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PERHAPS THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO SELL PRODUCT OR SERVICES THAN COLD CALLING!

WE'RE NOT RUDE. YOU'VE INVADED OUR SPACE AND NOW YOU WANT OUR TIME.

Your want to PUSH and we want to PULL. Since we're the ones that might be buying, we get to make the rules.

Inspired by, Realtors ---- Barriers to Information by Judith Sinnard - The Floor Plan Lady

Ms. Sinnard implies that we Realtors are rude or something because we don't want to sit through a telephone presentation of her product. Good grief! The intrusion of cold callers is so annoying, laws have been enacted to protect the consumer. Of course, since we're in business, we're not protected. That doesn't make the calls any less annoying.

She writes: "If you don't want me to call ... I'm not going to call ... it is polite for me to ask, and abruptly slamming the phone down on my ear is an unnecessary emphasis to your response of "NO" ... I get the message. But do you? Where will your new information come from?"

We don't want you to call. We never do. We never did.

Now that I've let that information out, will the calls continue? Of course, they will. The reason some of us hang up is because it's often the only way to end a conversation. Honest, I've tried. I've tried over and over again. Vendors who are trained and experienced cold callers don't take "no" or "no thanks" for an answer. You just go on and on. "Let me show you." "Are you connected to the Internet?"

Well, I'm always connected to the Internet. Because I'M WORKING!

Has it occurred to you that, if I'm on the phone with you, I could miss an important home buyer call???

When we try to end a telephone conversation and state that we don't want to see a demonstration, does that stop the presentation? Of course not. You just drone on and on about how fab your product is and how it will enhance my business and how top producing agents, blah, blah, blah. . . Sometimes you'll even try the inane "Oh, you don't want any more business?"

Update ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Update ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Update

EXAMPLE: It's 1:30 p.m. on Monday, June 22, 2009. I just got a phone call from a California number, 925-598-0081. The caller was super friendly, often a top off because home buyers are not usually that super friendly at the beginning of a call. The caller introduced herself a "calling from Leapfish. I had to laugh. I told here that her timing couldn't have been worse and that I had just blogged about vendors calling. She then said "Oh, you're not interested in promoting your business?" To which I replied "and that statement couldn't have been more stupid." She hung up.

I'm very busy today revising a web page for water front properties in Maryland to develop referral business for a broker that visited me last week. Revising a web site is complicated business and we need to concentrate. This cold caller not only broke my concentration but she insulted my intelligence with her inane statement. GEEZ!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You ask, "Where will your new information come from?"

HERE'S THE ANSWER:

COME OUT, COME OUT WHERE EVER YOU ARE OR WHO EVER YOU ARE:

Put up a good web page,
Optomize the content to produce in normal Google SERP for your important key words.
When an agent or broker wants what you're selling, we'll search Google and view the products from different vendors.
It's simple PULL advertising. If we contact you, we have already decided that we probably want your product.
If you telephone and try to PUSH your product, you will meet a lot of resistance because we get those calls every day from vendors of products in which we have no interest.

It isn't up to vendors to determine what we need or want.

COME OUT, COME OUT WHERE EVER YOU ARE OR WHO EVER YOU ARE: Put up a good web page and if we want what you're selling. . . . . we'll find you!

After all, as a red blodded American, shopping is one of the things we do best.

Posted by Lenn Harley, Real Estate Broker, Maryland & Virginia on 06/21/2009 06:00 PM

Comments (135)

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135 Comments on PERHAPS THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO SELL PRODUCT OR SERVICES THAN COLD CALLING!

JUN

I admit I rarely answer the phones when I see a strange number. In all fairness I think its fine if people cold call but it is become a lot less effective.

Lenn - Great description of the process. Perhaps some of the pushers will "get it."

OH, you hit on a SORE subject here, Lenn! The comments that you quote have been used on me numerous times. When you're right in the middle of something and expect someone to be calling about that particular transaction and you get the strong-armed salesperson, sometimes all you CAN do is hang up the phone. They are rude and will not let you off of the phone and please, for goodness sakes, we're TRYING to do business here! As you said, if you're good enough, I'll find YOU--you shouldn't NEED to call me!

Chuck. My business relies on my phone being answered. Vendors just get in the way when they tie up my phone. HEY! I need to add that.

John. It's doubtful.

Lenn...

Well goodness gracious, I started reading your post and followed the link to Judith's blog where I left a comment saying that I wish that HER post would be featured because it should provoke a good dialog ...

And by the time I get back YOUR post is featured! lol

And now Judith's is featured too ... this could get interesting in a hurry!

I know...you are right! The problem for me is...I've spent my entire life in sales and started by going door-to-door cold calling all day. I would get 3-5 new customers a day (bottled water company/office refreshments) and offered products and services which were new and affordable.

I hate the calls too....but understand the other side, at least for the people doing the work.

It's tough!

Karen. But, but, but, if you were told "No, I don't want any", did you then persist in talking, talking, talking?? That's my experience with telephone vendors.

There is little that we can't find on the Interent today.

Debe. The Internet made sure that we don't have to have our time usurped with vendor calls. Crimony, I look at a phone book about once a year.

Richard. I surely hope so.

My approach: If they don't get off the phone fast, I'm for hanging up. I'm busy, and I didn't ask them to call.That's how I expect people to respond when I call them if they don't know me either, and I do have to do that from time to time.

If a person is doing cold calls, they need to be tough as nails and not let anything get to them. It's hard and should be done in small doses.

Lenn, You offer up some great advice. HAVE A GREAT WEB SITE. Good Lord. I get SO many crap calls, it makes me crazy. All I hear is blah blah blah....the majority DON'T take no for an answer. THAT is rude, if you ask me. Sadly, someone may call me someday with a great product, but I"ll never know, because 99% of the solicitors act like fools and FORCE me to hang up on them.

I loved your statement: "Well, I'm always connected to the Internet. Because I'M WORKING!" Amen, sister!

Duh-uh!

Reasons I am not a big fan of cold calling myself. I don't like it when people call me as a cold call.

Dawn. Oh boy, that's good. Small doses. Most will force feed us till we OD.

Elizabeth. Funny. It's true. If I'm awake and in my home office at my phone, I am working.

Trying to sell me a $450 floor plan product that I don't want or need could cost me a $30,000 commission.

LOL and Amen! I had one sales chatty Kathy who would not stop talking even when I told her I had an appointment and had to go. Her last question was "So why did you get into Real Estate?" I jokingly told her "I liked to work for free." At least she was laughing when I hung up!

Pat. Indeed.

Christine. PUSH, by it's very description is annoying.

Mary. I'm laughing out loud. We really sit around waiting for someone to call us with small talk, don't we?

I think we are more suseptible to this type of selling because we are so visible. I used to work for a large international tech company and it was almost impossible for these aggressive sales people to get to the person they wanted to talk to...or at least that's what I used to tell them! Unfortunately now they ask for me by name and I can't make them go away easily.

On the flip side, we need to remember that some agents are known for opening the phone book and making cold calls to farm. Those calls are just as intrusive to the people they call and can give the rest of us a bad name.

March. You're right. We want our phone to ring. We must be accessible.

I understand that a lot of agents cold call too.

I believe it was the tone of the post that got to me. Like we a bunch of dolts who don't know when we want or need something and should have to listed to the entire pitch. GEEZ.

Oh yes. It's sometimes almost impossible to get off the phone - other than hanging up, even when you say no, not interested, thank you bye - and they keep talking. Good Grief. ~Rita

Oh my gosh, I know this is a little bit cheesy. I'm copying and pasting my response from Judith's blog here. I hope that's okay. It seems to work on both blogs. Sorry for the redundancy. :P

From Judith's blog:

Judith,

I understand both YOUR argument....and Lenn's argument. I read her post a moment ago.

All of us, as vendors catering to the real estate industry, HAVE to realize that we're but one in a growing list of service providers who feel that agents "simply can't live" without our products or services. LOL!!

But watch this...

Here's a partial list of providers currently seeking and soliciting business from Realtors (some of them in desperation mode):

1. Mortgage Reps
2. Title Reps
3. Home Inpection Companies
4. Home Warranty Companies
5. Termite Companies
5. Escrow Offices
6. Homeowners Insurance Agents
7. Web Developers
8. SEO Marketers
9. Real Estate Coaching
10. Transaction Coordinators
11. Home Stagers
12. Handymen and Contractors
13. Blog Writers
14. Online Marketers
15. Offline Marketers
16. Design and Print Companies (like ours)
17. MLM Opportunity Companies

I got tired of thinking...but I know the list is longer than that!!

If just those 17 industries had only three competitors vying for one agent's business each day, and each wanted "only 10 minutes" of their time....here's what would happen:

17 x 3 = 21 x 10 = 210 minutes

THREE AND A HALF HOURS OUT OF EACH AND EVERY DAY listening to sales pitch after sales pitch. It really WOUDN'T leave any time for them to do their own jobs, much less spend time with their families, etc. Trust me, I know the motivation for wanting to expose your product (I've visited your website and I think there's a need in some cases for it.) But sheesh...I also believe our products can be used by everyone too. And I'm sure the mortgage and title reps feel the same way.

I average about 6-10 new customer inquiries per day, which is perfect for us. Too much more than that and we wouldn't be able to handle it to be honest. The inquiries come from either referrals, or perhaps a blog I've written either here or somewhere else...or from a web search, or whatever.

But I haven't cold-called a Realtor in about 7 years. I haven't had to (fortunately)....but even if I did, I'm not sure I'd go that route versus print or online marketing (including email). We need to be a bit more respectful of their time...and maybe set up a call for a later date, know what I mean?? What's funny to me is...once I'm talking to an agent on the phone...it seems like we spend a LONNNNG time discussing new marketing strategies, branding ideas, etc. But it's because they've decided on their own terms that they want to learn more...and I'm happy to tell them about it.

Best of luck...and success! :)

Dave

It just occurred to me that if someone is feeling lonely or unwanted...they should get a real estate license and wait for the phone to ring! They will have plenty of people fighting to keep them on the phone engaged in conversation all day long! Perfect!!! :o))) I agree...one more telemarketing call and I am gonna barf!

"Since we're the ones that might be buying, we get to make the rules."

Freakin' brilliant statement.

Awhile back there was a somewhat similar debate on whether or not lenders should waste their time "marketing" to real estate agents with rate sheets, open house flyers, etc. One of the commenters said something like ""Well, shouldn't you give us a chance before you just dismiss us as incompetent?" No, not really. If someone cold calls me with a sales pitch, they are going to be considered Guilty Until Proven Innocent. And, like Lenn made quite clear - if I want information about something, I know where to go. I don't need no salesperson on my phone, email or mailbox telling me all about it. That's what google's for...

Lenn, I'll admit I've wanted to hang up the phone when I receive cold calls.......most of them are when I'm at the office in the middle of a meeting. They don't take no for an answer. I usually tell them to call back at a more convenient time.....like never!!!!!!!

Lenn,

Thanks for your post. You have offered a great suggestion "Have a great Website". We will find them! No question!!

I have come to the mind that any solicitation call I don't initiated, I am not interested in.

Forgive the RANT but this is a gooooooood topic.

I understand this issue more than most because I am exactly on both sides of the fence here. I have made hundreds of thousands of cold calls. I get cold calls.

I understand both referenced blogs. What do I do...? I look/talk/listen to see if the caller knows their stuff. If they do, they earn more time. If not , asta la bye bye.

By the numbers.....

Efficiency in client aquisition for new business cold calling Realtors-least investment for the highest return.

The companies that these people represent choose this method for business acquisition. The people were hired (some trained/some not) and they are doing the best that they can to be good at what they do, provide for families etc.

That being said, none of this excuses the cold caller being rude.

It the first response that the cold caller got was "not interested" and they said "ok" and hung up though....I'll show you someone bound for a fast food career.

Anyone cold calling Agents though better understand that you get dozens of calls per day from magnet people, newspaper people, magazine folks, sign rider people, print guys and yes 5 different Web companies per day. People to sell you traffic, to optimize the site. Virtual assistants, more web comanies, the person who helps stage. Mortgage people , title people.....It never ends.

These people shouldn't expect you to always be open to the timing, idea or product. They must know when to move on.

So...

I can point to thousands of people who didn't have the good site, who had no return and sometimes no clue that do better business today because someone broke through on a cold call and actually made sense.

I also know there are thousands of people who answered the calls and ended up either with their time wasted or purchasing something that wasn't right for them.

1. You are going to get cold calls, hopefully the people who call you are mature enough not to take "NO" personally.

2. They are going to want to dodge the knee jerk "No" because it usually before you know what these folks are offering.

3. You are going to get all kinds of people in that part of the industry just like there are all kinds in RE. some are smarter, more mature, better communicators etc..some less.

4. Some will really be able to help you enhance your business, some won't.

5. If you don't want to listen and hang up, they should realize that you did them a favor. I never had time to waste with people who were not serious about enhancing their own business.

6. Just because someone cold calls does not make them a no nothing telemarketer. Maybe some but not all.

7. The company, the sales person, the product and the agent all lose when the cold caller gets rude. Professionalism should be a huge priority.

Bottom line, it is business acquisition, it is their job and it can be very annoying to you, especially in volume. If they do a great job, you will understand the value proposition before you get off of the phone. Whether or not it is right for you is another story. If you know the value and still don't want to learn more, they should move on to the next prospect but never be combative.

We would all like to work a 100% referral business that requires nothing but an occasional business card or "how's the family" call. That takes awhile to build though.

They could do all of their marketing on the net. Do top publications, rely on social media...

BUT

The companies that these people are calling from were not built by waiting for agents to call them.

For the caller and the agent, it isn't what happens to you, it is how you react that defines your character.

I think the people who do end up buying these products or services via cold call must be very unsophisticated.

Sometimes you'll even try the inane "Oh, you don't want any more business?"

Is that in a cold call how to book somewhere?

When they are stupid enough to say that line, I say 'no, I am trying to get rid of the business I have now - I am exhausted.'

I thought Judith's post was counter productive - first, show no respect for me and then try to sell me something...

I am respectful of an agent's time. I have tried to explain that, but apparently I have hit a nerve and am being tarred with the same brush as any/all vendors who may have ever contacted you.

The 2 examples I gave for increased enhanced business are true. Those pieces of business developed by working in relationship with a Realtor who took the time to listen to what I had to say. The application has grown and expanded in ways I never would have imagined at the outset. The realtors I work with are very pleased (I have done over 100 SMARTePLANS for a single agent) and even in this difficult business climate have picked up add'l business they may not have had -- without collaborating and utilizing the new products I developed with their input and cooperation.

The sense I get from the above posts is that the barriers to information in place are real, and generally most Realtors feel they are valuable and necessary because the screening process they fulfill is worth more than putting up with rude vendors who call them. The difficulty in wading through who may be valuable and who may not be would be too time consuming, so screening out everyone (via the barriers) is not only acceptable, but desirable, regardless if potential positive and favorable business opportunities are lost.

So the summary would be, I believe, that the barriers are real and generally speaking Realtors are pleased with the function they perform, a valuable service protecting their time. Yes?

If a Real Estate prospect (FSBO, expired etc..) lists with a an Agent who called them, are they also unsophisticated?

If the Agent has an idea, method or expertise that is going to help that person and they delivered it to the customer with a call and saved the customer time, pain and money, they helped the customer.

Same for any salesperson. Don't sell-help.

Not all will do these things but some will. Generalizing is a dangerous game. Generalize about these people and you should expect people to generalize about you.

That's what these cold callers are trained to do - push, push and push. Maybe, it's time for Pull trainers? I am curious if anyone has recently calculated ROI on cold calls for B2B sales? Maybe they still bring plenty of business? No matter what their target audience (AKA we, the Real Estate professionals) feel and how "rude" it is?

I seriously doubt that they will ever give up. I am guilty on "Thank you. I am not interested" and hanging up when I am busy. And I am always busy with my business or my family.

I don't have the time to see a on line demonstration all the time. We go to shows, we read realtor.com, we see stuff here on the rain. Nothing will push us to buy by calling us

Pushing shoudn't be the method, creating interest should. Hanging up if interest isn't created is not a sin, you are saving the cold callers time.

"We don't want you to call. We never do. We never did."

Ha ha ha !!!

Well said, enough said.

I admit to getting very rude at times with these people! Sometimes it appears to be the only thing that works.

Lenn, my question is this: How would you apply that way of thinking to those of us who are counseled relentlessly to "cold call" expireds and fsbo's to get listings (as if that were the only way)?

Lenn, I think you summed it up very well. I haven't come across one cold caller who would end the call when I politely said I'm not interested, instead they keep going. Once a persons mind is made up there's usually no changing it.

We do not want to be cold called for anything -- if we want it we will look for it , or ask someone we know for a referral -- so cold calling , and having to take time to deal with the caller is now what we want to do -- whatever the product is.

I have owned homes for 22 years. In those 22 years, I have never....I repeat....I have never received a cold call or a door knock from any realtor. I doubt that many agents research other agent's addresses until recently. Just wanted to throw that out there as I was on a panel discussion in Orlando and one of the panelist only door knocks and sells over $100mm a year. I think he is crazy, but he is also selling $100mm a year.

Oh, Lenn . . . that is SO perfect! You are absolutely right. If I need a service, I'll go looking. In the mean time, I want to be left alone (except by clients and people I'm doing business with already). Like everyone else in this business, my cell phone is constantly on and always with me. I always answer it. And I always cheerfully interrupt those soliciting pain in the whatsits with a "Sorry but I'm not interested. Bye". BTW--It's nearly impossible to slam a cell phone down. It's just a quick button push into oblivion for those guys.

Lenn,

Great post. I responded to the other post that I read a lot about products. I read several Realtor magazines. I read Realtor blogs and articles on line. I go to NAR every year and enjoy the classes and the EXPO. I also go to state conventions and last year went to the WCR convention in Boston. I sometimes think they make conventions and EXPOs for Realtors just like me. I buy a lot. I use the stuff I buy. I also try the ideas I get from the classes. I do not bar new information. However...

I do hang up quickly on phone solicitors. That is the last way I ever want information.

I have a hard time understanding that others do not know that no one enjoys phone solicitors.

I'm a little surprised of every one jumping on this band wagon. While I, too, would pretty quickly give a "not interested" if called, or if the product sounded intriguing enough, maybe a "send me a link to it," comment. But I also have a bit of respect for (almost) any sales person. Afterall, I'm a sales person, too.

Do no agents EVER cold call anymore? No one here has ever called a FSBO or an expired, or God forbid, simply picked up the phone and called people within a neighborhood? How about knocking on doors? Never? Most agents have at one point or another. So why is our time more valuable than those that we call?

Just a little Devil's Advocate thrown out there for you.

I have never bought anything via a phone conversation, but I've learned a lot of new technologies and bought products and services based upon the recommendations, such as Jeff Turner's Real Estate Shows or vFlyer and Postlets. It's the same way my real estate business works. I don't make cold calls or even do desk duty, my phone rings with potential clients who have found out about me through a search on the Internet or from other people who have heard good things about me. Some of these people have never met me and some of the people who tell their friends to call me don't know me either, it's viral marketing, word-of-mouth referral. Products and services sell in the same way.

Roger, I've never made a cold call or knocked on doors, it's not an efficient marketing method.

The real reason is that I don't like phone calls is that they inevitably come at the worst possible time, like when I'm already five minutes late for an apt. or even worse when I am expecting an important phone call to continue a negotiation.

I think the floor plan lady idea is best presented visually. I just looked up the site and thought well how cool is that you really can arrange furniture on it! It looks like posting on active rain will be the floor plan lady's best publicity and the best thing is that no poster will bang the phone in her ear!

[It's simple PULL advertising. If we contact you, we have already decided that we probably want your product. ]

For sure.

Just make the product available and easy to find . . . if it's any good, they will come . . . :)

Hi Lenn...Thank you for writing this post.

Cold calls are an intrusion. It is as simple as that and it is exactly why I have signed up for the "Do Not Call List" on my home and cell phone. Many others have also for that very reason.

Kate

I don't like pushy salespeople and as much as some people think that they are respectful of our time and/or what we do unfortunately some other sales people simply do not respect us realtors ®.

Oh boy, did you hit the nail on the head. I have some folks that call me repeatedly. I've told them repeatedly not to call. The answer, "I'm not the one who called you." Well, guess what, you're with the same company -- go away ! If I want or need a product or service I'll find you. ~Evelyn

Lenn,

We had a small restaurant until a year ago. We got rid of it. I still get calls offering merchant services. I tell them that I do not accept credit cards any more, that the restaurant has been sold. Not a single time would that stop them. They still try to push me, asking what other things I do in life and how I need the credit card processing service.

I am guilty of hanging up.

Dear telemarketers... re "Where will your new information come from?"...

Try what I did. Put up a little blog on ActiveRain, give out half decent info once in awhile, be fun entertaining, educational and the business comes naturally.

In fact I love my clients from the real estate industry, many of them have sent me coffee, cookies and chocolate after a project is finished. Not rude at all, quite a nice bunch of people in my experience.

By the way, my phone # is in my profile. Feel free to call me as well, I can tell you to F... off in 3 languages.

Oh, I should know better than to even jump into this pool......but I didn't listen to my Mother either...

I once was a sales person. No, wait, I STILL AM a sales person. I sell homes. But that's not where I was going. I use to be in sales in the hotel industry. It was my JOB to call meeting planners and find out if they had any meetings they could bring to my hotel. First, I started in Myrtle Beach where I had to find the business locally and at the state level. However, since I worked for Hilton Hotels, we had a National Sales Department that contacted the Meeting Planners, and they passed leads to us, so we did not have to call the Meeting Planners. Yes, one of my friends, a meeting planner told me if he took every hotel sales person call, he would never get any work done. But, I had a job to do. Sell my hotel. Time progressed, and if you were in a good (desirable location) you did not have to make these calls, they came to you from National Sales, or better yet, they called you directly.

When I worked at the Nikko Hotel in Atlanta, my phone rang off the hook. I did not have to look for the business, if found me.

Fast forward to today. Are some callers that try to sell us something rude? Yes. But, they have a job to do. I think we owe it to them to "cut them off mid sentence" and say, thanks for the call, but not interested.

What I find most amusing in this entire subject between Lenn's post and Judith's post is (and Judith don't take this personally) is ....You are calling ME, a REALTOR and trying to get me to buy a product. ME, a REALTOR (while there may be a select few of us out there just rolling in the cash) who is working 7 days a week, 12+ hours a day just to keep my head above water and hang on till the market rebounds? ME, a REALTOR that laughs when I get an invite to the NAR convention and think, where in the hell would I get money to pay those outrageous hotel rates in San Diego, let alone the airfare?

Do these calls irrate me? Heck yes. But all this banter just made me realize something. That guy on the other end of the phone is trying to make a living, be it a commission or a paycheck. I think I owe it to him/her to first be polite and say sorry, no thanks, don't have the money, whatever. I don't think we have to be rude, unless they do push.

I understand both sides of this discussion, so I guess I look at it a bit different, and will also be a bit more professional when Judith calls and I'm not able to purchase her product.

As one Sales Professional to another Sales Professional...let's try to be just that....professional.

Ok, let me grab my towel and dry off now.

I'm sure Judith is sincere and her program may be great, but I do have to admit that occasionally I may get a bit abrupt with people who cold call me, even when I realize that they might have something that could be helpful to me. I have listings in 2 counties and I am working them all very hard. I get dozens of calls every day with questions about my listings and requests to show them to folks, as well as buyer prospects who want me to show them other properties. I couldn't do the best for my clients if I spent time with each of the solicitors who call me every day on top of the real estate calls.

I suggested to Judith that she give presentations to Realtor Associations and bring handouts and offer a special deal to people at the meetings. This would save her time and she would be more appreciated, and would likely gain referrals if her clients liked her service. Meeting organizers are always interested in finding interesting new speakers, and she wouldn't have to experience all the hangups that all telemarketers experience.

Lenn... Thank you. I give callers two "No, thank you" opportunities... then I hang up.

Dave above. There is a mistake in your math.

17x3=51x10=510 minutes each day. That is 8 1/2 hours!

Like I said on the other post... if I listened to every pitch I got, I wouldn't have time to work.

Lenn - Excellent topic. I also don't want all the spam either. And, I especially don't like other Activee Rain members who use this site for the sole purpose of finding Realtors to solicit.

If I am called and I don't have time or interest, no thank you and then a hang up is totally acceptable and should be to the cold caller. Having been called alot and having made many calls, I can't imagine one should feel bad about being abrupt, just not abusive. Timing is simply horrible at times, other times, the interest, ability to focus isn't there. Sometime there is no value presented in the call. End the call.

Because of my background and experience, I understand these are simply people trying to make a living. Sure it can be inconvenient at times.

If you knew that this was going to be the greatest driver of business for you and had the highest return rate for your dollar and time, would you do it?

Hi Lenn - There is a double standard here. You say "Vendors who are trained and experienced cold callers don't take "no" or "no thanks" for an answer." The same statement could easily be said about real estate agents who build their business by calling FSBOs, Expireds, and Withdrawns.

Any phone call is a potential intrusion on our time. Do we get upset with a consumer who calls with a general question, a builder inviting us to a lunch-and learn, or another Rainer who calls to say they really appreciate a post of ours and asks for a little advice? Of course not, even though each of those calls steal precious minutes where we could be talking to a potential buyer, scheduling a listing appointment, etc.

There is a middle ground here. Both sides can be more respectful of the other's time and more professional when we interact. And if we can do that, we just might learn something from each other, too.

Lenn, you've hit a chord here.

Jennifer Allan's comment (#22) reflects my attitude.

And, it is also interesting to reflect on one of Jennifer Allan's recent posts, about two vastly different approaches to a successful real estate career. In that post, she noted that her colleague did A LOT of cold calls everyday. A real estate agent making cold calls.

Agents, lenders, home inspectors, etc: we all seem to have to make cold calls at some time in our career.

Personally, I hate cold-calling, and do not sense that I am effective at it. Perhaps, it is because of my own sense of annoyance when I receive a cold call -- much as I hear you saying so.

So, I guess I just need to put up a good web site -- still to do.

How do I get you to even think about going to my web site?

I get SO MANY CALLS from that company in Montana -- Real Estate Client Referrals -- or whatever it's called. At least weekly for the past two years. I've asked at least a few dozen times, e-mailed them, etc., to please take me off their list to call -- and I have asked nicely.

Since that didn't work, I simply hit END on my cell.

But the calls continue.

There ought to be a law against stupid vendors who don't listen.

I hate cold calls. I hate them. I hang up. I didn't ask them to call me, and I don't want them to call me.

I think Marti has the right idea! Of course, he is so generous and one of a kind!

JUN

Color me amused that the vendor comments on this thread include the standard pitches. "If you knew that you could increase your business ... "

ABC, baby. ABC.

Lane,

OMG!! Thank you for catching that!

Sheesh...I thought I was good at math? I better be careful with those kinds of mistakes! I'm likely to wind up offering 1,000 business cards for only $39.00.

Which I am NOT going to do, as my feelings get hurt when people hang up on me.

ROFL! Sometimes I just can't help myself.

Dave

I understand the post. However, I have to admit that all outstanding sales professionals that I have met are outstanding cold callers. I do agree that some are very unprofessional. I do agree that some need to learn when to give up. However, i also understand how useful a skill "cold calling" is. I get cold called all the time, and I cold call all the time. So I am on both ends. When someone cold calls me I hear their quick commercial, ask them what they have and then I make the decision if I am not going to talk with them or not. Not hearing what they have to say could cost me business. I mean what if they have an awesome product that can help me out.

On the other side of that, when I tell them not interested, if they push, I hang up. Plain and simple. But I will hear them out.

Thank you, Lenn!

Telemarketers who call Realtors need to understand that very often when they call us, we are facing a tight deadline (we only have a limited timeframe to respond to offers / counter offers, etc.). It's not just the "10 minutes" they take. It's the complete interruption of workflow and focus ... and it goes on entirely too much throughout the day. Those who respect my time are likely to get more of it when I am available.

While we're on the subject, I would love it alot if telemarketers would stop clicking on my PAY-PER-CLICK ads, stop calling my toll-free number, and stop calling my cellphone. Period. I pay for all of those services for use by my clients, prospective clients, and active business associates ONLY. Taking advantage of my finances before we even say hello is not the way to start off on a good note with me. One last thing ... stop assuming that all Realtors have more money than sense. Big mistake!

Rita. That's my experience too. I was shocked once when I heard an long greeting about how they "could help me" and when I said "I'm not interested", she said thanks and have a nice day.

That was a smart cold caller with good training. Cold calling has been documented to be more successful when the vendor follows certain statistical models. Most, however, just want to bend your ear, wear you down, get you to their web site, and blah, blah, blah.

David. You've got a good handle on it. It's their usurpation of my time that annoys me the most, aside from their often condensing attitude that we're stupid and should listen to how they "can help us".

Exit Hill Country. Agree. Completely agree.

Jennifer. Right you are. If we're competent enough to be in the position of buying anything, we must be competent enough to find what we want to buy.

Kay. Never is the absolute best time.

Dorie. Indeed. There hasn't been anything I can't find on the Internet for 5 years.

An Marshall. Yep. Of course, when I do call for information about services or products, it would be nice to get someone on the phone that can help.

Wonderful stuff Lenn. I am so frustrated by cold calls. I don't do them and I don't like it when someone calls me this way. WE DON'T WANT YOU TO CALL! That says it all.

Scott. You wrote: "For the caller and the agent, it isn't what happens to you, it is how you react that defines your character."

Since when is my character defined by my reaction to a person who happens to have my name and phone number on a list?

Leave my character out of the debate.

Utter nonsense!

In fact, you've just exhibited one of the most irritating tactics of many cold callers, i.e,, trying to make me, my character, your description of my needs, my intelligence a tool in your presentation.

This is business. If I don't have the time or interest in listening to a cold caller's presentation, my character is not impugned.

Did you say $30,000 commission? That's it! I'm moving to your area.:-)

Deborah. Indeed. I have looked at many of the products offered by cold callers and their rinky-dink web sites are usually pathetic. Full of gimmicks, no rank, etc. Funny how a vendor can try to sell me a system to gain #1 rank (which I am), when their web sites don't even have a rank.

Virginia. HA! That was a line that a rep from Homes.com used on me.

Judith. It isn't your prerogative to determine what is valuable for me. It's mine.

Scott. Comparing a cold caller for a product that is not mainstream and very expensive to an agent contacting expired listing sellers is apples and oranges. The home owner who has a home for sale and the listing has expired has already exhibited the need for your services or the services of some agent. Of course, even then, I believe a better sales procedure is the U.S. Mail. But, that's a personal choice.

Svetlana. "Thank you. I am not interested" is similar to what I say, which is "I'm not interested". Sadly, that doesn't end the caller's presentation. It appears to be a signal to go to their next line.

Russ. And yet they keep trying.

Scott. Ooooo! I'm a gentle southern lady. Hanging up isn't in my nature. Mutual respect is in order when they say who they are and what they're selling and I say, "I'm not interested", should be enough. Sadly,. . . . .

Missy. Isn't it the truty.

Corrine. Indeed. Now, I don't have a rude bone in my body. So, rather than hang up, I just quietly lay the phone on the floor in the middle of their yak-it-i-yak.

William. Calling FSBOs and expireds is not cold calling. The recipient of the telephone calls are consumers who have placed their homes on the market. Calling names from the phone book to sell your real estate services is cold calling and I don't believe that we should be doing that either. The consumers and the FTC that has tried to protect the consumer agrees.

Michelle. The statistical reports of cold calling analysis shows that more and shorter calls is more productive than the long winded, wear them down callers such as Ms. Sinnard appears to practice.

Bob and Caroline. Indeed. We're fully capable of finding what we want.

Tim. A person who spends the time knocking on doors couldn't possibly sell a $100mm a year. The numbers just don't work. He's either knocking on doors full time or selling full time and even that is not possible for one person. I've never seen verification for these fantastic claims. I know folks who receive the annual awards for $100mm a year in sales and everyone of them is crediting to their MLS# the activity of a full team of agents.

Shucks. I've done $100mm many times over but it was with a brokerage of agents.

Sharon. And you paid for the call. As do I when the cold caller calls me on my 800#.

Julie. The only explanation that I can fathom is that they believe that they, the cold callers, believe that we are too ignorant to know what we want or need and that we need them to tell us.

Roger. Actually, many of us, myself included have NEVER telephoned an expired, a FSBO (although I don't believe that meets the test of cold calling), knocked on a door or the other things you mention. PULL advertising relies on advertising and helping those who respond. The statistics are far in favor of PULL over PUSH since the advent of the Internet. A real estate office is PULL advertising. We're here. Come in when you need our services.

Gail. Agreed. Although, when I started in real estate my first clients were from desk duty. Things are different today.

Beverly. Agreed. Although they, like so many advertisers will probably not pay for AR advertising.

Candice. Works for me.

Kate. Me too but that doesn't protect you as a business.

Lana. How right you are. They don't even respect our ability to determine for ourselves what we want to buy.

Evenly. That's what I keep telling the guys from Homes.com.

Jon. And they just won't stop will they?

Marti. MY HERO! You have not only marketed your services effectively to ActiveRain members on ActiveRain, you have done so with class.

Thom and Ray. Your position is understandable. However, when we say we are not interested and the caller insists that we look and listen and is of the impression that they are some how entitled to make their full presentation, they lost the argument. Believe it or not, we are the best persons to determine whether or not their product or service is right for us.

Susan. Good ideas. Perhaps the cold callers will listen. However, one reason cold callers do what they do is the low overhead.

Lane. That's what I keep telling folks. It's my business and I decide what I want to hear. Even if I'm wrong.

Carol. Once you put yourself out there, you will get solicited.

Scott. I dipute the claim that it is the best driver of business. But, I don't really know.

John N. I don't believe that FSBO, expired sellers, etc. are the same as a name in the telephone book or a member of Active Rain.

Andrew. A good web site is the best PULL advertising, IMO. Google is the epitome of PULL advertising. When a consumer telephones or e-mails me, they are requesting my services. Love it.

Chris. There ought to be a law, indeed.

Karen. Ditto.

Joan. Indeed. Marti is a class act.

Paul. Thanks. You identified the very essence of why that post was so insulting.

Brendon. I have not the patience to hear them out. Once they describe what they are selling, if they ever even get to that, I make a quick decision and say "I'm not interested". If only that were enough.

Denise. You are so right in everything you said. Thanks. We are paying for the call, aren't we?

Laraine. My target market is the $500,000 and above price range. I make a decent fee on each sale.

Paddy. Indeed. Indeed.

Lenn, I had a few calls while I was sick with congestive heart failure and on oxygen. I informed the caller that I was sick and did not want to hear about their products...the person continued to talk...I just disconnected the call.

Rebecca. Oh my. Which describes perfectly the fact that they called to talk and not to listen.

That is one of the irritating habits of the typical cold caller.

Lenn - You write some of the best blogs around! I must admit that in the 27 years of being in the business, I have done almost NO cold calling. Somehow it comes under the "Do unto others" category. I don't appreciate my phone ringing during dinner hour, or having family time interrupted by salespeople. Therefore, I would consider it a double standard to do a 180 degree turn and begin cold calling others.

Lenn,,,, your first comment, Chuck, said that he hardly answers the phone when he doesn't recognize the number. I think that is sometimes to risky. Besides, I try to answer my phone in most cases, even when I am on the phone with someone else. I hate retrieving messages for several reasons. Besides, I think it gives better service when someone realizes that they hardly hear your voice message.

But back to your subject of conversation. I give the person a quick chance when they say hello... and when I say that I am not interested, I give them a quick few seconds to hang up.. when they keep going, I say... "look, I am not interested and I am going to hang up... sorry"..., and then I do. I am kind of like Lane Bailey in his response. I am just trying to be polite, because I know many of these people have a job to do and income to make. I would suggest finding another job though.

Overall, yes, many of them are rude and demanding... and just don't get it. Oh well. As you stated.. and yes, time spent on the phone, we could lose a prospect when one calls.

jeff belonger

Great post Lenn. Now if I could only get the receptionist to quit putting through those phone calls when she knows they're salespeople!

Lenn,

Back when cold calling was big...I was the cold call king...but I would never push too hard and never would be rude....usually if they're interested they would give me the appointment. The big problem was not the call but looking on the list of numbers to see if they were on the do not call list. I used to get those calls too...I still get them on my cell phone. I get the we want to clean your carpet calls...the way to get rid of them is to tell them you only have concrete floors!

Lenn- I had one caller who started his spiel with "would you like more business?" I said "no." That stopped him, momentarily and then he went on with his script. I hung up.

Lenn- I so agree with you and that is also why I think about the shoe being on the other foot and I do not cold call either! If I feel this way so do homeowners!

On the other hand, a salesperson just got my business last week because he joined AR, started commenting on my blog without spamming me, built a relationship so when he did email me I was already friendly so to speak and willing to hear what he had to say. He also knew that we have a lot of readers so he did the smartest thing, offered me his product free for as long as I want in return that IF I LIKE IT I would write a review. Now that is good relationship building and good salemanship:)

Lenn quite a good discussion you have going on here... and a very worthy topic, I can not say I have EVER bought one item from a cold call. Somewhere it must work or they would stop? Many great and super responses here.

This is great discussion and I have enjoyed the read.

For the record I don't cold call and I would appreciate if no one ever cold calls me.

I do know how to use google and that's how I found brokerage management system (I just purchased) fully Internet enabled vendor. I know what I want and know how to do the research to find it.

I have never cold called in 20 years of real estate. I don't think there is anything wrong with it, I just never liked the idea. I would like to share a story. Remember about 10 years ago or so when it seemed like 1000's of companies were springing up to sell you on the idea of joining their fabulous referral network. Before the do not call list came out I like others were being inundated with these calls. I was ready to snap. I remember the next call I got was going to get venom from me. I saw a long distance number come up, I answered the phone and started ranting. It turns out it was someone relocating from out of state. I profusely apologized, explained why I went off, and said I would love to work with him. Since that day i start out polite, but when a telemarketer won't take no for an answer, I do the Pee Wee Herman from the first movie, Dottie, skshhh, we have a bad connection, call dropped. Since I am on AT&T that is believable. Just let a long distance call be innocent until proven guilty, it might be a client.

I have never been a fan of people calling me out of the blue and trying to aggressively sell their product. When I say I'm not interested, I'm trying not to be rude but of course I always have to hang up the phone while they are still talking. In the end I know they are only trying to make a living, but it can be quite annoying at times.

I don't think you have a beef with cold callers, I think you have a beef with rude and inconsiderate people.

I cold call. When the person says "no", I say "thank you, have a nice day"

I have always done it this way.

If you are a professional cold caller, like myself, and you can't handle people being rude to you or haning-up on you, then you are in the wrong business.

Over the thousands of calls I have made, a tiny fraction of people are rude to me. Of those people who do not do business with me, 99.9% of them are polite.

If someone hangs up on me in mid-sentence, I think to myself, "thats a 'no'" and I silently thank them for saveing me time.

There is nothing wrong with cold calling. There is something wrong with being rude.

I think that cold calling is a really ineffecient way to genreate leads. I don't like to get the calls and as such, I don't make them.

Mark. Makes sense to me.

Brien B. You have the right attitude and personality for cold calling. You are also following the proven methodology of successful cold calling. Make lots of calls, make them quickly, if the answer is no, get off quickly and go to the next one.

When the cold caller is assuming that we are to ignorant to know what we want, can afford or need and they attempt to wear us down, that is what this post is about. Thanks.

JL. We are trying to make a living too. Our own use of our own time must be respected.

Joe. I'm a southern lady. I'm always polite. Further, I assume that any call is a potential buyer calling.

Mark. Same here. Wouldn't you think that vendors would know that if we are successful marketers that we'd know how to find what we want on the Internet?? I sure do.

Gail. I suppose it must work and if that's all they can think of. . . .

Good post for sure. I too get annoyed with these calls and impatient with the caller. With that said, they are just people doing their job.I try to be nice and just say "not at this time, thank you!"

Patricia Aulson/portsmouth NH Real Estate

Katerina. You make an excellent point. If a vendor joins ActiveRain, buys advertising and then gets a review from the AR staff, they WILL get business.

Marilyn. Wouldn't you think a friendly introduction would be in order rather than a statement like that. The implication of course is that if you don't buy their product or service, you are not a smart advertiser.

Neal. HA! That may not dissuade some. They would start asking about your friends, neighbors and family carpets.

Bob. Oh my. That is sad.

Jeff. I have to answer my phone. My best buyers come over the phone. I've been on the phone with cold callers who drone on and on when I hear the "click" of another call and I may never know who it was. Not everyone will leave a message.

Myrl. I agree. Wouldn't, couldn't do it.

Patricia. I try too. It just doesn't always work.

As always, you're on target - I hate cold callers, but mostly because they're usually canned, unnatural telemarketers.

If a phone salesperson truly has a fantastic product that they present well with respect to my time I'll usually give them 2 minutes.

Dan. I do too. I purchased some banner advertising a few weeks ago because the caller got my interest with a friendly presentation. I looked and I bought in about 5 minutes.

The most important truth in this discussion is that the customer calls the shots. Homeowners and buyers dictate the methods we agents utilize to earn their business. If cold calling is ineffective at securing business, the fault does not lay with the party who would employ my services. It is up to me to build a better mousetrap. Likewise, lamenting the agents/customers who do not give a vendor a chance is a pointless and futile exercise. Do something that is better received. Many comments about feeling a twang of empathy for a fellow sales professional. Empathy is fine, but that doesn't earn my time or money. Largely because I never solicit business via cold calls. I won't subject potential clients to practices I, myself, find disdainful. So I secure my business with better methods for me.

Bottom line is that if your method is not producing results, stop lamenting the hangups of your target customers and start employing the creativity and innovation that you fear we are lacking to earn the business.

The mountain didn't come to Moses ...

Paul. Indeed. Which is why I've studied and practiced PULL advertising for 20 years, even before it had a name.

I am not a fan of cold calling! I have never liked it as a consumer and I have never liked it (or supported it) as a provider of a service in this industry.

There are simply better ways to get your information out to potential customers. For instance in this industry word-of-mouth, referrals and strong testimonials are much better sources of new business. This is how you, as a Realtor, builds your business so why wouldn't I do the same?

When it's all said and done it's about building relationships.

Lenn-

I cannot believe anyone would have the audacity to ask "Oh, you don't want anymore business"? Well, scratch that, I can believe it, but I don't like it. It's not even the rudeness of the comment that gets my dander up. I've been in sales long enough to know that sometimes you do need to rattle a cage or two to get the point across. It's just that I cannot imagine a single positive response to this straw man of a question. Next time you get it, you should answer "No, I'm full-up on business right now, thanks." Click.

Lenn- Do cold callers not understand that their call is an intrusion on where my thoughts are at that particular moment? Probably not, as I am sure many a good and useful product has been lost to my ears because of that cold call. And not being receptive to that call has nothing to do with NOT wanting to learn about whatever they are selling and everything with NEEDING to take care of my business. Plain and simple.

I, for one, am all for learning about new products and services that can/will help me and my clients. However I need to learn on 'my time' when my mind is receptive and not on business overload. So send me info that can be digested that way.

Lenn,

Great post. I wonder how many brokers have read it and thought "Is this the same way consumers feel when I encourage the agents in my office to cold call?" Cold calling, in general, is still the one suggestion pushed by brokers onto new agents.

Terry. I understand it is. Cold calling, door knocking are encouraged.

My first broker lasted 6 weeks. She came in one day with a cold calling schedule. I packed my desk and moved offices. If that were the only way I could generate real estate business, I'd have gotten a job and gone to work years ago.

Martha. Well put. Believe it or not, we are capable of learning about new products and contacting them ourselves.

Ian. Indeed. I have told them that on several occassions. I just tell them that we're so busy we can't handle what we have, which from time to time is a fact.

Gary. Thanks. I agree.

I had the SAME call from "Leapfish" -- "Have you heard of Leapfish," I was asked.

No!

"Remember, you called us wanting more information."

Hmmmm . . . I never called LEAPFISH . . . but maybe you need to take a leap.

"Yeah, we get that a lot. People forget they called us. They probably found us on Active Rain."

Yes, she did say that!

You probably found ME on Active Rain!

"Well, Leapfish is the next search engine that will be on the scale of Yahoo!, Google . . . "

Just give me the down and dirty . . . how much?

"It will cost $2,500."

It was ME who hung up.

Lenn...I actually just posted a response on her blog. Here's what I said:

"As both a vendor to real estate agents and also a real estate agent myself, I have a little different insight. I get my knowledge about what services I am going to utilize either by referrals or by reading about them online in a review, blog or other article. I do not like phone calls. Don't mind emails, but unless I have specifically asked to see info from you...I'm going to mark it as spam. Therefore, how do I market my Real Estate Virtual Assistant services to real estate agents? I blog about them, I have great useful website content that lets what I do and how I do it shine through, I post lots of testimonials from past and present clients, and I respond to other people's blog posts that are on topics that interest me. Basically get out there in the market that interests you, provide your knowledge in a useful non-sales pitchy manner...and you will become known as an expert in your field and clients will seek you out. I see your point about blocking knowledge and opportunity, but unless I am ready to receive it...that "knowledge and opportunity" is seen as an intrusion."

If interested I google the company. I do not talk on the phone.

My name is Sam. Here is what I do when I take a cold call.

Hello (put in any business name)
Them: Is Sam there?
You: May I ask who's calling?
Them: Bob's What-Not-Shop (Alot of times they will not tell you who's calling)
You: And what company did you say you are with?
Them: Is he available to speak?
You: I"m sorry he's out of the office for the next two week on vacation.

Shuts them up immediately, your not being rude and gets you off the phone in less than 15-20 seconds.

Hope this helps

Sam

Sam. Sounds like a plan that works.

Brenda. Makes sense to me. That's exactly what I do when I want something.

Christine. Good for you. I doubt that the message was understood. She seems to have some idea that we haven't a brain in our head and can't determine what we need until she tells us.

Carla. I've been on the Leapfish list for about a year. That are quite condescending

The problem I experience - most of these folks NEVER have done enough research to know what I do, how I do it, or how much knowledge I have. They MAY have seen my website, but have now idea how optimized it already is. Certainly when I start talking to them about how sites are built, where I'm at on Google now.

Do some research about my company, and talk UP to my level. Most of these people are pushing a product I understand better than they do....

Greg. HOW

Greg. HOW RIGHT

Greg. HOW RIGHT YOU

Lenn, you're preaching to the choir here. It seems that almost every time my caller ID shows a call from an unknown area code, it turns out to be a vendor call!

There are definately both sides of the fence. We as Realtors sometimes need to cold call to stir up some business. We need to respect the Do Not call List however.

One trick I have learned along the way is to answer the phone, when I find out it is a cold call I ask them to hold on for a minute. Put the call on hold a leave it. Eventually they will hang up and now you can never be considered rude.

I just got a cold call for SEO business on my cell phone-well that infuriated me.

When I get a cold call soliciting business in my house, for which I am on the do not call list, I am very polite. I get their name, the name of their business and phone number, I ask them to hold and walk away from the phone, they usually hang up within a minute. Then I report it on-line.

I am a Southern lady, too in spite of my California address.

I just cannot bring myself to be rude to a cold caller. They are trying to do their job just like I am. I think hanging up on anyone is childish.

When I was younger, I began my career selling magazines over the phone. I will only tell you this:

It is probably the best training around for developing a personality that can take rejection, a mind that can think at lightning speed and a mouth that can verbalize smoothly and with persuasion.

Lenn,

You couldn't have said that any better. I feel exactly the same way when these turds call me. I have NEVER bought anything from sombody calling me, not once.

JUN

Just wondering...

what wastes more Realtor time:

A) cold calls

B) commenting on ActiveRain

???

YES! Thank you! I HATE those cold calls. And they're so stupidly predictable! And what you call "inane", I call manipulative. And that is one of the top ways to piss me off. I hate it when someone tries to manipulate me.

It's MY phone. I pay the bill. If you call me, you're at my mercy! Morons. And I've told them before, if THEY found me online, then obviously I don't need their help.

And what's up with the stupid comment above mine? Disagree, then hide behind internet anonymity. In case IT comes back, I have never made a cold-call in my life! And commenting is a way to support and learn from each other, not to mention, get better SEO.

Lisa. Thanks. I agree. As for "jp", he/she/ clearly doesn't understand the dynamics of comments to posts on ActiveRain.

Greg. If so many of us dislike these calls so much, why do they persist??? How to stop them??? There appears to be a population of sales persons who believe that they know better than we ourselves know what we know or need.

Janet. Sometimes they just will not go away. They droll on and on, despite my comment, "I'm not interested". I don't want to go to their web site. I don't want any SEO or product service. How can we get THAT message across to them, especially when they are calling on my 800#??? Actually, I don't hang up, I just lay the phone on the floor.

Diane P. We appear to be going to extreme and imaginary tecniques to just have the use of our own phone.

Brian S. Most of my best buyer contacts come by telephone. I have to answer my phone. When these intruders call me, they are using my business line for which I pay a lot of money for use by home buyers. They will never be able to justify these calls to me.

Just a few minutes ago I received a call from the 717 area code on my cell. I didn't answer it (was talking to a co-op agent) so the caller went to voice mail. At least in her message she said she was from a marketing company and didn't try to pretend to be a real referral or potential client. I give her credit for her honesty...but I wont' call back.

I can search on my own thank you very much for any product or service I may need.

Kris. Indeed. When the time comes that I can't generate buyer leads myself, I'll be six feet under.

Oh, goodie...I still found this after a busy two days going on here in Mililani Town. Not only did you enlighten everyone with your straighforward opinion.....I agreed with all your points.

I have become rude and hung up on the ones who I do listen to and then tell them no thanks. The rudeness comes out...and it could really... Yes, cold calling doesn't work. I don't do it to them...please respect me too.

Your pointers for how they can do better by website/blog building, socializing etc. works the same for us. By time they call....they most likely are wanting to use me.

What REALLY irks me is the "Hi! Is this Sally?" ....and then the spiel. The two times I was blunt and said, why...what are you selling...it was two buyers lol! Needless to say, I do find out first now lol

Sally. I'm sure there is not a rude bone in your body, mine either.

Yet, when we have to deal with such mindless justification of an intrusion, what can you do but . . . well, I just lay the phone on the floor.

Didn't wade through all the comments (sorry) but just wanted to add my kudos. Sometimes polite just don't work - and any Sweathog knows, cold calling's the name of the game. But that was then - this is now. A little time and a bit of space is our only personal comodity - I'll choose how to fill mine thanks.

JUN

Oh, laying the phone down might just do the trick...that's pretty funny.

JUN

I do not have the time to listen to 8 canned pitches per day. I agree if I want it I will google it and I will call you.

Gene. I always thought the Sweathogs techniques were a bit "over the top" or should I say "in your face" marketing. Just not my style.

Sally. I visualize them trying to disconnect to get to the next number.

Laura. That works for me.

JUL

My original post "Realtors ...Barriers to Information" prompted wide discussion on this thread. In my original post I said I would author a follow-up giving actual examples of "more business" to Realtors gotten from cooperating with vendors. In the event you are still following this discussion thread, you can read the new post: "Vendor's Cold Call Resulted in More Business for Realtors(s)" It offers a different perspective than the majority opinion expressed here.

Ms. Sinnard.

You're beating a dead horse.

The operative phrase is "the majority opinion". As long as the majority opinion of folks in the real estate business are resentful of being the object of cold callers, your anecdotes are totally meaningless.

While it may be accurate that some agents who use the product enjoy success, that is not a persuasive argument to justify cold calling as a sales technique.

Your product is expensive and your justification of your sales techniques is myopic. Agents who wish to use floor plans in their presentations, have a variety of resources on the Internet at their fingertips. The matter of interest is not the use of floor plans. It's your intrusive, dogmatic persistence in trying to justify cold calling.

Ms. Harley, My post was not about cold calling ... it was about a variety of barriers between Realtors and local professional resources they could choose to use to benefit their business, expand their service offerings, or even gain new markets. The examples I gave were from my own experience, being representative of a service provider, this was not a commercial for floor plans. It was your choice to spin-off a blog about the evils of cold-calling, but it has little to do with my premise. Its clear we will not agree here. Thank you for your responses, I wish you well.

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