They’ve done it again, those pushy sales people from Webmail.

After a lengthly conversation with a sales person from Webmail, I decided to accept their plea for a meeting. I’m almost 110% sure that I won’t be using their product. It’s the way they sell it to me (and the fact that I don’t think their product is any good) that gives me the “no!” feeling.

Amongst their claims that are supposed to impress me:
- We’re the largest website in South Africa.
- We have over 1 million users that we can target your message to.

What they don’t tell you:
- Our product is still emerging from the 1990’s.
- We don’t really care if your campaign works, or if our product fits your brand.
- (like the Realplayer pop-up on your computer) Our sales people will not go away, even if you tell them you’re not interested.
- Our sales people are actually a small army of call centre workers that go for sheer volume.

The last two points are pretty fresh in my mind. I’ve spoken to these sale guys numerous times and declined a meeting on the basis that I’m not a believer. Various BMW Dealerships have also referred them to me as a last ditch effort to shake them off their cold call list. They’re the spammers of cold callers!

The last point is my biggest issue. I just got a call from another woman launching into who Webmail are blah blah blah. I asked if i could help her, to which she replies “I’d like to set up a meeting with you blah blah”. Can you believe it?! Anyway, I asked why she’s calling when I’ve just the other day accepted a meeting with one of their unlucky sales guys. The answer - she’s from a different call centre and they haven’t communicated.

Dear Webmail, I’m not convinced this is the way to do business with internet savvy individuals. If you want me to even start considering your product, please do 2 things:

- scrap the rubbish system that you have (look at gmail, yahoo! mail, and hotmail), and build something with a genuine value proposition for advertisers (shotgun campaigns to sheer volumes is so 1990’s).
- don’t call me from the call centre.

Oh yes, and please, please make sure it’s not a monkey on the other side who can’t answer basic questions, but will send a sales person to do a presentation. I REALLY hate that.

for the sake of all that is good about the online industry in SA, wake up, shake up, and maybe we’ll make up!

end rant.