Selling on the Phone and Computer

6/8/2014

Don't know about you, but I hate to be snugly parked on the sofa with a good book and then the phone rings.  You sit there for a moment, pondering whether to answer.  I eventually give in, get up, go over to the phone, and immediately don't recognize the caller ID.  Now you're sure that the caller is nobody you know, and more than likely, nobody you want to talk to.

The caller, sometimes a person, other times a machine, starts their spiel.  Good morning Mrs. "x", today and today only we are holding a sale on "x" (insert the name or product here), and it's your good fortune (depends on who you ask), to be able to participate.

This is about the time that I say I'm not interested and begin to hang up the phone.  After I hang up the phone, I do feel bad for the person on the other end.  He/she is trying to make a living, and other than walking around the street wearing a sandwich board, cold calling has to be the worst.  

I know that the callers are used to people hanging up on them, speaking rudely to them, or perhaps worse, stringing them along through their entire script and then hang up.  I don't know if these people are paid by the phone call, or more likely, the more "suckers" they get signed up.  I'm betting it's the latter.

Then there's the emails from someone you've never heard of, telling you that you've won a zillion dollars, but they need your bank information before they can "transfer" the money to you.  Do you suppose people really fall for that?  I know I don't.  Remember the old saying that if it sounds too good to be true ........

I do occasionally get emails from Ebay, and those emails always give me pause.  When I'm seriously in doubt, I forward the emails to Jeff and he takes care of it - by hitting the delete key I imagine.

I wish I could leave a message on the answering machine like: if you're trying to sell me something - hang up; if I've won something - hang up. Otherwise, feel free to leave a message, which I may or may not return.

There was a time, and perhaps you remember it as well, when all phone calls were either friends or family and you actually looked forward to those calls.  Unfortunately, my friends those days are long gone.  

We have a 10/10 rule at the house.  We really don't want calls before 10:00 am, and none after 10:00 pm.  If a call comes in super early or really late, our heart rate ramps up, expecting either good or bad news.  It's just the way we're programmed.

P