Just tacky!

[ha98ed14]

A lady at my church had started a new home biz doing catering of desserts, mostly cakes, cupcakes and cookies. We all know about it because she has a sentence advertising it as part of her email siggy, and she sends out the emails for our MNO group.

So today, she comes into the nursery where we have a dry-erase board for events, birthdays, etc. and writes a message that in honor of Mother's Day, we are all invited to come to her house tomorrow to pick up our free sample of her baked goods. She couches it in this story about how all our kids called her up and ordered them for us. She signs the note with the names of all the kids.

I was there when she wrote it and when I read it all I could think was "Tacky! To use a church announcement board as a place to advertise your wares. Just not appropriate, IMO." But whatever. But I certainly had/ have no plans to go to her house and pick up my free sample.

After church she comes up to me in the foyer/ narthex and asks if I would mind delivering the free sample to a lady who has not been in church lately because she has a newborn. I am good friends with the newborn, but I was dumbfounded. It stuck me as presumptuous that she would assume I was coming at all, let alone that I wanted to be her delivery person. This is the same woman I had a huge falling out with last fall. I have avoided crossing paths with her since. This was the first time she has approached me since our falling out.

All I could manage to get out was a basic statement about how I am studying for a major exam to get into a grad school program (true) and my time was pretty much committed there. But she was really pushy, so I said that *IF* I came to pick up some for myself, I would take some to the lady with the newborn. Of course, I have no plans to go. I just said it to make her stop pushing without being rude.

WTH? Like I don't have better things to do with my time than to be the delivery boy for your home business. I don't even like you! Get a freaking clue!

[C99]

I actually think that's a clever marketing tactic. Sounds like because you had a falling out with this woman, you aren't going to like anything she does or says to you.

[Ceepa]

Fortunately, this doesn't apply to everyone, but I've met a number of individuals trying to get a home business going who are pushy, presumptuous and lacking common courtesy. Too much trying to turn every interaction/prior relationship into a chance to grow the client base, KWIM? Makes me wonder if they missed the section on people skills.

[MamaMolly]

Fortunately, this doesn't apply to everyone, but I've met a number of individuals trying to get a home business going who are pushy, presumptuous and lacking common courtesy. Too much trying to turn every interaction/prior relationship into a chance to grow the client base, KWIM? Makes me wonder if they missed the section on people skills.

I have to agree with Ceepa on this. I have a friend who is into home sales and sadly she's pushed away just about everyone else in our circle. I feel sorry for her.

For the OP, I'm sorry you feel pushed around by this lady. I think it is a good idea to give away free samples of her baked goods, but I don't think that what she did was the ideal way to go about it. It would have been nice for her to have a big basket of wrapped goodies and handed them out to the moms right there.

[sste]

Wow! The majority of home businesses that I have heard of stay at home moms starting seem to me poorly conceived from a profit standpoint - - many tend to target cutesy, crafty things that most people can do themselves, buy cheaply, or want no part of. I am not talking about skilled craftspeople and seamstresses but the crapload of people that decide to bake cupcakes, plan weddings based on their experience of having had a wedding, engage in pyramid schemes etc. It is fine if the SAHM is doing it mostly for fun and perhaps a little spending money but not when they get in their head that sheer aggression is going to counteract the laws of supply and demand. Someone with the personality you are describing could make GOOD money in pharma or other sales, business etc. At the very least, if that person wants a good business plan, think waste treatment and removal, accounting from home, etc.!!

I think you got caught in the crossfires of misdirected ambition . . .

[ha98ed14]

I think it is a good idea to give away free samples of her baked goods, but I don't think that what she did was the ideal way to go about it. It would have been nice for her to have a big basket of wrapped goodies and handed them out to the moms right there.

That is exactly what my SIL said and she is part of the same MNO group. C99 is right. I am not going to like anything this person does, but that does not change the fact that her pushy business tactics are tacky. Everyone can see through this woman, but I think because we know each other through church, everyone just smiles sweetly at her and keeps their thoughts to themselves. But at least I have SIL to commiserate with. I finally found something that can bring us together! :)