The other day at work, we got a company wide e-mail from our communications department about a special offer from the Prince Pie Company. We could order our holiday pies over the phone, pay from them with a credit card and the pies would be delivered directly to our office. We would avod the hassle of driving to the store and standing in long lines.
Isn’t that a great opportunity? Aren’t they doing us a favor?
I didn’t think so. And I was not the only person who thought it quite pushy.
The opportunity came to us in a company-wide e-mail, like those used to announce carpet cleaning (move your stuff off the floor) or parking lot maintenance (move your car). We have a bulletin board for employees to sell items (like Craig’s List) or to ask for advice (I’m looking for a good dentist). I didn’t think the selling of pies should have been done in a company wide email.
If you were at a chapter meeting and a member set up a display of Avon products and passed out make-up samples, would you be offended? Is this being pushy or is this an opportunity for the members?
So why is it acceptable, no encouraged, behavior for the published members of a chapter to hold a book sale at the end of a workshop? Is that pushy or an opoortunity? Do the other members feel that they have an obligation to purchase books from the pubbed members?
I’ve been to two workshops where the book sale/autographing was done. *I* felt uncomfortable. I felt like I had an obligation to buy books. No statement was said that I had to buy any books. But I still felt like everyone knew that I had not bought anything.
I asked around what other chapters do. I was surprised to discover that the book signing was a common occurrence. Some chapters had them after special workshops and the presenter sold her books. Some chapter had them after each meeting.
Pushy…. or an opportunity…?
You decide.
