The down side to blogging
Hard to imagine but there is a downside to writing blog posts especially on web sites and blogs that are read nation wide. I am noticing that I get more spam, mostly from people selling to the real estate industry. I also get more calls from sales people, who sell to the real estate industry.
They only call me on my cell phone, which is on the do not call list, while I am in my car. They comment on an article I wrote and then try to pitch their product
I am too easy to reach
To serve my real estate clients I need to be accessible. My accessibility on the internet has landed me a lot of business and some free publicity. Reporters have little trouble finding me. When they try to contact some of my peers it is just too much work so they move on.
I don’t hide my contact information because it is essential to my business model that I can be reached. The volume of email and phone calls is such that if I don’t make some changes it will put my out of business.
There are entire days where I leave my phone on silent so it doesn’t drive me nuts. I am already nuts and I hear the phone ringing when it is turned off. I hear it ringing when I am sleeping too.
Just because I write, and because I have a blog and am easy to find should not be an open invitation to send spam and to call. They all tell me that they are special and they just want a moment of my time. I will be reporting all callers who violate the national do not call list. I understand the fine is fairly steep.
Please go away
As for the email I am not sure what to do. Most of my business comes through the internet and people need to reach me. If I make my spam blockers more effective I block out my clients. I have blocked entire domain names that belong to companies that don’t honor my repeated requests to opt out.
If I write about being busy or having too much email or too many calls I am contacted by sales people pitching products that are guaranteed to make my life easier. I can’t slow down the pace of my business right now, it isn’t in my best interests but my life would be easier if people would stop trying to sell me stuff.
There is Never a good time to talk to me
My daughter once made a statement to a telemarketer that I like very much. He asked would be a good time to call me. My daughter said there is no good time to call my mother. True statement, there really isn’t a good time to call to pitch your product. If you want my attention try something else. I don’t have any time to give you on the phone and resent paying for your calls to my cell phone while I am in my car trying to get to my next appointment.
I wish that people selling to the real estate industry would learn to sell more like I do. I never send spam or drip email and I don’t call people yet they become my clients. They come to me when they need me, I don’t go to them. They find me because I make it easy to be found.
