email only and no one can pick up the phone anymore

Got another nice email.. from unknown and it the email said: Do you have a buck for sale? No name underneath or anything else. No clue who sent it to me. I do not try to market my animals at all, but will sell some to help pay for feed and simply because there are usually some that are to nice to butcher, but not enough room for them here. However when someone emails me like that, they can expect a simple and short answer back..no!
Does anybody else here find such emails annoying? Do you also like to find out a bit about the buyer first, like at least talk with them?? Just makes you feel like people think you are like a superstore or something where you can always get what you wish for immediately.
Piet

I completely agree - I am far more likely to sell a horse to someone who tells me a little bit about themselves and what they're looking for than someone who emails with nothing but: "How much?"

I am suspicious and frankly, put off by people who are not willing to reveal their identity when they have reached my private email. Anonymity seems to be an excuse for the worst social behaviour. Piet, I understand how you feel perfectly.

When I get emails about puppies I email them back thank them for the email and ask them to send me their phone number. If they don't want to speak to me how do they expect me to sell them a dog!
geri

I get a lot of inquiries for my business - some of them, I can just tell they have copied and pasted to many different photographers.

So, I have a template e-mail that I made and I simply reply with that. It requests more information, establishes my personality and professionalism, but also lets them know that I don't respond to cattle calls.

I only want clients who want ME specifically - I am not interested in clients who just want a photographer, any photographer. The template helps to weed out the tire kickers.

Anyway, I realize this example is not animal -related, necessarily, but maybe the template email idea would work just as well for critters.

Something like ...

Hi -!

Thank you so much for taking the time to inquire about my animals.

Because I only have a limited number of animals for sale each year, I like to get to know my clients to ensure that my animals will be going to the best homes possible.

If you could please take a few minutes to fill out the following questions, it would really help me get to know you and will streamline our communication.

Name:
Location:
Phone number:
Best time for me to call:
Who can I thank for the referral?
Please briefly outline your experience with this breed of animal:

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to speaking with you soon!

Sincerely,

Name

My pettest of pet peeves, Piet!

I get people emailing me all the time with variations of this message: Do you have puppies, and how much are they?

I usually don't bother to respond. I have, and politely, in the past, and nothing has ever come of it.

Now I ignore and forget. I spend my time responding to people who have earned an answer.

I hope that I don't do that ? I always post who I am and what my email is about and as well ask for a reply .Personally don't like to send emails if at all possible , kinda like texting ..........I'd rather talk to a real person ,hear a voice as it were .

Oh yes, a burr in my side. I do like to do business transactions through the email, until I ascertain if I want to continue to do business transactions with the person or not. I do not put my phone number in any ads I put on the internet. I like to screen. One time I had some chicks for sale last year and am so glad I did not have to spend time with someone on the phone. The person wanted to get some chicks and wanted to get eggs obviously. That person knew so little about chickens that they asked me if the chicken will bite them when they are reaching under them to get the egg out . I was so thunderstruck I said something that dissuaded the person from desiring to raise chicks. I often wondered if these things are jokes, but this was so stupid, never in a million years would I have let any chicks go home with that person. Just me. So. Ya, I like to do emails and then phone, but NEED to know by a few conversations, who I am talking with through the internet. Blah. People. Have an awesome day, CynthiaM.

CynthiaM wrote:That person knew so little about chickens that they asked me if the chicken will bite them when they are reaching under them to get the egg out . I was so thunderstruck I said something that dissuaded the person from desiring to raise chicks. .

Now Cynthia, I am a teacher and you know what we say. There is no such question as a dumb question! I have had plenty chickens bite me if I reach under them to get an egg. You must have very placid chickens, or chickens that lay and leave and never go broody. My broody chickens almost always bite me when I reach under them for the eggs they have collected and are determined to hatch.

Sue, I am smiling. Nope. You got it wrong. That person thought that the eggs to eat had to be gathered by putting their hand below the belly after it was laid. The email indicated that, I didn't elaborate in the post....have an awesome day, CynthiaM.

Half-assed email responses annoy me too. But then again so does the phone ringing off the hook after supper time. I never put our phone number in online ads either, as like Cynthia, I like to screen via email. When I was selling my old coop on kijiji I received a lot of emails, many short and sour. “Will you take hundreds less?” “Can I buy just the run?" "Will you load it into my truck?" "Where is the coop, will you deliver?” All this when my ad clearly stated: as is, YOU HAUL AWAY. The family who ended up buying the coop expressed their interest in a well-written email, understanding the coop was priced as it was because it had to be moved.


On the flipside, I don’t really like talking on the phone unless I know the person. (Even then sometimes, haha). I’d much rather email, (and now text) if at all possible. I feel more comfortable, and I like when I can think about my words, in stead of just blurting out whatever comes to mind. I guess I’m just shy.

This is a tough one for me because I usually do things short and to the point. Some people probably find that a bit rude, but I don't think they need my life story and I don't feel I need theirs. I don't like to send long emails but I always sign my name to show it is a genuine one. I hate when there is not a name attached when it is someone I don't know personally.
So I am happy with a few short emails and then a phone conversation when the fine details need to be made.

Hi Piet, I absolutely agree with you. It is so simple to sign at least a first name when emailing. I don't like responding if I don't know the person that I am responding to. I also almost always ask for a phone number and why not if you want to do business with me.

I have very little to add to this except that I am amazed that people will email me out of the blue and demand information about some livestock as if I were some free information service. Clearly no intention to buy from me. No "please" and worst of all, if I do give the information requested, no "thank you" or any indication that my information has been received.

So now I only answer questions with questions "have we met?" "where did you get my name?" until I know they are worth the trouble.

OMG.... total pet peeve. I get those emails!

Do you have puppies?

Do you sell dogs?

or, a fave of mine....... basolutely nothing xcept the words

"How much are your dogs?"

Arcticsun wrote:
"How much are your dogs?"

Oh, I get so many of these! I always wonder which breed they want!

I like sending back equally pathetic answers.

Do you have puppies?
SOMETIMES.

Do you sell dogs?
YES.

How much are your dogs?
DEPENDS.

Arcticsun wrote:I like sending back equally pathetic answers.

Do you have puppies?
SOMETIMES.

Do you sell dogs?
YES.

How much are your dogs?
DEPENDS.

Haha! Perfect!

I have to very sadly admit, I am very guilty of this. I try to remember to put my name on the emails. I have done it to Sue before (sorry).

What I REALLY love is the one line response to my information "too expensive".

WHATEVER....

Ah, but I knew who you were, Pfarms! These are strangers who are so improper.

My most recent selling pet peeve is when people make a lowball offer without even seeing the item or animal in question. They can't possibly expect to be taken seriously and responded to, and so I honour that, and I don't, and don't.

Selling things is hard. Selling live animals is harder. Sometimes it all works out so well and sometimes people make it REALLY easy and we can just hit the "delete" key and forget about them.

Cheers.

Truly.

I dislike using the phone. When I do phone someone I often end up playing phone tag. Most of my days are spent looking after farm related chores outside. The phone is a 100 feet away and our cell phones only work if you are east of the house or at the top of the hill to the south west. I would rather use email, but have some similar complaints mentioned in several previous posts.

I've gotten these before for some older crossbred sheep I was selling. I'd put them at a low price just to get rid of them.

How old are they? Read the posting.

Are they purebred? Read the posting.

Are they pregnant? Uh, no. What do you expect for that price????