All of have received disguised sales calls. I'm not talking about the obvious sales calls where a product or company is mentioned but rather the ones where someone begins by stating that this is not a sales call or that they are not attempting to sell me anything. Really? Of course, they are trying to sell something.
It might be trying to set an appointment, getting us to agree to a trial offer, asking for a donation, or something else which in reality is selling. Unless they are taking a survey with no more to it than that, or they are calling to award me a prize, it's a sales call.
They will insist otherwise, but this is not the case.
The next time you get a call from someone selling something over the phone - and they claim that they aren't selling anything - ask them "who told you that?" Who told them to say that this wasn't a sales call?
Just because their script says to tell us that they aren't selling anything to get us to relax and let down our guard, or just because their manager told them this and they don't know any better, it doesn't make it so. They may honestly believe they aren't selling, but they are.
Question them, and they will have no defense. They will try to explain their story, but it won't work. Maybe you can sell them something now that you've interrupted their script. At least they will have been told that they are selling and that they should be up front and proud of it like we are!
Steve Hoffacker, CAPS, CEAC, SHSS, is a licensed Certified Aging In Place Specialist - Master Instructor and best-selling author of aging in place books. To learn about this and other programs for aging in place or universal design, visit stevehoffacker.com or call 561-685-5555. Also, check out the "Aging & Accessibility" groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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