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How to Lose Customers and Infuriate People: A Step-by-Step Guide

Clarification: Texas Exes has made it clear that it wasn't they who called me. Further inquiry regarding the caller reveals that it was another UT-affiliated Annual Giving Fund. I regret the error.

I've always found my job challenging because the market for what I sell is comprised almost entirely of real estate professionals, themselves salespeople of a different sort. They ask tough questions, test my knowledge of the industry, and keep me on my toes. They often seem impervious to traditional sales psychology and resist overtures that entice other consumers.

At the same time, I'm forced to step my game up. I'm constantly learning and growing in order to respond to the unique challenges I encounter in selling to this vertical, and those that know me understand that I relish the pursuit of knowledge and success. I take my job seriously, and I pride myself on showing respect for the agents and brokers that make up my customer base.

Maybe this is why I am hyper-sensitive to the manner in which I am approached by other salespeople. Just as the real estate agent's image suffers from the behavior of a few baddies in the bunch, inside sales has fared even worse in terms of public perception.

Two recent sales calls I've had the misfortune of "participating" in have absolutely floored me. I thought I had heard it all.

Call One

It's 5:45 PM on September 29th, and I'm inundated with work. I have a tennis match at 6:10, and I can't be late. My personal cell phone rings (one of five lines I use at the office), and since it's a local number, I answer. I'll try my best to piece together what happened next.

Me: This is Ian...

Caller: Hi eye-an, this is XYZ with the UT Annual Giving Fund. [I'm not upset when people mispronounce my name, it's rather rare. This kid is young. Maybe 18 or 19.]

Me: Hi, XYZ, what can I do for you? I'm swamped right now... [Of course, I knew what I could do for him, it's the only reason they call me.]

Caller: The purpose of my call is just to update our records. Do you have a moment? [Remember, he says "just".]

Me: Not really, XYZ, but you've got the right number, and I'll give you my new address and email. It is [redacted].

Caller: Thank you for that information. Mr. Greenlay the other reason for my call [here it comes...] is to see if you could lend our organization some support. [At this point, his voice is shaking and his words are stilted; he's clearly reading from a script.] Our orginization contributes heavily to the campus services which I'm sure you took advantage of as a student, like the free medical clinic and the career center. [The former, yes. The latter, no. Not a whole lot one can tell a Government major / Philosophy minor besides "Go to law school".]

Me: Like I said, XYZ, I really don't have any time right now. Can you email me something?

Caller: Yes, I will mail you something. But while I have you on the phone, I wanted to see if you'd be able to contribute $500 today. Is that something you'd like to do?

Me: [Riotous laughter] XYZ, I can't do anything even close to that. I have neither the time nor the money to contribute anything today. [Very true.]

Caller: [Without catching his breath...] I understand that Mr. Greenlay, but I'm sure you want to donate something to our cause, so we would love even $200 of your support. Can you do that?

Me: [Staying calm, but increasingly curt...] XYZ, I paid out of state tuition for three years. I'm still paying back those loans. I just bought a new car, and I'm trying to start a life with my sweetheart. Oh, and I think I mentioned I'm at work and really busy. Send me an email and I'll take a look. [I almost mentioned that even though I used to dress like a blue-blooded frat boy, it was all a rouse to get attention from the sisters of Pi Phi, Zeta and sometimes even Kappa.]

Caller: OK, Mr. Greenlay, I'll do that. Thank you for your time.

Me: No problem, XYZ. Have a good one.

*click*

Let me say this: I don't blame XYZ for any of this. He's young. He took a job for a reputable organization, and it's likely his first. I don't blame him for being nervous, for stuttering, or for sticking to his script. I've been there, and I feel for the guy. At the same time, I simply cannot fathom asking a 24-year-old 2007 graduate for $500 within two minutes of calling. I routinely have to pull teeth to get an agent to spend $8 marketing a $10 million listing (true story). The kid's got some cajones, and I wish him luck. Compared to the next caller, XYZ was a downright sales stud.

Call Two

It's around 7:30PM, yesterday, September 30th. Believe it or not, this was an outbound call--and that's part of why it irked me beyond belief (but not beyond words, apparently). It was Merideth's turn to pony up for our monthly Best Buy card payment, as we financed an earlier TV purchase. It's due on the first of each month, but it normally takes two days to process, so, in order to avoid damaging my credit, Merideth paid an additional $50 to "rush payment". Or so she thought. A cryptic error message occurred after she hit the confirm button, and record of this payment was nowhere to be found online. To be safe, we decided that she should try paying again. Another error message, this time reading "Please call 800-XXX-XXXX".

"Mary Frank Zero" took my call. She informed me that the first payment had successfully processed, we were not billed twice, and we had nothing to worry about UNLESS...

MF-0: ...something should happen to you, as things often do.

Me: Come again?

MF-0: Mr. Greenleigh, life is full of unexpected accidents. What if you were to fall sick, or be injured? If you were unable to pay, your credit might be damaged beyond repair. [MF-0, who apparently moonlights as mafia enforcer in addition to "customer care representative", was clearly reading from a script, just like our friend XYZ. Her monotone, however, rivaled an FOAA weather announcement, or my Garmin's turn-by-turn directions, or a call-capture system. Sorry, I just had to throw in that last jab.]

Me: OK, but I really...

MF-0: [She talks right over me, and I'm too shocked to muster up any objection] That's why we offer [forgotten name of protection racket "payment insurance"] for our valued customers...

Me: Um...I really...

MF-0: [Once again, I'm verbally bulldozed] And actually, based on the amount you chose to finance, you can be insured for just $10 a month. Let's go ahead and sign you up. [She really said this, just like it reads. It was not a question. It was a command.]

Me: How about we don't, okay Mary? I'm not interested, and I only called to...

MF-0: [BLAM! My words bounce right off her] So of course you understand why this is so important, and for the sake of you and your loved ones...

Me: [I interrupt her as loudly as I can.] Let's do this, Mary. Since you seem to care so much about my health and my finances, which is really nice of you, I'm sure you'll have no problem paying for this yourself, out of your own pocket. I mean, it's just soooo [redacted] important, right Mary?

MF-0: [Mary did not sense my sarcasm and now-palpable anger. Or maybe she did, but could care less. She had a job to do.] Yes, Mr. Greenleigh, it is, that important, and I'm glad you understand. Now we'll sign you up.

Me: *click*

I was seeing little red stars before my eyes, and my hands were shaking. I'm only 24, but I already have Stage 1 hypertension (high blood pressure). If there were ever a time where I was likely to end up in a hospital bed, unable to pay off my TV, this was it. Maybe that's their sales strategy: angering stressed-out customers who fear late payments and credit damage to the point some terrible malady befalls them and they'll recognize the importance of paying into a protection racket next time they buy a TV.

I've never been a big fan of the "up-sell", though it can be performed with relative taste on occasion. Sometimes people really should buy something else on top of what they've already purchased; sometimes whatever one is up-selling can be of genuine value to one's preexisting customers. But someone that needs customer support, especially when their call is prompted by a defect in one's product or service, should never have to suffer through a canned sales pitch that plays on fear, uncertainty and forceful language. That's when sales crosses the line into trickery and exploitation.

Next time you talk to a salesperson that respects your time and treats you like a person (not a target), do me a favor-- let them know. You don't need to buy what they're offering, but trust me, it feels good when someone treats us like we're "one of the good ones". Every time we speak with a prospective customer, we have to cut through all the experiences they've had like the ones above.

Remember, we get those calls too.

Ian S. Greenleigh, Director - Sales & New Media, DriveBuy Technologies

Posted by DriveBuy Technologies on 10/01/2009 06:04 PM

Comments (91)

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91 Comments on How to Lose Customers and Infuriate People: A Step-by-Step Guide

OCT

Awesome post! You summed this up perfectly. The trend here in Vancouver Washington is to call under the guise of some fake poll and then roll it into a sales call. As soon as they lead into the "Would like to know more about energy efficient...blah blah blah's" I hang up.

Hi Ian~ I do have a salesperson that calls me that I actually do not mind. His name is "Robo" I have bought from him in the past. (pens) He calls me from time to time to try to sell me something else. He is very polite and has a great sense of humor and is NOT pushy. It drives me crazy when one calls and I tell them I am too busy and can NOT talk now, but would they call me back or email me and they don't listen. Listening is KEY! If I say I am too busy, I am! There is no person in this world that can make me buy something I do not want or have an interest in!

OCT

I have registered for the "Do Not Call List", and yet, I still seem to get my share of phone solicitation. Lately it's been from charities of one type or another. They are very good at making you feel VERY SMALL for not being totally empathetic toward their respective cause. I never get "sucked-in" by their pitch but I'm sure many others do.

Telemarketing is the last resort of a scoundrel!

LOL

It's kinda like ethics. "If you have to ask..." Well, you might be a little too close to the line.

I have been on both sides of this fence and neither is pleasant. I understand the need to make a living, but I too get annoyed when the caller on the other end of the line doesn't "get it".

Nice post Eye-an! Hehe sorry! Couldn't resist. :)

My telemarketer procedure:

"We review all proposals via e-mail. The address is_____________. If we like your product we will contact you when/if we have a need."

What cracks me up is when they (lead aggravators mostly) find me online and then call to tell me they can make me more visible online. Well for heaven's sake YOU found me! And you could have e'd me and not distracted me from the clients you're supposed to magically bring me!

Love this post. I got a call from a jerk, ahem, "salesperson" last week for an IDX service...I told him I didn't have any extra money to spend and I wasn't interested. His loud obnoxious voice didn't help matters either....

So he proceeds to say "So Shonda" (yes they alway mispronounce my name) "you mean to tell me that if you got stranded on the side of the road, you couldn't pay someone to fix your car?" He officially ticked me off at that point....I HATE pushy salespeople! If you ever try to pressure me into anything, undermine my judgement, or make ASSumptions about me any my life, you can forget getting even a penny. I will go out of my way to make sure I never use you...

Ya, I know it's their job, but people need to be better about picking up on gestures and the tone in people's voice to know whether or not to pursue things further. If you don't back off, chances are, you'll tick them off and lose a customer for life...

Chanda panda

God gave us two ears and one mouth. The key to being a good sales person is to listen twice as much as you talk. Your customer will tell you what they need to hear from you to buy from you if you pay attention and LISTEN!

I am not a telemarketer, but I do about 90% of my sales over the phone. Just as with any profession, there are good and bad examples...much like real estate agents. :-)

One last thing, you better hope she didn't go ahead and sign you up just for spite after you hung up on her, LOL!

Better check your next statement closely...

I had another agent tell me that, one of the best way to get off the line and back at these those jerks and time eaters who don't listen or pay any attention when you say you are busy, is to tell them you were in the middle of making love and they messed it up for you and then hang up...

My favorites are the ones that start the conversation with, "Is this a good time?"......

Tina in Virginia

I used to listen politely to the sales pitches and tell them 'no' or 'I'm not interested' four or five times (they always ask again in a little different manner). One day after all of this the guy said 'You knew from the beginning that you weren't going to buy, didn't you'. I said 'Yes, I knew'. He said 'Well then why did you waste your time and mine. I could have called someone else and made a sale". Then he hung up on me.

I thought about it for a while and decided he was right. Now I interrupt them immediately and say 'I'm not interested but thanks for calling' and hang up. That way I'm not wasting their time or mine.

Brings to mind a line from an old Jimmy Buffet song "....Oh the stories it (we) could tell". I do my share of cold calling, but prefer door knocking.

Ian:

Great post. Clearly - in 2 days, you made a significant contribution to your karma account. I believe it will come back to you for sharing....!

Jay

love the post, the worst calls to get are from salespeople reading scripts who don't seem to ealize they are calling OTHER SALESPEOPLE! it is our job to know how to do these call professionally as the other posters said, it is all about listening. I always tell them (so I don't have to go through the 15 no/rebuttle question cycle before hanging up) "you know, I really am interested, but I can't talk right now, can you call me back at time X", this almost always gets them to agree, they let me off the phone and 80% never call back. The ones that do give up after a few unanswered vms

I hate calling in when I get a new credit card to activate. Some are easy, no person comes on the line and it is activated in seconds. Then there are some that won't let you know its activated yet but to hold the line for a live person. When they try to sell something I ask them if the card is activated, they say yes, I hang up.

Brings to mind a line from an old Jimmy Buffet song "....Oh the stories it (we) could tell". I do my share of cold calling, but prefer door knocking.

Great Job: Nicely Put together..........It happens with us all when we get calls from immature Cold Callers: Ranjit Dhillon

I too am on the DO NOT CALL LISt - but does it matter....

Ian- Wow, it seems these guys are calling everyone! I get numerous calls everyday, most of them trying to sell me their services to put me on page 1 of Google. They never check to see that I am already there and when I tell them that, they just run right over me like the one did to you. I understand sales calls etc but please after I have said no, stop calling me! You held your temper far better than I would have~ ;.)

Great post. I had a similarly annoying situation happen just the other day. I called to order a new glass window for a client's who's window was unfortunate enough to meet a golf ball. The owner of the glass company returned my call. After making sure that an appointment was set to have the window measured, he launched into "I'd like to tell you about a new opportunity" He then began expounding the virtues of a ATM business and how I could get a wonderful return on investment. He talked right over me when I tried to tell him I wasn't interested, so I ended up hanging up. First and last time, I'll call that particular glass repair company!

Another tactic to get back: interrupt and say "Can you please hold on a moment?" set the receiver down and walk away.

Great post - some telemarketers just will not take "no" for an answer. What I really hate is when someone contacts me through a website posing as a prospective client, then tries to sell me web site optimization, which is completely ironic since they found me in the first place. What I do with telemarketers is I tell them if they give me their sales pitch, could I give them mine? That usually ends the call and they thank me for my time. : )

I just disconnected my land line. I thought to myself, why am I paying $XX.00 a month to have someone annoy me. These kind of calls were the only ones I received on the land line and I can do without the frustration. It had gotten to the point where when they started in on their script, I would set the phone down on the counter and let them go on and on until they realized there wasn't anyone on the other end.

Hi Eye-an, They seem to have an uncanny knack of calling at the least opportune time ! I always give them a moment to make a brief pitch but do not suffer fools well.

In my first few months of being in Real Estate I was constantly getting calls that started off like this; Are you an agent that likes to think out side the box? One day at the office on duty, another one of these callers ring my cell, but this time I was prepared, Are you an agent that likes to think out side the box? No I am an agent that likes being inside the box, there was a pause then an ohhhhh, ok.....bye. Never called again!

Very interesting story, great story telling. Because I'm in sales myself, I have trouble getting rid of those callers. I know from the get-go that I don't want what they're selling. If I wanted it, I'd be calling them. But, some are so nice, I just can't get rid of them, especially when they very nicely continue to press me. It'll finally get to the point where I have to hang up on them because they just are not listening to me when I say, "No, thanks." I've enjoyed your responses to this post, I think I've gotten some tips for the next sales call I receive.

Need to see why why my name is not showing up under the notes? Above note from Jo Ann Volz (Creed Realty) Virginia Beach, Va. Serving all of Hampton Roads!

This is too funny! As an Insurance Agency Owner, I receive at least a call or two a day from a pushy telemarketer and those are easy to disconnect from. However, if I am calling a place that I normally do business with and they deploy pushy upsell tactics, then I begin to question my future relationship with that company. I can understand making an offer and even one attempt to overcome an objecton, but after that, back off.

I agree with Candice about the I found you online and want to make you more visible. If they find me others will also. I seem to get these calls between 5:30 and 7:00 at night when I am trying to finish up my work and get home. I don't want to be rude, but NO means NO, I don't want what you are selling.

Mary Lou Cherry

Greenville, NC

Ian--At 24 I was empathetic to telemarketers as they read their scripts but not anymore. I interrupt and say I am on the do not call list for a reason. I am nice to the kids at MSU when they call as I decline giving a donation....I have kids of my own to find tuition money for....but they are just students and usually not as pushy as the one that called you. Being aggressive can cause lost business in the future...listening and assisting is always a much better strategy!

Love the comments....Here is what happened to me.

I have had a sales person with a promo product company call and want to sell me some giant pens. I had ordered them one time before and did like the product and my clients also liked them so much they ask for them from time to time. So, when I got the call to see if I wanted to place another order, I said I would, but would need to ask my Wife and partner in my business how many we should combine to order before I could commit. I said to the sales person "call me tomorrow morning, and I will have a number for you".This person would not let me off the phone....wanted the commitment NOW. I told him to stop closing, he had the sale, just call me tomorrow and I will give you the total number we want. Still kept closing, Finally I said, let's just forget the whole thing, I really have changed my mind, you don't seem to want to do business with me on my timeline terms and I can't agree with yours. So thanks but no thanks. I then said goodby and hung up the phone.....this person proceded to call me back and I told him the same thing...no thanks. It didn't stop there, he called me back at least 15 times in a row....I never would answer him other than say" goodby". His number was on caller ID so I knew it was him.He was a jerk and I wondered what he thought he would accomplish by this assualt on my time. Wear me down???? Finally he got my wife on the phone.....end of all conversation, she is much tougher than I am if you push her buttons...and this guy was a button pusher if there ever was one.

Here was a sales person who had a sale from someone his company had done business with numerous times before and he just killed all future business opportunities with a past customer. Rude was not even close to what he was and he expects to make a living at phone sales.....Bill collectors are probably more pleasant on the phone....luckily I don't get calls from them. This guy had no idea on how to play nice.

No Habla Engles! Gracias! Adios..........

Great Post- Exactly what we need to hear~- I prefer door to door marketing - but it's very hard to get past the front desk sometimes! You just be persistent! In this business we all trying to sell and sometimes being on the opposite side of the pitch is very annoying- but I certainly try and listen to what the telemarketers are trying to sell/pitch - b/c I know exactly how it feels to pick up that cold call!

Angie Lowell

Professional Land Title

Alabama Gulf Coast

251-968-2700

RE: DO NOT CALL LIST

Before I respond individually to these wonderful (and funny) comments, it seems as though many of you have a misconception regarding the Do Not Call List, and it's important that we all understand exactly who the list applies to.

Hint: Not to you.

Let me qualify that: not to you, if they are calling you because you are a real estate professional and attempting to sell you something at all related to this industry. In other words, the DNC list does not apply to Business-to-Business sales (B2B). As an agent or broker, even if your brand is incredibly personalized, real estate is your business, and thus calls you receive in relation to this business (however flimsy the link) are not covered by the DNC list. Only business-to-consumer solicitations (i.e., home phone service, etc.) are covered.

Hope this helps, and I will get to these comments soon! Right now, I have agents to call--but they're people that inquired because of this blog post and others :)

The DNC list is a JOKE. Funny Post thnak you.

Ian,

Great stories and well told. I bet we all could tell stories about rude sales people.

I am a little worried about your long term health with your high blood pressure. At 24 and you play tennis, so you get exercise, you should not be suffering this type of high blood pressure.

Maybe you should consider cutting back to 4 phone lines.....life is too short, take time to relax.

By the way, did you make the 6:10 tennis match?

Loved reading your blog and the responses. I especially liked the "can't talk now, making love" response. I'm now considering other "scripts": "In the middle of an operation. Call you later." "Can't talk. The earthquake, you know." "Aghhhhhhh. I'm drowning." We all need a little levity. Thanks.

Ian,

We have all been through these calls. I don't answer any calls that are from "Private" or "Unknown Number" either on my cell phone or home line. If anyone is seriously looking for me, they will leave me a message and I call them back.

If I ever answer home phone that turns out to be a sales call, I keep the conversation going (unless I am very busy...where I would not answer the phone then) without getting mad I say "I was bored at home. I am so happy you called" and keep asking questions about the product/service. I keep throwing some valid objections (to learn what techniques are being applied to "overcome objections"). In the end I tell them, that I will tell the home owners of their product/services since I was a visitor! You get Ugh! (and then silence). Why were you wasting my time? I tell them I did them a favour by allowing them to practice "objection handling" and that if they would be willing to give me the phone number of their superior so that I can offer my services to their company a training in cold calling and objection handling. I get "Click"

Side note: I don't generate my business through cold calling.

Hey, Ian - We've all been there. With my last name - Cendejas - I know right away whether it's a telemarketer. Wonder why the Do Not List thing isn't working for me. I'll politely tell them I'm not interested and if they relentlessly persist, the next sound they hear is "click". Enjoy your day!

When my father was dying of Cancer he had one of those payment guarantee plans on either is mortgage or some line of credit, I forget which. They kept calling and mailing him to check on his health and to have him get notes from the doctor to tell them he was still sick and still dying. This was kind of depressing for Dad. I finally made a number of calls and told them to face facts that my father was dying; there was not going to be a miracle cure and to leave him alone. They finally paid the bill and left him alone to die.

Usually, I just say "Thanks, but no thanx" and hang up. I was astonish one time when the guy called me back FROM A DIFFERENT NUMBER! What in the world did he think he would accomplish?

Your timing on this blog is impeccable. I had quite the experience with a phone sales person yesterday and was thinking of blogging about it. I will now wait a few days.

Amazing how they find us online to sell us online presence.

Ian,

I hate when people can't pronounce Ian...One of my Mother's uncles couldn't get it right no matter how many times it was explained to him.

I don't hate sales people...but your second story is incredible.

Also, I enjoyed your writting...well done.

Hello Ian,

Great post! You've certainly got an incredible skill as a writer! My personal favorite is the one that says "please hold for a very important message" ...... gotta love that one - hold so we can try to sell you something you neither want nor need.

Keep up the good work, Connie

This is nothing....try this one on for size.....

You call Merrill Lynch where your 401K is and they look up you account and agree that it looks like payments you have been making are not getting credited to your account.

Then they agree to look into it and call back....except they never do.

But what they don't tell you is the recording they are making when you call will be sent to your employer when you get pissed off at their crappy "service" and will get you fired...

Yep, THE RECORDING THEM MAKE OF YOU CAN AND WILL BE SEDNT TO YOUR EMPLOYER IF YOU DARE TO CRITICIZE MERRILL LYNCH'S SHITTY SERVICE.

And when you complain they tell you tough sh*t as you enter the unemployment line.

Great post!

Both of these are examples of "the old way" of doing business. And as much as many don't want to hear it -- it no longer works! Not only does it 'not work" but it's the fastest way to guarantee that you will NEVER get business!

Stop!!!! Agents still do it, "pro's" are still doing it...please stop!

Stop the "i'm just in this for me" approach - whether it's by phone, email or ______. Stop the scripts, stop NOT listening!

If you don't understand the "new way" LEARN! We will all be better for it! :)

Ian -- I was just about to come on here and post something about the DNC....thanks for the clarification on that matter....;-)

Nice Blog Eye-En ( had to do that - My Mom is southern)!

I had a Face to Face situation Yesterday at a Real Estate Fair. This person was trying to get me to buy a paper, which had failed me three times in the same city at different addresses. Each time I moved over the years, I gave them another chance and each time they failed. When I told her my story, she just said, where do you live - that paper has won awards (snotty tone here)! I then said (with my nicest smile) Well why would I want to buy your paper, when It is trying to destroy my business and only talks about how bad the real estate market is? - Sweetly smiled and walked away.

I have to say, I was really taken back at her attitude. I always figure "kill em with kindness"

We only get recordings at work. Guess we are lucky-but it is annoying!

Okay, I thought this only happened to me. But, you know what always stuns me, they've got a supervisor standing over them and are paid by how many calls, etc. I can't inagine making a living like that.

If telemarketing didn't work, it wouldn't be used. So it does work. Sometimes I listen to the call and try to learn something to help me in my real estate business. Sometimes, when the telemarketer is rude and talks over me, I give them three "No"s at the third no, they hear a click as the phone is hung up.

Ian - Hysterical post and very well written!

I had a pen salesman cold call me and he had so many snappy comebacks to my objections, I was almost feeling like I was being "Punk''d." Then, he acutally insulted me twice! Needless to say, I abandoned any further attempts at being polite and hung up on him.

Ha ha...IT is incredible the techniques that they do use in trying to sell us things that we don't need, or want. Maybe that is what some people think of the real estate professionals also, but I personally don't cold call, and otherwise act too pushy either. If you want to buy a house, I'll help you, if not, oh well, it certainly is your choice. I will give information if asked to, or if the situations calls for it, so you can decide for your self if that would be something to pursue. Isn't that how most of us at least would like to be treated?

And, I do feel that when a telemarketer calls and does not listen to you, it is okay to just hang up. They don't pay for your cellphone minutes either. Well, even if that is not a problem, our time is valuable. If they don't stop to breathe and allow us ask any questions (my first one: Is this a sales call?) or answer them honestly (!!) (what I hear most: well, no..I am just calling you with an opportunity...etc.etc.), we should be able to simply hang up. Who does anymore like being "sold to"? I believe it may have been more effective with the baby boomers at some time, but Gen X and Y are far more "resistant". Sometimes I can hang on for curiosity, to learn from their stutter and see how not to do things, but most often it is simpler to just hang up.

I hate it when they call my cell phone and say it'll just take a few minutes, and it ends up taking 10 or more. If I can't know the price before I look, then it's going to be too high and I can't afford to do i anyways!

I think we have all been there at some time good post

I've learned how to say, very nicely, "thanks but I'm not interested" and hang up before the caller finishes the second sentence. Assuming I'm not interested....

Upon learning that a particular caller is trying to sell me something I can't live without, my response to that errant caller is to talk right over his/her voice saying "hello...hello...are you there? hello...hello...I think I've lost you...hello...hello..." Then I apologize profusely because obviously I've lost this caller whose message I am perfectly certain was critically important to my well being, lifestyle, etc. and HANG UP!!

Ah the humor of these responses made my Friday afternoon. Have a good weekend, everyone.

you should ask them for their home phone number so you can call them during dinner time!

I interrupt them early on and say, " please take my name off of your call list." This has been working for all the political calls I have gotten.

I used to say, "Do you know that this number is on the Do Not Call Registry?" and that worked for some. Others I have simply said, "This is written in stone that I do not respond to telephone solicitations, but if you want to send me something in the mail I will consider it."

Hi eeeeeee annn. (LOL) I get your point, and I see it happening in our business as well. I am here to provide a service, not shove a new home down my potential clients throat. Indeed , "listening" to what they (client ) are saying is very key.

Listening to what they are not saying is also key.

Thanks for the post, I enjoyed it!

When I can tell that the telemarketer is someone who is doing this, because it is really hard for them to find a job doing something else, I am polite as I can be and say thank you I am not interested good-bye. I have had friends and relatives in their position, who could not find a job doing anything else, and I know that they hated that work. I would hate to be adding to their misery.

If it's a really pushy salesperson, I try to be polite as well.

One time though, I had one of those, "We'll get you on the first page of Google" calls for sponsored advertising. Usually I am quoted about $75 per month. This person quoted me $500 for the exact same service. I just laughed so hard into the phone. The person was very surprised, and asked, "Is that too much?" I told him he was crazy, wished him luck, and said goodbye.

Great discussions. I try to be creative when I get these calls and depending on my mood I sometimes like to mess with the caller. I'm on the do not call list but it doesn't stop many people and especially charities and politicians. If I have a live person on the other end I try to switch the call up with something like "I'm glad you called. Since I can't call you and bother you at home at dinner like you have just done to me, I have to wait for you to call me. I'm in real estate and I would like to know if you or anyone you know would like to buy or sell a home." You get the idea. Then I really start pressing them and they usually can't hang up fast enough! Works every time.

Okay, here's my secret---As soon as you know it's an unrequested pitch, you say "Oh thanks! Someone from your group just called---and I'm all signed up!"

They never have a script for that---they go away happy & don't call back.

It is really sad and irritating how many 'pushes' the pushy salesman push on us... from recent experience I can tell how desperate these people are. Don't know if they are trained this way on purpose or not but this is really annoying.

For some reason I keep receiving calls about Google standings, SEO etc...from some salespeople who do not want to take no for an answer and are very aggressive and obnoxious.

With smiles,

Bo in Yukon

Thanks Eye-an ( sorry I just want to poke you). It was really a good blog you have shared with us. Sometimes we do phone sales and we might step into the track of those mistakes like kind of pushy thing without realizing it. I will remember this and watch out carefully how I conduct the conversation without chasing the customers away with hatred. Thanks again. I am looking forward to reading some more of your great blogs in the near future.

Oh boy, here goes nothing...

Mark- That is some shady business, my friend. Just goes to show that nothing is sacred in sales--not even environmental causes in the Pacific NW!

Vickie- Sounds like you've found one of the good ones! They do exist out there. I can always depend on you for interesting comments and feedback. Thanks.

Tom- Two reasons you're still getting those calls. If it's a sales call, to you as an RE agent, it's B2B, and if it's from a charity, it is B2C, but my understanding is that charities are exempt from DNC regulations.

Mike- Scoundrels abound, it's true!

Lisa- You have a great perspective. I'll bet it has served you in your real estate career.

Candice- I have to ask, did you intentionally use "aggravates" or was it a Freudian slip?

Chanda- What a condescending approach they took with you! Ughh....

Clint- I enjoyed our twitter conversation today. Good talk, good talk.

Lane- Now, that I'll have to try.

Tina- Sales 101 - that is the dumbest question to ask anyone that you'd like to sell something to.

Ben- If you get a salesperson's candid take, you'll often hear that they prefer a quick rejection to a listener that won't pull the trigger.

Jay- Thanks, let's hope so...

Jason- If they don't call back, it's because they're operating out of a sales farm that rewards them for quantity of calls. At the same time, if you tell them to call back at a certain time, and they haven't offended you with their tactics so far, I don't really understand why you tell them that. Trust me, they'd much rather you say you're not interested and end it there.

Angelia- That's the way to do it. I'll keep that in mind next time.

Steven- Nothing wrong with cold calling in and of itself. It's all about tact, and I'm sure you've got it.

Ranjit- Thanks for the compliment.

Kathy- The answer is no- check comment #35

Vanessa- They're counting on you to not realize the absurdity of what they're selling. If people didn't fall for SEO cold calls, they wouldn't exist.

Susan- Sounds like multilevel marketing badness. He took advantage of your preexisting business.

Teresa- The smart ones won't hold. They move on to the next call and make up for it with quantity.

Cheryl- I hear you on that, as it happens to us, too! That is such a slimy tactic, because if I were you, I'd be excited every time an email came through- a lead! Oh wait, no it's another jerk.

Sandy- Glad you made that move--no point in paying for your own misery!

Bill- We're good at that! We wait for you to get busy, and then pounce.

Marianne- Those nice ones are the smarter ones. They kill you with kindness. Glad you liked the post.

JoAnn- I hope you got out of the box!

Charlie- Perfect example of how up-sell tactics often backfire.

Mary Lou- If they can actually do what they claim, it can actually be of service. But it's all about the way they approach you and the evidence they have.

Teri- The do not call list doesn't apply to charities or B2B calls- see comment #35.

complete waste of electronic space!

LOL! This is great! When our kids were growing up, we always knew when it was a salesperson calling. (They always seemed to call when we sat down to dinner - yes, as a family). So we got our youngest daughter who was about 6 or 7 to answer and when they asked for her "mommy or daddy", she would say, "Ummmm, my mom said NEVER to disturb them when the bedroom door was closed!" Usually the caller apologized and hung up. She didn't really know what that meant and it was pretty funny!

Anyway, I think we're stuck w/telemarketers. We, too, sign up for the Do Not Call list, but I actually worked w/an agent here in Denver. We were making some cold calls and I noticed that many of them were maked: DNC. When I mentioned that we should skip these, she very pointedly told me, "that doesn't pertain to US! We have valuable information that could help them out." We don't work together anymore.

So, as agents and salespeople, we also need to check ourselves and make sure we are not trampeling over people to make that sale!!

Debbie Fiskum, The Home Decor Genie,

As a loan officer, I find myself in an odd position everyday with future clients. The product I sell, rates, is a financial position that cannot be taken advantage of at the moment I call or even at the end of the call. In reality, all the new restrictions and guidelines in lending have made it pretty hard to promise anything. So, I fly without a script most of the time wish I had a one size fits all pitch. But, what I have found lately is that borrowers wish this as well. They do not want to know about the struggles of lending or the truth about what is possible. They still want to be "sold". I agree that the annoying marketing practices of the past and present seem unfruitful, but they do result in major results. There are a high percentage of people that simply do not care who they are working with as long as they get what they were promised. And to not point out any specific examples of bad online marketing practices, they are my hardest battle. I become the deliverer of bad news on a constant basis. So I guess I am probably going to be the only advocate for the telemarketer in this blog response line. Even "treating someone like a human-being or treating them with respect" is a marketing pitch and script. A major flaw about your blog is that you assume the callers do not respect you and it sounded like they treated you like a human being, objectively.

Ian... great read, thanks... I'm darn quick to the *click* these days!

Thanks for this great info. Many of us need some additonal patience huh? Have a great weekend.

OCT

Unfortunately I have receivd so many of these calls that....(I guess rudly on my part) I simply say I am not interested at this time....and to avoid further conversation I hang up. i have been added to mailing lists and other services without permission just for having a conversation with some of these people so watch out.

WOw. I hate a script! Hang up on SO WHY DON'T WE JUST...

I was just speaking about this very problem yesterday with a salesperson down in California who sells leads to realestate agents and we were talking about people are just plain and and are not just honest and respectful.. Not really hare do do and always appreciated.

Hey, Ian, here's something that works really well...

I recently said to a professional fund raiser calling for the fire department (I'm sure their company gets a good cut of what they raise), "Well, wish I could, but I'm a real estate agent! I'm just worried about how I'm going to pay my rent and feed my kids next month!" He was incredibly sympathetic and got off the phone right away. LOL...I think!

Ian,

If I really liked his product I would have called his boss. That way I would get the product and the

company would not continue to lose clients.

Ian, my son Sean has the same problem with people pronouncing his name "See-an".

When it comes to telemarketers, if I am not in a hurry I sometimes get really quiet and listen to them without saying "Uh huh" or anything. About 30 seconds in they stop and say, "Are you still there?" And I tell them "Yes". Then fall silent again. It seems to drive them nuts when you do that.

What has been bad lately is I keep getting calls from banks to refinance my home mortgage, but I don't have a mortgage. In 2008 had a client with the same last name as me and for some reason the telemarketers picked up my office number as this client's personal contact number. So now I am getting all of his mortgage-based telemarket calls....lucky him.

Hang in there. Get on the no-call list and just tell the telemarketer you are on the list when they call and tell them to remove your name from their call list.

OCT

wow,

how insightful!

So a person, who obviously has a job, calls, and a pompus realtor gets an attitude??

Have anyone actually looked at the nonsense spam that realtors post on active rain?

Here is a hint, pseudo professionals, BE NICE!

The person on the other end may be a customer, or certainly a referrence! Positive or negative

This thread is arrogant and harmful to your biz model!

I hate it when they call my cell and just start talking and talking like I have nothing better to do than to listen. They never even ask if I have a moment.

yea, kinda like when a listing agent calls and emails over and over and over? Like That???

Verbally bulldozed, I like that phrase. I think I'll keep that one.

OCT

Ian, Those kinds of communications with sales people are the pitts!.. hope it NEVER happens again! What's the odds of that??

My numbers are registered with the do not call list and I rarely get telemarketers. It did make a difference when I registered the numbers.

Funny post but then again, not so funny!

Since I"m in sales myself I try to be sympathetic to others who must interact with people in order to make a buck. If you don't ask for the business, chances are pretty good you're not going to get it.

However, I believe that for 99.9999% of the people, if they're not interested in buying what you're selling, you're not going to sell them. I ask and if the answer is No, I politely ask them to please consider me if the answer ever gets to be Yes.

I think it's unlikely that badgering people will result in a transaction if the person isn't wanting what you're trying to sell them. Even if it did, I don't think it would be worth the damage that would result to my reputation and self-respect.

If I know the person is in the market, then I will certainly try to convince them that I'm the best choice to deliver the result they're seeking, and why. Just as a real estate transaction occurs when a willing buyer and seller come together, agency occurs when a buyer or seller understands how they can benefit from the services of a professional realtor. Like love, if it takes a lot of effort to make it happen, it's probably not a good idea in the first place.

Ian, in my opinion, your first caller acted in a reasonably professional manner. The other though was obnoxious and unprofessional.

OCT

Larry M- He asked way too much of you and put you over your line. What was he thinking?

Stephanie- The ones that do speak Spanish make a whole lot more, so they'll probably try to engage you :)

Angie- Same here, but getting at RE agents is not too difficult, since being accessible is part of success for most of them.

Dan- Thanks for the comment, I tend to agree.

Dean- Thanks for your concern! I'll take your suggestions under advisement. And yes, I made the match (and whooped the guy)!

Hal- No problem, glad I can bring some "levity".

Rajeev- They're getting hard to screen, but once in a while they have something good and they approach you correctly.

Pamela- Thanks, and I hope I pronounced it correctly the few times we've spoken by phone!

Gene- That is absolutely terrible. I'm sorry you had to suffer through that experience on top of everything else.

Teri M- That's an old trick, reserved for the most desperate of hacks.

Debbie- Tell them to fly up to Alaska for some "face time" if they want your business so bad!

Ian- My Brother in Name! I feel you, bud. My grandmother has trouble with it when she doesn't call me Jason (her other nephew).

Connie- You're very kind to say that, thanks.

Doug- I really don't know what to say. I really feel for you! That must have been incredibly tough.

HeatherO- So right! Business 1.0.

Darla- ...and I live in the South (well, Austin), but I'll tell you, Midwesterners and Yankees are just as likely to mispronounce it. Like I said, not a big deal at all. Sounds like the lady you were dealing with was a really snotty one. Yikes!

Mari- No, you're not the only one that gets those calls. Believe me, some people relish making a living in that way. Not myself, but some I have known.

Steve A- I think that's a really nuanced, balanced approach. Thanks for sharing.

Heather T- Snappy is a no-no. He deserved that *click*.

Irja- I've learned the hard way to be 100% forthcoming when asked "is this a sales call".

Amy S- If you absolutely know you won't buy, it's actually doing them a favor to say so.

Robin- We always think we're not interested, don't we?

Sally R- I'm honored to have "made" your Friday afternoon. Responses like yours certainly made mine!

Mark W- That one has been used on me! I just laughed it off and closed the sale!

James R- I like the last option. The DNC doesn't apply in a lot of those calls, see comment #35.

Roxy- Ahh, very Zen. Thanks!

Jennifer S- He just feigned surprise, trust me. Another old trick.

Rick B- Even rejection, when creative, can make a cold caller's day.

Forrest- I don't know that they're happy, since they're probably commission based.

Bo- Sadly, many of them are trained to be that pushy.

Annie N- Great, thanks! I hope it helps.

Debbie F- That's a clear violation of DNC. I'm glad you've parted ways with that person.

Kristina L- Thanks for your honest feedback. I think the first caller did respect me, but I don't think it is respectful to ask for $500 from a recent graduate after he tells you he's busy--nothing against him personally.

Rene- I will never memorize the keystroke for the accented "e". Please accept my apologies!

Larry L- Patience, yes. It is in short supply these days.

Kim- I don't think that's very rude, you're time is valuable.

Jirius- The salesman that conveys honesty and respect is going to be the winner in the long run.

Edy- That's a good one, but it wouldn't work on me!

Brenda H- You raise a good point. Thank you.

Donna S- Mistaken ID can be annoying. Luckily, I don't have that problem often :)

Anti- Thanks, but I don't think you really know my "biz model". I'm not a REALTOR®, either.

Alan- They know exactly what you'll say if they ask that.

Lyn- Keep it, it's yours!

Judi- I understand completely. Wasn't funny at the time.

OCT

What a pohoto! LOL! Great post here. I especially love it when they ask me (during the one minute I say I'll have for them) if I'm at a computer! This is so very lame and lazy---and I'm usually in my car.

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