Are You Honoring People's Time Or Wasting It?

"Waste their time, not yours!"

I shared this sketch in my Daily Sketches email with some thoughts about lame marketing tactics this week .  I got some pretty strong words sent back to me.  I still stand by what I wrote, though, and figred some of the GhettoManga readers might wanna see.

Hey, fam! I don't have a regular job, so there is a lot of flexibility in my day. Having said that, I have to get a lot done in a day.  I have to make people happy who are paying me.  I have to make people happy who I want to pay me.  I have to make people happy that I pay! I also have to take care of administrative stuff (what freelancers call "non-billable hours"). Then there's the ever popular "self-care".  My business mentor always says "you are the most valuable asset in your business." So I have to take care of myself. One way I do that is by taking walks everyday. So I got back from taking my walk to today, with a million things on my mind, and with a need to take a shower.  Then my phone buzzes with a Facebook messenger notification. The message is one word: "Hello." No, fam. No.  No.  NO. Your Time Means Nothing to Me by Samax Amen Pitt Artist Pen, in my Big Black Sketchbook. 8x8 Print $27 (free domestic shipping) That's right. Instead of taking my morning shower, I sat down at my work station sweaty and tired, and drew a one panel comic in my Big Black Book. (Yes, I went back and took a shower after that) I hate it when people waste my time. Really, I hate it when people waste anyone's time.  Time is the one resource that you can't make, buy, or trade for more of. When you hit me up on messenger, please have something to say. Also, say it. Otherwise, you are asking for my attention, and refusing to give me anything in exchange for it. Now I have to say something back.  I have to participate in this charade and WAIT for you to respond before I can find out what you want. By the way, if I ask "What do you want?" I am the one who is considered rude. If you want me to buy your comic, or subscribe to your YouTube channel, or catch you on Twitch, or whatever, just go ahead and ask.  You already have my attention. But no. I stopped what I was doing to look at your message.  I gave you my attention.  But you don't wanna bother to say anything unless I agree to an actual conversation first. In other words, you don't wanna waste your time. You wanna waste mine. Got it. Since you like wasting other people's time, let me help! Here are some more short messages you can send via social media inbox or text message the next time you wanna say "Your time means nothing to me"... When you say one of these, and your recipient doesn't reply, just pretend they said the phrase in parentheses:  Yo! (nope) I got a question for you. (A fact that does not require a response) Can I ask you a question?  (You already did.  Have a nice day) You got a minute? (I have many, because I don't waste them) Can I have a moment of your time?  (Maybe.  Maybe not?  No.  Let's go with no.) Can I talk to you?  (You're already talking.  So are you finished, or nah?) I want to talk to you about something. (Another fact that does not require or inspire a response)  I have something IMPORTANT to tell you. (LOL. No you don't or you would have led with that.) ??? or !!! or a string of emojis, etc (Use your words, fam) Is anybody there?!? (Nah.  Go away) We need to talk! (Let me know when y'all are finished) I could go on, but you get it. HERE'S THE POINT: If you have something to say, just say it.  Send me a complete thought. You're not entitled to my time, attention or a response.  If you waste someone's attention, they may not give it to you again. I send emails, right? LOTS OF EMAILS!  Sometimes the headline of the email might look like one of the lines on that list: "Quick Question." "You Got a Minute." "YOOOOOO!" "You won't BELIEVE THIS, fam!" You're curious, so you open the email. What if the email was empty? Or it said something equally ambiguous like "CLICK HERE (or call me, or respond to this) to see what I wanted to tell you!" You'd be mad, right? Don't waste people's time, okay? That's all I'm saying. "But Samax, it's just marketing!" Maybe it is, but it's the wrong way to do it. I have no problem with marketing.  But if you make your messaging with respect for your audience, you will be better off. When you find the right people for your products or services and give them clarity about why it is right for them, you won't need to trick them into listening to your sales pitch. Selling is a service. This is something I explore at length in my book #FreelancingFAIL. Instant Download $9.99 I wrote #FreelancingFAIL: 6 Mindsets and Behaviors That Cause Freelancers to Struggle & How to Overcome Them, so others don't have to make the same mistakes I made, and hopefully they can get to a place of stability and independence faster than I did. Learning from the mistakes (and education) of others is the epitome of working SMARTER, not HARDER. #FreelancingFAIL is available for Instant Download for just ten bucks.  If you buy it, please feel free to let me know what you thought and ask any questions you have! Do You Need Help, fam?  I'm not actively looking for custom art clients right now (catching up on the work I've got), but if you need help figuring out your creative business, I'm here for you. So just email me or get at me on Facebook Messenger if you need me.  I'm still setting aside time for free Discovery Calls too, so take advantage of that while you still can. Well, I gotta get back to work,  fam. Talk to you later! -Samax ("some AX") Amen m o r e...