Dealing with bullies
Seth Godin writes about the wisdom of bullying someone into a sale. He finds, of course, little wisdom in it.
The flaw in thinking is this... the people you most want to sell to won't respond well to this. The people you most need to spread the word, the people who are the best partners, the most loyal customers -- they blanch in the face of bullying. They walk out.
I often have people try to bully me into this or that, pushing for news coverage or expressing dismay about something we've done. I listen and explain. Sometimes, when appropriate, I apologize. If the bullying persists, I wait for a pause and say, "Does this approach with people usually work for you, because, I gotta tell you, it ain't working for me."
That usually changes the direction of the discussion. (Unless it is an attorney and they redouble their efforts.)
Comments (8)
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John, this may tie in better with the other thread below about how the tabloids have usurped the role of truth tellers away from daily newspapers so bogged down in their own various political bents that they have abdicated this role, but would you consider it bullying for one to ask you where the N&R coverage is on the Memo of Understanding/ Record Purge between Mitch and Hinson that was made public in extensive coverage in the Rhino last week and the Yes Weekly this week re: the Hinson vrs. GB suit and the official denial about the existence of the memo in previous statements by the city etc. (but "whoop, there it is")?
I don't get to read the paper every single day, but I haven't seen a paragraph about this in the N&R.
I apologize if you did cover it.
I know don't find this story very interesting, like you said the other week. I mean, what's another lying politician? But maybe some other people do. I can't for the life of me understand why the N&R wouldn't be all over this story.
Can you shed any light?
Posted on August 16, 2008 11:12 PM
Compared to the N&R, the Rhino has more lead in its pencil and more bite in its bark -
Posted on August 17, 2008 7:17 PM
Musharraf gone. Soon Mitchsharraf?
Posted on August 18, 2008 10:21 AM
Ryan Seals wrote about the Hinson suit 8/8 ...
http://www.news-record.com/content/2008/08/08/article/city_seeks_dismissal_of_hinson_lawsuit
Posted on August 18, 2008 3:06 PM
Speaking of bullies, I received a phone call from a company representing the N&R today. Of course, the call came during the time I was trying to get dinner on the table. The person wanted me to give my credit card information over the phone to get a better subscription rate than the one I have now. He mentioned that I could participate in some sort of easy pay. I explained that I would not give anyone my credit card information over the phone and he proceeded to insist that I do so to get a better subscription rate. I said no, but that the information he was trying to convey could be sent to me in my bill and I could decide what to do if I had the information in writing. He tried to argue with me, and I hung up the phone. Maybe you folks should try to make sure you don't have bullies going after your own customers.
Posted on August 18, 2008 8:12 PM
Amanda, thank you.
Posted on August 19, 2008 9:39 AM
Is there any way to see if it's documented anyplace that the city denied the existence of the Memo of Understanding via previous statements as alleged in the Rhino and Yes Weekly?
Posted on August 19, 2008 9:50 AM
I wonder if I could bully News and Record into delivering my Wall Street Journal every day. It's hit and miss at best.
Maybe I should check the small print. No Tuesday and Thursday paper.
Posted on August 25, 2008 4:12 PM