In a coincidence, I was actually on the receiving end of a similar type of email just today. Which I’ll relate here just to show the type of response an email can elicit.

The Director of Inbound Marketing at a web design firm emailed me with a nice email about possibly linking to a long-form guide his team wrote. In his email he nicely pointed out that I linked to a mutual article that is one of “his faves”, and “would I consider linking to his long form guide in my article?”

A nice enough email that I actually replied and complimented his article. I actually didn’t want to link to his guide, but thought it might be a strategic relationship to cultivate since he worked for a web design firm (in the spirit of networking, you know?)

Well, his response back just eliminated ANY good will he created with his nice initial email. Essentially, I felt like his response was more like a critique of how to do my job. Here he was, a stranger to me, telling me how to do my job…which I’ve been doing, professionally, for over 13 years. That may not have been his intention, but that was my reaction. That was the power his words had on me.

Needless to say, I will NOT be responding to his email, and I’ll be trashing it immediately. What surprised me is that I had this reaction as an experienced professional writer that doesn’t normally have personal reactions to feedback/comments like this! I know enough to divorce my personal feelings from my writing, but when you read a suggestion like this, it can be hard NOT to have an emotional reaction.

As a copywriter, you understand that WORDS HAVE POWER. Just like you know how to choose the right ones to elicit a response from your readers on behalf of your clients, choose the right ones FOR YOUR BUSINESS TOO.

THIS is why Mac’s article is so critical to us freelancers. If you don’t want to offend, or emotionally hijack any potential client, MAKE SURE you take Mac’s advice to heart. Otherwise your email will just go in the Trash.

Thanks Mac for the reminder and pointers!