Follow up: Email Rejections

So, I came across this article today, The art of email rejection on the "new match.com" which is actually the smooshed together (technical term) of match.com and yahoo personals.  Just like everything else we are tying to find a monopoly on online personals too!  Granted, it's probably better that way, because like me, many people posted ads on every single site - hoping that their "true love" their "soul mate" was on one of these sites, but not the others.  (Highly unlikely, but possible - you never know!)

Now, on to the reason for this posting (yes, I know... I often get wordy in my openings and forget what I'm really here for... I apologize..)  A couple of days ago, I wrote a post about responding to personal ads (if you didn't read it, go back and review - there might be a quiz).  In the post, I mentioned the importance of sending a "thanks, but no thanks" response.  Now today, I find this article on the match/yahoo and it's perfect.  Amazingly someone else thinks like me....  So here are their suggestions... (some of them gear more towards a "relationship" or more of a long term dating situation rather than just an online personals type situation - but the same idea works)

1. Don’t go into detail - Well of course.  Don't give him or her any reason to believe you are interested.  Don't go into details on why you are rejecting him/her either - that's just putting salt in the wound and you could end up with a crazy ax murder on your hands. 

2. Stay positive. - Be nice.  This person put their foot out there to write you an email.  Don't crush their hopes and dreams.  They may think they are a 10, when in reality they are a 2 or maybe even a 0. 

3. Don’t use the F word (that is, friend).  Duh, like #1, you don't need a stalker!  And really, are you on an online personals website to find a friend?  I think not.  Stay away from the "friend" language.  BEWARE

4.  Originality counts.  Yeah, maybe when you are writing a "dear John" letter for more of a longer term relationship type of thing.  When you are just responding to someone's unsolicited email from an online personal and you don't really care for a person - originality isn't all that important.  "Thanks, but no thanks" or something very similar is good enough. 

5. Don’t be a weasel.  Yeah, they were being nice there.  I prefer, Don't be a douche.  Don't write something that makes  you sound like an asshole (I've gotten those)  Many sites have "rating" systems or places where users can comment on other users.  The last thing you need is someone saying that you are an asshole.