Cold Calling or Root Canal Surgery

**Blurock** · 12-Oct-12, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by solweb

I try to ask them why they are saying no. Usually when they say no, they do not want to discuss it. I will diariase to call againin six month and see if anything has changed and if they then say no again, I will just move on

What part of NO did you not understand?

**adrianh** · 13-Oct-12, 11:15 AM

@Blurock

So this morning I get the exact same story from Vodacom about the cancellation of my contract

--- this persistent difficulty with the understanding of the word NO is what leads me to say F*OFF to the next person that phones me from Vodacom

**Blurock** · 13-Oct-12, 08:53 PM

Originally Posted by solweb

I ask them if I may send them the information on email - it starts a paper trail and I get their email address which means they have given me tacit approval to add them to me mailing list. Once I have sent them the information they have requested i will send them an email from my mailing list welcomeing them, telling what to expect in the future and give them the opportunity to remove themselves off the list. I send out two mailings once a month, a newsletter and a product campain.

I also network and use relationship marketing and also quote on the overseas jobs boards - I no longer rely on just one way to market.

This is not intrusive cold calling. You are getting the right idea! Good luck with your prospecting.

**JoanneTom** · 22-Oct-12, 09:47 AM

Cold calling...eish...I always cringe whenever telemarketers contact me - I think the cold calling experiences I've had as a consumer have been pretty awful. But the worst for me is when they don't take "no" for an answer - I'm fine if the person realises that they're not going to make a sale out of me and goes on to the next person, but those guys who PERSIST and nag after I've said "no thank you" just really annoy me. (But like I said, maybe I've just had really bad cold calling experieces?)

**CLIVE-TRIANGLE** · 23-Oct-12, 12:02 PM

I'm sorry, but here is a quick list of my gripes with cold callers:
1. They phone me, I answer the phone with my name, then they ask for me by name, which
2. they can never pronounce.
3. Always phone from a blocked or withheld system
4. Don't know me from a bar of soap but express totally false interest in how I am today
5. Don't know or care what I was busy with just before they called
6. Presume I am having a wonderful day
7. Always seem to be selling something that I already have 10 of

A special place is reserved at the devil's place for those that want my ID and warn me about the call be recorded

**adrianh** · 23-Oct-12, 01:44 PM

I just loooove tele-marketers. I try very hard to see what it takes for them to crack. I've argued with them over the colour of their credit cards, whether its better to buy a AK47 or their insurance, whether their new cellphone will take a better pic of my crack and why their cellphone radios only play crap music.

If you want to learn how to talk absolute $h1t with a straight face then tele-marketers are your perfect targets. They should phone me as part of their training to see if they are able to keep their composure under fire.

**Dave A** · 24-Oct-12, 09:09 PM

Originally Posted by adrianh

They should phone me as part of their training to see if they are able to keep their composure under fire.

A wicked thought occurs...

You should charge them!

Interrupt when they start their sell and go "Before we go on, could I have your credit card number please?"

"Why?"

"Well, you are calling me because I'm a telesales training consultant, aren't you? Just to remind you the fee is $10 a minute and the clock's ticking."

**adrianh** · 24-Oct-12, 10:05 PM

Brilliant...my new pitch....

**Blurock** · 25-Oct-12, 07:40 AM

The latest is a pre-recoded message, so you can not talk back. Maybe the telemarketers can not take the abuse, that is why we are now getting pre recorded sales messages. Press 1, press 2, press...go to hell.

I believe the staff turnover at call centres is very high. Must be a very stressful job.

**solweb** · 25-Oct-12, 08:11 AM

In a country where unemployment grows by the minute and the goverment is incompetant, call centres are a way to create employment. And that is the only good thing I have to say about them. I was phoned three times offering to upgrade my telkom line, first time a week ago and yesterday twice within an hour. They were not impressed when I told them how incompetant their management was (the call centre - there is a special place in hell for telkom officials) and instead of selling me a new and improved service, could they please sort out the problems with the old one first.