Hey {{first_name}} ,
Same person. Three messages. Zero memory.
First time: "Want free Instagram posts?"
Me: "I focus on LinkedIn, but thanks."
Second time: "Do you use Instagram for your business?"
Me: Writes thoughtful response about what I actually do.
Him: Disappears.
Third time: "How do you create your content?"
I finally called him out.
"This is the third time you've tried to pitch me."
He sent a voice note claiming he was "just trying to add value."
Every time he forgets someone, every time he pitch-slaps while pretending to care, he's not just burning his own bridges.
He's burning them for all of us.
Because when I reach out to someone new tomorrow, they're already defensive. They're waiting for the pitch. They've been trained that every friendly message has an agenda.
He's probably spending hours a day on this. Or paying someone to. Churning through contacts, copying templates, pushing everyone toward an immediate yes or no.
Meanwhile, I had a conversation last week with someone who said no to working with me.
We still talk.
Six months from now, they might need exactly what I offer. Or they might refer someone who does. Or we might just stay connected because business is actually about humans connecting with humans.
That's the difference.
I'm building a pipeline of real relationships. Some buy today. Some buy next year. Some never buy but become valuable connections anyway.
He builds a burn list. Once you say no, you're dead to him. Once he forgets you, you're just another failed conversion.
Social connections matter more than conversion metrics.
Not a numbers game where you forget who you're talking to three messages in.
The next time someone reaches out to you, notice your immediate reaction. That defensive feeling, that expectation of a pitch - that's the poisoned well we're all drinking from.
When you stop trying to convert everyone and start connecting with people, the conversions happen anyway.
Just not always today.
And that's okay.
P.S. - Want to learn how to build real relationships that actually convert? Join us in Authentic Navigators where we focus on authentic connection over pitch-slapping: https://www.skool.com/the-linkedin-basecamp
