Stop pretending you are my best friend from Active Rain when you call me if all you are in the call for is to make the sale!
You know the proverbial call that goes like this:
Hey, Katerina, it's Dave from Active Rain! How ya doing! I am sitting here reading your blog and wow, you guys really got the groove on!
So do I hang up on you now or do I give you the chance to show me that you are an honorable member of Active Rain who is really learning something from my blog and wants to just say you appreciate our blog?
Is it something in your voice that gives your fakeness away or something inside of me warning me that you are just the ol' ego stroker pushy salesperson ready to jump on me like a smelly hyena starving to close the next deal as soon as I let my guard down?
I can't stand this sly fox trickery you are engaging in on unsuspecting members who simply give you the benefit of the doubt and how terribly sad that we must then have our guard up no matter who calls because it just might be you.
And what part of NO do you NOT understand? I am NOT interested in buying your website that although you might be on page one on Google for major keywords related to our city you still only have a PageRank of 1! Well, that is not as trustworthy as you are scamming out to be. I have a PageRank of 5 on my Active Rain blog. And then you have the audacity to LAUGH at my choice of using Point 2 for my website! Hmmm, that speaks volumes of your character or lack thereof.
I thought you started this conversation with how great my blog is and how you are reading my blog and now you have demeaned all the work we do to nothing more than a dismal failure compared to what your website can do for us you. I guess you aren't really reading my blog or else you would know that we are successful in our own right.
You won't take courtesy kindly as I ask you nicely, what is your point? Taking my time to call me when the rules on Active Rain specifically state that you are not to solicit the members, much less, accost them with the raising of your voice as you are sinking your teeth into anything they can find to bite on.
Gee, you really need to take sales 101! This is exactly what repels consumers from sales and gives salespeople a bad rap! You know like the the used car salesman that you run the other way from when you go to look at used cars? We have lots of kids and that means lots of cars! So you have the stereotypical car salesperson breathing down your neck trying to talk you into buying the car you just told him you do not want! He is so hungry and you smell desperation on his breath. You turn away just to avoid a confrontation.
This is such a sad experience because salespeople make the world go round. It is a profession of which to boldly be proud of not shyly under your breath admit you are. Salespeople should be able to shout from the rooftops the benefits they bring as glad tidings in baskets of goods and wares of which every single person in the world stands in need of at one time or another.
So why don't you learn how to really do sales! It is all about the genuine relationship. Sales is all about discovering the need and then providing the benefit. I am proud to be a salesperson and it was just a slap in my face when you betrayed your membership in Active Rain and my trust in you. Listen to the words of the Platters; The Great Pretender!
Katerina Gasset, CIPS, Realtor ®, Business and Life Coach, Speaker and Author. Reach Katerina at: 561-753-0135
Disclaimer:The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. Wellington Homes Blog does not guarantee or is any way responsible for its accuracy, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Entries on Wellington Homes Blog represent the opinions and ideas of the author(s). Wellington Homes Blog does not express the views of International Properties and Investments, Inc or those of the broker.
40 Comments on Stop Pretending You Are My Best Friend Just To Sell Me Something!
JUN
04
2008
Hi Katerina...It's Funny, but Sad all at the same time. I know I get those calls, saying how they like my blogs on AR and or how they will put me on the first page for Victoria Real Estate and Victoria BC Real Estate...then they are shocked when I say I'm already there and have been for 10 Years!
Ha, I got one of those today, Missy, I'm on your blog and wow what do you pay to be Number one is MI?
Cracked me up........... well not really it was a dead give away.
I told him my life, I blog and comment all the time. T I M E.
Yea, you can hear it in the voice. What really makes me mad is when they leave a message on your phone, "Hi Missy this is Jim and I am on your KW web site, can you call me about a home I am looking at?" So you call them right back and geta sales call.
You know, I have been getting more of those calls lately, but they didn't say they were reading my blog? Just kind of like they came upon me? Hhmm. . . now I am going to bust their chops the next call I get.
Fred- Oh, I told this guy all about you! His excuse for you was that this company was not in Canada and he did want to talk to me about Canada! I told him agents pay me to coach them on their SEO and blogging, he even put me down about that. Like I was the crazy!
Missy- We have not gotten one of those messages. This particular company Nestor has told them to not call us again. They are a royal pain. So fake and kniving. He was trying to argue with me about where I am number 1 and where I am not.
Michael- I can't even remember the name of the one who called me. That would give me the creeps too! This guy kept telling me, 'we are just having a chat'!
Audrey- Yep, they are getting your name through Active Rain. They don't have to be members to call you because your number is right there in the public view for obvious reasons! But to be so blatently rude with the pretending to be your friend really ruffles my feathers!
I am glad someone wrote about this subject. I hate calls that start with "I was reading your Active Rain Blog". I am glad you hit the necessary points on this subject. GOOD POST.
KATERINA - How about my favorite one..."Can you handle some more business?" Yes, I can, but I don't see how your product is going to deliver it, so stop wasting my time. It's funny that they think that they can get us to the top of Google when we are already there.
I don't expect anything from anyone....but if it comes I'll take it..I'm not too pushy especially on AR. If someone wants to throw me a bone then that's great but don't coddle me ans then hit me with some sales crapola..I send that stuff right over to my buddy Rich for cleansing
Yep. "Good old Dave" called me too. No doubt on my 800#. That's adding insult to injury. Now I wouldn't buy anything from him anytime, anyway, anyhow.
If he had e-mailed and asked for my local number, I would have spoken with him. I would still have said NO, but it would have been on his dime.
Don't folks understand that if we have a need for a product or service we know how to find it??? Do they believe that we'll fall for their pitch just because they say the words "active rain"?
See Katerina that is why I just don't write quality stuff on my blog...then they don't call me! LOL! Seriously...I love your blog...One day I may call, but if I do, it won't be to sell you something, it will be to encourage & thank you for the great stuff you write! But, now that I have your attention, wanna buy something from me? I can sell you something im sure....
I have received lots of sales call since rain. Oh well you must take the good with the bad. I just cut them short and block the number. They get the point quick.
Katerina it is funny that since I joined Active Rain last year I have heard from more "snake oil" salesman than I ever have in my life. The pitch really gets old after a while.
Katerina, the next time someone like "Dave" calls, maybe you can respond with, "I'll buy what you're selling if you'll buy what I'm selling! I've got a great property at ..." The last time I did that, the caller hung up :)
I'm starting to have fun with these guys. I get one several time a month. Homegain is the one that bothers me the most, but they are just rrying to do their job. Sell me something I don't need.
What a shame that these calls are going on and they are using AR as their cover. I loved the message and all I can say is "Amen to that." You go girl:-) I hope "Dave" notices this post....what do you think the odds are on that?
I thank goodness have not gotten one of these calls..Thanks for the warning. When I realize I am getting a sales call I usually ask hem directly...is this a sales call...when they stammer...i say please remove me form you call list;-) and then hang up
I feel so left out......I must not be one of the cool kids! I haven't gotten one of these calls from AR yet. I'm sure it's just a matter of time. When they call me about my website I just tell them I've got it covered! I don't go into any specific details. I figure it isn't their bees wax.
ALERT - One of the first things I tell the new agents in the office is "don't buy anything from any salespeople or any spam emails until you ask one of us". We can tell you what is a good ROI and what is not. DAVE called one of my guys who answered during lunch. Told him 5 times, not interested don't bother me. Finally just hung up on hi. My response was I'd have said, don't call me again and hung up after the first request.
List and Sell (and don't get spam phone calls) Gary @ RentonHomeFinder
I told one guy... just send me an email after he was talking about my website, his response, "what is your email???" It is all over my website, duh.....
What kills me is that they say they found you on the internet of here on AR, yet they go on to mention how they can bring me more business by paying them. Well obviously I don't need your services if you found me RIGHT!!!
Amen - well put! I get these calls on my cell while I am showing houses and am with clients. They don't even ask if it's an appropriate time to talk but just assume I'm a starving agent witing for the phone to ring. Hellooo! If they found us on google doesn't that mean we're doing something right and don't need them?
I have to say boo yah! I got a call from a Call Centre, probably in Bangalar India, for a company that was going to make calls on my behalf and lead generate for me non stop for hours on end, trouble was my good buddy in Bangalor had a hard time explaining to me in understandable English how much he liked my Active Rain posts and my Web Site.
This poor guy was having a hard time, he knew how to be slick but his English just wasnt up to par, cetainly not a 'Tinman'.
Without sounding trite, I appreciate your posts and have taken some to heart. If you were within 100 miles I'd come to your seminars!
Scott- Thank you for your comment. I appreciate that you would come to my seminars. I am going to be having webinars and teleseminars in the near future, so stay tuned!
Gotta love those ink pen people too... "You may know me indirectly as I'm the one who sells the ink pens......... " and so on.... OK... If I wanted to buy a ink pen, I would call them...
Wellington Florida Real Estate Blog By Katerina Gasset of International Properties & Investments, Inc. is a Great Place For Real Estate Agents and Potential Buyers and Sellers to get to know more about Wellington Florida as well as other parts of Palm Beach County.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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Hi Katerina...It's Funny, but Sad all at the same time. I know I get those calls, saying how they like my blogs on AR and or how they will put me on the first page for Victoria Real Estate and Victoria BC Real Estate...then they are shocked when I say I'm already there and have been for 10 Years!
Do your Home Work Buddy.
Great Post, have a great day!