I reached out to a supplier recently to respectfully decline their offer. In the spirit of professionalism, I provided a rationale for our decision and left the door open for future opportunities. The reply I received was predictably intense—Eric (a pseudonym) had already displayed a forceful sales approach during our initial call. He was polished and aggressive, and after our conversation, when I commended his salesmanship, he quipped, “I haven’t sold you anything yet.” This gives you a flavor of his style.

Upon reading his charged response, I reflected on how I prefer to handle such situations. I believe in not souring a potential relationship due to a single negative interaction. I maintain this stance for two key reasons:

1. Negativity offers no value and gains no ground, especially with potential partners.
2. Valuable insights often emerge from customer feedback, once the initial disappointment settles.

Lately, I’ve been leveraging ChatGPT to fine-tune...

I asked ChatGPT how we should fix email.  Here’s what it said:

1. Establish clear communication guidelines: Set expectations for email usage, response times, and when it’s more appropriate to use alternative communication channels. 
2. Encourage concise and clear writing: Emphasize the importance of brevity, clarity, and focused messages to improve understanding and reduce miscommunication.
   
3. Use subject lines effectively: Encourage the use of descriptive subject lines that summarize the email’s content, making it easier for recipients to prioritize and search for specific messages.
   
4. Limit unnecessary email threads: Discourage excessive “reply all” and encourage individuals to respond only when their input is necessary, reducing email clutter.
   
5. Implement folder and tagging systems: Encourage individuals to organize their emails into folders or use tags to categorize and locate important messages quickly.
   
6. Explore alternative...