What type of cold calls do you get?

[abitlost]

As you go throughout your day trying to run your business what sort of cold calls do you receive? Have you ever brought anything off these calls?

Thanks!

 

[Mr D]

Most do not leave a message so no clue why they called.
Do not recall ever buying anything from the company doing the cold call when have picked up the message.

 

[Clinton]

Gosh, no I've never bought anything from a cold caller. Would never buy anything from a cold caller. They don't even get through to me as I have a fool proof system to thwart them.

 

[quikshop]

Never bought from a cold caller and never will. In fact very few have ever got passed my conversation-ending "Is this a sales call?" challenge... any answer to the affirmative leads to a polite "thanks but no thanks, goodbye".

I have had a couple of salesmen over the years call me straight back after I've ended a call and had a go at me ending the call... the Virgin Media rep was particularly annoyed

 

[Mr D]

Have had a couple of cold calls offering to wipe my student debt as unsecured funding.
Have never come across someone who has ever had that done. Will be wiped eventually anyway.

 

[extulsftjz]

I would not buy but I have spend time talking to people if the product or service sounds like it might be worthwhile. I could be persuaded and I'm sure enough people are.

I've done cold calling myself and been lucky and had a good response. I think it depends what you're offering.

 

[Ian J]

I've had a few calls about that motor accident that I had recently

 

[extulsftjz]

I'd love to know how successful those automated ones are with the pre recorded message.

I had one the week and it sounded like the computer could select different responses depending on what you said. It sounded almost human too. Actually, it might have just been a bad sales person.

 

[Paul Norman]

At the moment, it is mostly people wanting me to upgrade my phone system. It goes in phases.

As mentioned above, the majority of cold callers hang up more or less immediately. I am not sure how this makes sense, but someone is getting paid to do it, I guess.

If people called to talk about sensible stuff, I would potentially listen. But they don't.

Oh - I did get a lot of calls trying to sell me a website recently. That was nice. I do, of course, have one.

 

[Paul Norman]

I've had a few calls about that motor accident that I had recently

I get those too. Do you think we crashed into each other?

 

[HazelC]

I get the following to my business;

I get calls about a crash / accident I or someone in my house or family or business may have had (clutching at straws).

I get calls about selling my business

I get calls about house / business insurance

I get calls about PPI

I get calls about energy / electric / telephone / mobile / broadband / etc bills for business and personal

I get calls about website visitor tracking (completely forgotten the 'proper term' but I am sure another salesperson will call me and remind me in the next few days).


I have never bought from a cold caller and am unlikely to ever do so; cold calling is something I detest as it disturbs me and my day.

 

[HazelC]

I get those too. Do you think we crashed into each other?

I think it was a 3 way car crash as I may have been involved too; I just don't remember but the caller ensures me it definitely did happen???

 

[Paul Norman]

I think it was a 3 way car crash as I may have been involved too; I just don't remember but the caller ensures me it definitely did happen???

We obviously all suffered selective amnesia. What is the going compo rate for this? Where are the ambulance chasers when you need them?

 

[iXXi]

Around roughly every 6 months I have a guy call me from a company supplying till rolls.
Ironically every time he rings me, we are fully stocked up and I just say to him that I'm fully stocked, try again sometime soon..

And he'll say no problem, and he WILL follow through with the phone call around 6 months later - what I admire about him is that he isn't 'salesy' he'll ring you up, quickly describe where's his calling from and why his calling. And because he wasn't giving me a scripted load of s**t I went through with it.

He'll get straight to the point, - right 57x57 thermals, normally £x amount but at the moment we are doing them for £x but giving you a box free of charge, we don't ask for money up front, we'll place the order, send you them and you can pay us after.. and our number is on the boxes for a re-order.

Quick, simple and easy. No snidey sales pitches like I receive regarding telecom.

 

[Alan]

I unfortunately had to register a domain through GoDaddy rather than my own account for technical reasons.

Non stop calls from Indian companies offering me web design / web building. Thanks.

The accident calls, get oh that was a serious crash, I unfortunately died.

I got a persistent set of emails / calls / voice messages from a young keen sales person about hosting, I told him no thanks i was happy hosting all my servers on Google Cloud Platform. Despite me explaining that the effort and risk of moving was too high compared to any saving he insisted on quoting, and came back with a number on the basis of a 3 year contract - laughed out loud, told him that contracts were out of the question when I pay monthly for what I use. Half an hour later he called back and his manager had approved monthly on the same terms, he would send a proposal and call back the next day. He didn't I thought he got the message, I researched them and they are a piddly little hosting company. Strangely he called back 2 weeks later - must of forgot - I told him his company is too small - he didn't argue. I must have been bored that week.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

For most people in business, selling is a huge part. That's all the guys and gals who call you are trying to do so give them some respect and at least give them a chance to get a few sentences out! In some cases you'll learn something you didn't know before, like a competitor is closing down or a product you happily buy elsewhere will be in short supply so you may need their services.What I find more annoying is when a cold call results in an appointment (We'd been discussing a genuine need for a new website on the day they called) but the salesman cries off twice. The MD steps in to cover, changes the appointment twice, hits traffic so will be 20 mins late and doesn't show either!!

 

[Mr D]

Oh yes, few things worse than appointments made, schedules rearranged to be there for a meeting and the sales rep does not show.
Have blacklisted several companies for that. No excuses, no calls to say running late, nothing.

 

[Alan]

I also forgot, I get a lot of partner opportunity calls. Basically will you sell my stuff to your clients calls.

 

[sminter1st]

HazelC's list is pretty comprehensive of what we get at the restaurant. The business landline redirects to my mobile so I get personal and business on there. I never buy anything from cold calling, if something is slightly interesting I ask them to send an email to the business account so I have time to research the company etc.

We also get calls for advertising space on websites/local magazines/cinemas etc.

Generally as I can tell which are obvious sales calls as soon as I answer, I will tell them I'm a waitress and the decision-making person is here on a Monday night between 6-9pm every two weeks, most tend not to call back.

 

[andygambles]

I don't remember any calls. But then I have been involved in so many car accidents it is a wonder I can remember anything.