A Bar of Soap and Some Manners

"UNFUCKINGSUBSCRIBE ME THIS IS..."

That is what I woke up to this Friday morning, and in my hazy, sleepy state I had to rub the make-up out of my eyes and reread for fear I had initially misread the snippet of this email. My first thought was, "no way this is real, maybe it's a newsletter trying something new". I really attributed seeing the curse word squished between "unsubscribe" to me still having symptoms from being quite sick most of that week. However, it had nothing to do with being sick or half-asleep. I opened the email and read the entire, short-lived thing:

UNFUCKINGSUBSCRIBE ME THIS IS THE FIFTH EMAIL IM GETTING STOP

Now, let me preface by saying I am not a fan of spam or unsolicited emails just as much as the next person, but I also have a succinct understanding that it's a part of business. If I were receiving unwelcome visits to my home every few nights or phone calls consistently, I'd be just as upset. However, we're talking about a simple email here, an insignificant email that can easily be ignored and deleted, or responded to. Its's just part of how we do business in the new digital age.

Other fun facts regarding this email:

1. At the bottom of the email, in my signature, lies a phrase that states:

fyi, I'm real! This wasn't sent by a robot. If you'd rather not get emails, just let me know!

2. I checked (maybe there was an error on my part) and found that this was, in fact, this person's second email, not fifth.

3. He's the CEO of the company...

So while I've grown accustomed to being shot down and grown a thick skin to negative responses, this one takes the cake. Sure, there wasn't an "unsubscribe" button, but he had the opportunity to politely decline any more emails. Just as much, I had never heard from him before, so it wasn't like I was continuing to email him after he asked nicely to stop. This is where I could insert numerous other complaints regarding this exchange...

Instead, I'd rather address the real issue here: manners. Although we've become more lax in our email structures and informal emails have replaced super-strict formalities that once were common when writing an email or even a letter, there still shouldn't be a place in society where a response such as this is warranted. I'm not condoning spam/unsolicited mail, but I urge everyone to understand the "behind-the-scenes". It's part of a person's job. More than likely, they had a choice between cold-calling or cold-emailing, or maybe not a choice at all. At the end of the day, this is part of their job, to reach out to those that may not know about a service or product, inform them of it, and hopefully find someone in need of it.

I grew up learning to have a certain sense of etiquette when having a professional exchange. You give a firm handshake, look them in the eye when speaking to them. Above all else, whether you wanted to be their best friend or you wanted to push them off a cliff, you remained courteous and professional throughout the entire ordeal. Say whatever you want when you leave, to yourself, but you kept your "pro-face" about you anytime you had an interaction with them. There's nothing different between meeting them in-person or via the internet. At least there shouldn't be.

It's annoying, no doubt. It fills your inbox with crap you don't need, sure. Maybe it even worries you to how they found your email. Through it all though, it's just a simple email. You can say no or unsubscribe, or nothing at all. It's not black magic how they found your email, there are legit companies that devote their time to figuring it out or collecting information. And it's their job to reach out to you.

Whether you agree or not, I do hope that the one thing we can agree on it that manners should live on. For a CEO, especially, maintaining reserve and a presence is important when establishing yourself and your company. There is no need for crass language or insults. Treat an email like you would a conversation with a stranger. Be courteous and respectful, and I'll respond the same.

To this particular person (who shall remain nameless out of courtesy)- Remember what your momma taught you and don't forget to wash your mouth out with soap. Tsk tsk.

Because I'd rather this be an article that stems discussion or is a place of learning, I'm adding a few articles that I encourage all to read when thinking about how they write their next email. What's your view on spam emails? What would be your suggestion for companies that use this tactic, should they move away from cold-emailing? And most importantly, how would you react if you received a response like this? Thanks for your input!