Why I am not responding to your email

Don’t send lazy emails with links and attachments. 

Anyone sending unsolicited emails with attachments or links to a person on a IT system of a Healthcare provider is absolutely harming their cause. Cyber security is a top concern of IDNs!

I am never going to subscribe to your newsletter or white papers.

Professional buyers do not believe content from sellers! They are 70% of the way through the buying journey before they contact a brand. You must have content in places they are looking and from other customers, just amplifying your message does not work! Please let me know if I can help you understand this better, this is very important.

I hope you enjoy this letter, it is actually very funny with a little too much honesty in it!

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Why I am not responding to your email, social media, phone or other advances

Author – “Grumpy Old Supply Chain Person”

As a Supply Chain leader in a provider setting (AKA – Customer), I have always thought it was important to be fair to potential business partners (AKA – Seller of goods or services).  In the olden days (yes, I have been in the business for quite a while), a solicitation for business may come in the mail, a phone call or the occasional “I was just in the area, meeting with another customer”).  Today I may be approached through:

• Mail
• Phone calls
• Unscheduled appearances at the front desk
• Email
• Social media (Way too many platforms to count)
• Texts

It is all just too much and the thing is the solicitations have, in many cases, gotten lazy and ill conceived. It is just easier to click “Delete” than to read or listen to all this nonsense.

So, some feedback from a grumpy old Supply Chain Person:

• First and foremost, I am under zero obligation to reply to you.  People who get offended that I do not respond to unsolicited advances, crack me up.
• Just because you use my name in the introduction, does not mean that I don’t know this is a mass email.
• Don’t reference someone that knows me as a “good friend” or a physician in our organization, who really thinks I should use your services. I mean I am going to check and if you lied or embellished, you will never hear from me.
• Don’t try to work around my assistant.  It only makes her unhappy and if she is unhappy, I am unhappy.
• Don’t send lazy emails with links and attachments.  Have you not been paying attention to all of the I.T. security issues?  There is NO WAY I am clicking on anything you send me.
• Don’t tell me how much money you are going to save me.  There is NO WAY for you to know if that is true.  You are probably using old data and making assumptions about our organizations spend and they are ALWAYS wrong.
• If I have not responded to two emails, I am really not going to respond to eight more.  No matter how many times you say, “I just wanted to make sure you got this” or “sorry to bother you again.”
• I recognize you are proud of your company and see value in your product or service.  It just may not be the right fit for us. GET OVER IT!   Sending me message after message does not improve your chances, they only get worse.
• I am never going to participate in your survey that is really an attempt to sell me something.
• I am never going to subscribe to your newsletter or white papers (see above).
• Finally – YOU KIDS, STAY OFF MY LAWN!

Seriously folks, I know it’s hard out there. And you are just trying to do your job and sell your products and services.  So, again, with no promises, here is my advice:

• Do as much homework on the organization and the person who you are approaching as you can.
  • Taylor your approach according to what you learn
• Use one, no more than two, methods to contact the individual
• Approach the individual no more than two times
• In a fully thought out narrative, with no links or attachments, explain the value your product or service brings, in a concise and meaningful way
• Realize that you have to cast a big net to catch a few fish.  Don’t be mad at the fish that avoid your net
• Always be honest, even when the customer is not
  • I apologize for those who are not, they bother me too
• Always be respectful, even when the customer is not
  • I apologize for those who are not, in advance
• If you get a response, follow whatever direction you are given 
  • I will say that some customers will tell you to contact them later to be polite and are not really interested.  I apologize for them
• Some end users will use Supply Chain as an excuse or direct you to that office, in an effort not to tell you “No.” Supply Chain often has to play the bad guy in these situations
  • Be understanding of that situation
• Grow thick skin and know that you will hear “No” many more times than you will hear “Yes”
• Finally, take pride in knowing, you did all the right things, to try to win the business, even when you don’t win the business

There are of course, no guarantees.  I can only tell you that the representatives that followed the concepts that I have outlined above are the ones that have had the most success with me and have certainly earned my respect.

I wish all good luck

Sincerely,  

Your Grumpy Supply Chain Person