And, did you have to respond to all? No. The other offenders, and I see this all of the time on Facebook, will respond to all and say, “I cannot make today’s because I am having a colonoscopy. Depending on recover time, (insert obnoxious details here), I may not attend next week either.” Can you say too much information? My point? Take care when using this button and be kind to the inboxes of others.
Spam That Is Just Silly. Now, I snicker whenever I receive the penis enlargement emails (I don’t have one), or the Orchard Supply Hardware emails (if you see me with power tools vacate the area). I love it when somehow my email address is added to a PR 101 Spam email – it’s either a class (which I could be teaching in my sleep), or my latest favorite had the heading, “Get Your Client on Television”. Really? Another obnoxious offender is the speaker who obtains all email contacts at a conference, and continues to attempt to sell their business. This is usually by email and by phone to people who have not attended their session or visited their booth. If I have to pick up the phone and call you to get you to stop contacting me, chances are not only am I not interested in your services, I will probably never sign up. (And, you will end up in the M-Dash.) My point? Stay targeted.
