It's great being new to a forum, some of these threads are fantastic, I am so pleased I'm not alone, I am rude to cold callers, I dislike them with a passion, its the smug way they read their script which usually gets my blood boiling, but the resons are endless and life is to short to list them all.
My business partner has honed his rudeness to an absolute artform, I am virtually wetting myself listening to his retorts.
My business partner has honed his rudeness to an absolute artform, I am virtually wetting myself listening to his retorts.
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Doctor's receptionists are prime candidates for rudeness. I know they are under pressure but then that is the job that they have chosen. I think they forget that they are not the doctor and that the person that they are talking, often down to are in many instances worried or concerned. If they can't handle the pressure in a courteous way then they shouldnt be in the job.
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You see this is not always true of PA's, receptionists, office managers especially those who are an outsourced call answering service. They just think they know.
I'm not saying that sometimes you cannot quickly make a judgement on whether an offer is of any interest or not. Of course you can, especially if it is completely mis-matched with the business, but you would be surprised at how many times I get a "no, not interested in anything you are selling" (even though they do not know what it is it is just that they are not receptive to cold calls) kind of response from the receptionist only to get a "yes please" from the decision maker at the same company once I have got past the gatekeeper. I suspect other cold callers have exactly the same results otherwise they wouldnt try so hard to get past the gate-keeper. If the experience generally was that cold calling didnt work then we wouldnt do it would we? There would be no market for it.
But then most of my calls are pretty well researched before I pick up the phone, perhaps that is the difference for me.
Sometimes receptionists will say we are not interested because of xyz when the xyz just confirms the opportunity
If they really think they know what the company is going to review or purchase then perhaps they should tell the decision makers, you know the ones who own the business, as they often have a different view
Having a job to do and getting rid of sales callers is one thing but pretending that you know everything about the business likely purchases would make a receptionist a purchasing manager not a receptionist.
And if company is not receptive to cold callers then put yourself on TPS ... it's not hard
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Neil Warren
- Original Poster
- #245
I've got to say that I'm with Maxine here, and absolute "props" for keeping a cheery, informative and educational slant on your postings Maxine. Particularly in light of the continuing polemic input and abuse from the likes of cjd, not to mention young Senior there, that he appears to have now attracted.
If you'd care to stop and consider for a moment Senior what it is specifically about the modern commercial world that ticks you off, are you saying that any and all sales and marketing approaches to you and your partner are unwelcome? Or are you happy enough with mail shots, knocks on the door, shopping/retailing, advertising, faxes, Google, word-of-mouth, referral networking, "social media" exchanges etc., etc., and it's only the telephone calls that get your goat? (And try not to offend your new ally there, 'cos he sells telephone systems that encourage lots of cheap calls!) Or perhaps, on reflection, you might even be able to bring to mind one of Maxine's rather more informed incoming telephone calls that did in fact benefit both you and your hilarious partner - so that actually you could make a positive suggestion, like her, about the way around this problem? Or perhaps you and your partner have invented an entirely new sales and marketing approach to keep your tills ringing?
Whatever your answer might be though, may I also suggest that, if any sales people in here do find that the "advice" is somewhat lacking in positive suggestions as to how any and all sales (and some marketing) activity can or should be improved, for the benefit of both buyers and sellers, that they should maybe have a little root around to see if they can find a website and community that tries that little bit harder to make things better?
Regards to all - Neil
If you'd care to stop and consider for a moment Senior what it is specifically about the modern commercial world that ticks you off, are you saying that any and all sales and marketing approaches to you and your partner are unwelcome? Or are you happy enough with mail shots, knocks on the door, shopping/retailing, advertising, faxes, Google, word-of-mouth, referral networking, "social media" exchanges etc., etc., and it's only the telephone calls that get your goat? (And try not to offend your new ally there, 'cos he sells telephone systems that encourage lots of cheap calls!) Or perhaps, on reflection, you might even be able to bring to mind one of Maxine's rather more informed incoming telephone calls that did in fact benefit both you and your hilarious partner - so that actually you could make a positive suggestion, like her, about the way around this problem? Or perhaps you and your partner have invented an entirely new sales and marketing approach to keep your tills ringing?
Whatever your answer might be though, may I also suggest that, if any sales people in here do find that the "advice" is somewhat lacking in positive suggestions as to how any and all sales (and some marketing) activity can or should be improved, for the benefit of both buyers and sellers, that they should maybe have a little root around to see if they can find a website and community that tries that little bit harder to make things better?
Regards to all - Neil
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Telephone calls specifically, although all mail shots go in the bin without being read.
Knocks on the door are inconvienient and not welcomed, not a good start for a salesman.
As for your reference to allies, I'm afraid I don't know what your talking about but it makes you sound like a school kid talking about playground gangs.
My sales technique to keep the tills ringing is to make furniture to a high standard and let the word of mouth spread, I do advertise as well but its all quite traditional, no secrets i'm afraid, but if there was I think I might keep it to myself.
No, I'm afraid on reflection I can't (i'll ask my hilarious partner tomorrow, provided I can stop p**sing my pants with laughter whilst he tells me an amusing anecdote) think of a cold call that has benifited my business.
Knocks on the door are inconvienient and not welcomed, not a good start for a salesman.
As for your reference to allies, I'm afraid I don't know what your talking about but it makes you sound like a school kid talking about playground gangs.
My sales technique to keep the tills ringing is to make furniture to a high standard and let the word of mouth spread, I do advertise as well but its all quite traditional, no secrets i'm afraid, but if there was I think I might keep it to myself.
No, I'm afraid on reflection I can't (i'll ask my hilarious partner tomorrow, provided I can stop p**sing my pants with laughter whilst he tells me an amusing anecdote) think of a cold call that has benifited my business.
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Esk247
- Original Poster
- #247
some p.a's / receptionists etc are business breakers.
telephoned a company the other week wanting to talk to the manager and at first they said 'no the manager isn't in today' very odd i thought as i had been in the store earlier and seen him...so i got someone else to phone back 'no the manager is in a meeting at the moment' this was 10 minutes later...all very well the manager was avoiding calls but the receptionist didn't say hello, didn't say the name of the business and couldn't even give a time to contact the manager or arrange a meeting..sounded like she was smoking a fag too...they lost business..i'll never buy anything from them.
a receptionist/p.a must be in tune with your business and must seek to act as a sales person merely by being approachable and friendly and making the caller feel as though they are important to your business.
telephoned a company the other week wanting to talk to the manager and at first they said 'no the manager isn't in today' very odd i thought as i had been in the store earlier and seen him...so i got someone else to phone back 'no the manager is in a meeting at the moment' this was 10 minutes later...all very well the manager was avoiding calls but the receptionist didn't say hello, didn't say the name of the business and couldn't even give a time to contact the manager or arrange a meeting..sounded like she was smoking a fag too...they lost business..i'll never buy anything from them.
a receptionist/p.a must be in tune with your business and must seek to act as a sales person merely by being approachable and friendly and making the caller feel as though they are important to your business.
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Neil Warren
- Original Poster
- #248
Oh OK sorry Senior. Perhaps I did jump to conclusions by assuming that your post, expressing such joy at having found a like-minded group, immediately followed two that were full of such grown-up stuff as b******s & a*******s, and so you felt yourself allied to their thinking and attitudes, at least.
And I can see now, that with your wet trousers and Junior school spelling problems that you're in an entirely different playground altogether!
And I can see now, that with your wet trousers and Junior school spelling problems that you're in an entirely different playground altogether!
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I never was very clever, sorry about the spelling.
I think my Junior school humour has done me no favours in business.
But steady on tiger, everyones entitled to an opinion. Mine is I don't like cold callers.
As for allies, yes you are mistaken and I accept your apology.
I think my Junior school humour has done me no favours in business.
But steady on tiger, everyones entitled to an opinion. Mine is I don't like cold callers.
As for allies, yes you are mistaken and I accept your apology.
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Neil Warren
- Original Poster
- #250
Well I see that as very big of you, and thanks for that.
I guess my problem is that the nearer we all get to accepting that ALL "cold calls" - and then, by inference at least, ALL sales people who ever use the telephone to try and introduce themselves, their products and their services are utter "anythings" - the worse, not better, the problem becomes.
And by "problem", I mean acceptance society-wide that selling and sales people can or should be part of a much needed and absolutely vital part of the business community, should be seen and practised as a "profession", should of course adhere to the best and most productive techniques, etc. etc.. The best of our business-minded youngsters can then aspire to be recruited into that profession, and trained in its ways and means including, where appropriate, making an informed introductory telephone call to a prospect to check out if their research and summations thus far are correct.
Not, as we too often have it at the moment, that it's just a numbers game, recruit a room full of battery hens, give them a rubbish list, and start annoying the hell out of a load of non-prospects.
And of course we all find some of the wilder excesses and our responses to them amusing, idiotic, pathetic, childish even, but I'm hoping we can acknowledge that the better versions do have a valid place in business, even if we personally are not big fans of the telephone, mail, email, adverts, TV, newspapers, street hoardings, word-of-mouth recommendations, networking or whatever.
I guess my problem is that the nearer we all get to accepting that ALL "cold calls" - and then, by inference at least, ALL sales people who ever use the telephone to try and introduce themselves, their products and their services are utter "anythings" - the worse, not better, the problem becomes.
And by "problem", I mean acceptance society-wide that selling and sales people can or should be part of a much needed and absolutely vital part of the business community, should be seen and practised as a "profession", should of course adhere to the best and most productive techniques, etc. etc.. The best of our business-minded youngsters can then aspire to be recruited into that profession, and trained in its ways and means including, where appropriate, making an informed introductory telephone call to a prospect to check out if their research and summations thus far are correct.
Not, as we too often have it at the moment, that it's just a numbers game, recruit a room full of battery hens, give them a rubbish list, and start annoying the hell out of a load of non-prospects.
And of course we all find some of the wilder excesses and our responses to them amusing, idiotic, pathetic, childish even, but I'm hoping we can acknowledge that the better versions do have a valid place in business, even if we personally are not big fans of the telephone, mail, email, adverts, TV, newspapers, street hoardings, word-of-mouth recommendations, networking or whatever.
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this is the real problem, so amazingly Neil we can see eye to eye.
I'm not anti sales people, just anti script readers who know nothing about the product they are selling.
I think there is a big difference between cold callers and a proffessional sales person.
However I personally prefer a certain type of approach from sales people however good or confident they are.
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I have just started a poll to help get a view on responses to rude to telemarketers and hope it helps us understand some differences (or at least me anyway )
http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=104201
http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=104201
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hlsps
- Original Poster
- #253
Had to post after a call I received today. My boss was in a meeting and a rather rude lady rang wanting to talk to him. Politely explained I was his PA could I help. Nope, only wants to speak to him. I asked the nature of the call, its personal, not selling but calling from wealth management. I politely replied that I knew that he would not accept this type of call (which I do know) and she told me she didnt care about my opinion she would ring back on his mobile (good luck as she wont have it!!). Needless to say when I told him how rude she had been (much ruder than I can get across in a few words, it was more tone) he wont take the call even if she had dredged his mobile out of thin air.
What purpose did insulting me do? It certainly wont get her through to who she was calling for. I was very polite to her and hope her sales targets go through the roof and her actual sales take a monumental dive. I would swear but am too polite.
What purpose did insulting me do? It certainly wont get her through to who she was calling for. I was very polite to her and hope her sales targets go through the roof and her actual sales take a monumental dive. I would swear but am too polite.
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LOL, I can relate to that! My PA has taken calls from people that are incredibly rude to her. If they ever do get through, don't they realise she'd have told me? Do I want to have anything to do with people that are rude to my staff? No!
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You would have thought that if she had had his mobile number she would have called that first ?
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The old age problem of the gate keeper, too polite - they walk all over you, too blunt - they don't help. Its a numbers game - the more u dial....the greater your chances - sure you didn't need that pointed out but good to remember when facing the arduous task of cold calling!
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My PA wouldn't walk over you because you're too polite. She'll ask why you want to talk to me and if shedoesn't think I'd be interested then she'll either tell you so or tell you to send in an email. It
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photographer
- Original Poster
- #260
Firstly
I have been a receptionist in my past and I know what is like to get instructed to filter calls.
Having said that, this doesn't mean you have to be rude & thick.
The last few weeks I've been very busy establishing new contacts and potential clients for my new business.
I often find that receptionists are awkward to provide the right name at the department i need to address my business, but the intelligent ones who can listen and think sideways always do their work as they should. Unfortunately today I found the ultimate rude receptionist.
I am not calling from so "far eastern centre" selling dodgy insurance. Maybe because I have an european accent some people can't tell the difference?
All I need is an email address so I can send my portfolio and contact details, should the company require my professional photography to promote their firm.
Business is a two way relationship and this is something a little receptionist from Newbury, Berkshire fails to understand.
I am offering my professional services to a company, but coincidentally I happen to be looking for a company like theirs to commission for a £ 300.000 building project.
Will I consider doing that after the treatment I had from the person on their front desk?
NO, NO NO and one million times NO
Companies should really keep an eye on the image they reflect and realise that badly trained staff can seriously cost them damage and money.
I have been a receptionist in my past and I know what is like to get instructed to filter calls.
Having said that, this doesn't mean you have to be rude & thick.
The last few weeks I've been very busy establishing new contacts and potential clients for my new business.
I often find that receptionists are awkward to provide the right name at the department i need to address my business, but the intelligent ones who can listen and think sideways always do their work as they should. Unfortunately today I found the ultimate rude receptionist.
I am not calling from so "far eastern centre" selling dodgy insurance. Maybe because I have an european accent some people can't tell the difference?
All I need is an email address so I can send my portfolio and contact details, should the company require my professional photography to promote their firm.
Business is a two way relationship and this is something a little receptionist from Newbury, Berkshire fails to understand.
I am offering my professional services to a company, but coincidentally I happen to be looking for a company like theirs to commission for a £ 300.000 building project.
Will I consider doing that after the treatment I had from the person on their front desk?
NO, NO NO and one million times NO
Companies should really keep an eye on the image they reflect and realise that badly trained staff can seriously cost them damage and money.
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Hi, I quit my tele-sales career after 8 months selling that old favourite PAT testing. Now of course I encountered many rude and ignorant insecure little people, and I used to play a game to see if I could cheer them up, and I felt so good after successfully taming some dragons that I went on to get sales later in the working day! Make them laugh or say something totally random to confuse them! You'll be suprised of some reactions!
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I would like to say we shouldn't tar everyone with the same brush, however, as a call answering service we get a lot of cold calls every day for our clients. The problem is that most cold callers:
- Don't do their research properly. They try to sell things completely inappropriate to the firm they're calling;
- Be demanding. Yes, we have actually had cold callers demand to be put through to the person they want to speak to: "Just put me through"
- Lie. They will tell you the person they are trying to contact is waiting for their call, or will know what it's about: "Put me through to the owner of the firm, he knows me and is expecting my call." Erm, well in this case the owner was female.
- Are Rude. If they don't get what they want then they resort to rudeness to make themselves feel better. I've had Yellow Pages sales people say, when we've told them we don't want to buy any advertising: "Well, if you don't want to get any more customers then."
- Are impolite. You are in the middle of explaining that the person they want to speak to is out of the office, with a client etc., and they just hang up.
- Refuse to take "No" for an answer. They will go on and on. If I tell you I am not interested that is not a challenge. If you keep pushing I will hang up.
- Make it as difficult for people to call them back as possible. Believe it or not some of our clients want to be kept informed of the cold calls we have taken, so that if it is of interest then they will phone the firm back. But the caller will say "No, they won't able to reach me," "Our call centre doesn't allow incoming calls", etc.
- Waste your time by trying to be funny or asking you how you are. We're very busy, we don't have time for a telesales person to make stupid jokes, and you don't really care who I feel so don't ask.
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This also works when receiving cold calls, "I won't be a minute, I have to let the penguin out"
"Could you hurry up I need to take the goldfish for a walk"
You can have bundles of fun with cold callers/telesales peeps.
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Heres a guy supposedly in business who never makes a phone call unless he is invited to. Plus he may not be insecure but a couple of personality issues do come to mind. Is this man really in business ?
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Gary this is pretty much what i was going to say. I don't have the privilege of having a receptionist so when I answer the phone the cold caller assumes I am the receptionist, they even dont believe I am me when they ask to speak to me, yes I do get shirty with them as i've had the same type of call 10 times already that day trying to hold up my phoneline talking rubbish!
God I hate cold callers with a passion.
Name and shame me! do i care? no because its my company!!
Rant over!
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twotenmedia
- Original Poster
- #272
I would never cold call anyone for my business, but after leaving school I took a temporary job (until I started college) in a telesales office. I lasted three weeks. I hated the job, phoning people to sell photographic packages. The fact that a professional SLR camera was cheaper than what we were flogging had a lot to do with the failure - but I was just an employee and let us not forget, these people are only trying to make a living - I'd rather them be doing that job than on unemployment benefit.
We had so many interesting responses (though the one about the penguin is a new one on me), and we used to always have a tea break when the soaps were on as you NEVER phone during Coronation Street lol
I hated it and would never do a job like that again, but I do respect (in those days before minimum wage anyway) that these people were on a pittance (£2 an hour some of them) and a commission, they were only trying to buy things like food and warmth for their children, so we shouldn't give them ALL a hard time, though there is no excuse for rudeness.
The most successful were the politest. I never understand rudeness.
BTW, "letting the penguin out" isn't a euphamism is it? lol ooo matron!
We had so many interesting responses (though the one about the penguin is a new one on me), and we used to always have a tea break when the soaps were on as you NEVER phone during Coronation Street lol
I hated it and would never do a job like that again, but I do respect (in those days before minimum wage anyway) that these people were on a pittance (£2 an hour some of them) and a commission, they were only trying to buy things like food and warmth for their children, so we shouldn't give them ALL a hard time, though there is no excuse for rudeness.
The most successful were the politest. I never understand rudeness.
BTW, "letting the penguin out" isn't a euphamism is it? lol ooo matron!
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I think they should be rude. It comes with the territory. If your going to make cold calls then the person on the other end has every right to be rude. Why should people be polite? The thing that annoys me the most is that I never asked to be called and here I am having to say no...
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Hungry Marketing
- Original Poster
- #274
being in the telemarketing business I find that you will always get a receptionist/gatekeeper that thinks they own the company and speaking to a telemarketer with some sort of authoritative tone is just a way to make them self's feel more important! as a telemarketer I'd just do what I can to politely wind them up and give the impression I don't really care what they say to me and no matter how rude they are it wont affect me in the slightest... effectively having the last laugh!
generally gatekeepers are specifically told not to let calls from "our kind" through so generating a good rapport with them first is a great help, it may take one or two calls but get on first name terms (a 5 minute friend) ask if you can send your info to them, make them feel they are involved, maybe even ask them to email you with a time best to call back.
Personally...I love gatekeepers as they always seem to give me most of the information i need to make a successful lead/sale.
keep plugging away - make friends - get the sale!!!!
generally gatekeepers are specifically told not to let calls from "our kind" through so generating a good rapport with them first is a great help, it may take one or two calls but get on first name terms (a 5 minute friend) ask if you can send your info to them, make them feel they are involved, maybe even ask them to email you with a time best to call back.
Personally...I love gatekeepers as they always seem to give me most of the information i need to make a successful lead/sale.
keep plugging away - make friends - get the sale!!!!
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Have you considered that this person may have this authority? Our phone lady has explicit approval to be as rude to telemarketers as she wants to be.
That definitely wouldn't work with our 'gatekeeper'.
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Esk247
- Original Poster
- #276
Wait..what..does that actually work?
I think that making a second call..after being told to 'F OFF' is going to get you more abuse or a listing on the stalker database.
Making friends with the person you've just called? sorry but that slithering and slimey attitude just pees me right off. So does the..
telemarketer 'hey how are you today'
me 'im fine, can i help you at all'
telemarketer 'thats great to hear, well im hear to tell you about...' PHONE DOWN!
if he/she were to call back, the number would be black listed, any further calls are classed as harrassment. Sod off!
can i just state again, since 2005 when i set up my first business, i have NEVER listened to a sales call for more than 10 seconds.
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Hungry Marketing
- Original Poster
- #277
i think my post may have been misinterpreted! "if" someone tells me to "F" off then I do exactly that! I just don't let it affect me.
with regard to making a 5 minute friend I dont mean "hi how are you today...that's great let me sell you stuff" lol I mean don't sound scripted! as you have all said...the industry is chock full of telemarketers reading from a piece of paper trying to push their way through to the decision maker and generally sounding unprofessional...and I agree I don't have much time for those sort of calls. but the calls that do get taken are the ones that when you speak to someone that genuinely has a conversation with you and doesn't "pitch at you".
yeah we get a lot of sales/cold calls every day and if we were to speak to everyone we'd get nothing done...however there are occasions that the telemarketer actually can provide/talk about a service that will genuinely help and benefit your business...it's just establishing what's the best way to gain the interest of the prospect.
with regard to making a 5 minute friend I dont mean "hi how are you today...that's great let me sell you stuff" lol I mean don't sound scripted! as you have all said...the industry is chock full of telemarketers reading from a piece of paper trying to push their way through to the decision maker and generally sounding unprofessional...and I agree I don't have much time for those sort of calls. but the calls that do get taken are the ones that when you speak to someone that genuinely has a conversation with you and doesn't "pitch at you".
yeah we get a lot of sales/cold calls every day and if we were to speak to everyone we'd get nothing done...however there are occasions that the telemarketer actually can provide/talk about a service that will genuinely help and benefit your business...it's just establishing what's the best way to gain the interest of the prospect.
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Esk247
- Original Poster
- #279
but what makes you think i want your service/product/thingy?
why would you not take your telemarketing budget and spend it on PPC or Paper based marketing material that works for brand awareness and advertising?
I am 100% more likely to buy something that i've telephoned YOU about rather than you telephoning me when i'm in the middle of doing my VAT form or half way up a ladder with a pair of pliers in my gob.
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