Cold Calling

[Rob]

Are you trying to wind me up

Depends, is it working?

The point im making in favour of the OP is surely calls would be made to specific companys with genuine offers of a better deal/service. (assuming his business is any good!)

However like in your case the man calling you, who wasn't me BTW, probably called a thousand people that day knowing full well they wouldn't want whatever he was selling...or not according to him

 

[Softus]

Are you trying to wind me up

Depends, is it working?

A completely evasive answer - are you a salesman?

The point im making in favour of the OP is surely calls would be made to specific companys with genuine offers of a better deal/service. (assuming his business is any good!)

So, to summarise: you assume <bla bla bla bla>.

However like in your case the man calling you, who wasn't me BTW, probably called a thousand people that day knowing full well they wouldn't want whatever he was selling...or not according to him

Your point being.....?

 

[Rob]

Are you trying to wind me up

Depends, is it working?

A completely evasive answer - are you a salesman?

Nope [b/]

The point im making in favour of the OP is surely calls would be made to specific companys with genuine offers of a better deal/service. (assuming his business is any good!)

So, to summarise: you assume <bla bla bla bla>.

Just 3 'blas' !

However like in your case the man calling you, who wasn't me BTW, probably called a thousand people that day knowing full well they wouldn't want whatever he was selling...or not according to him

Your point being.....?

Most people just hang up without swearing. Then again most people don't drive round taking pictures of other men in cars...

 

[Softus]

Most people just hang up without swearing.

Show me just one other person who's received a phone call just like the one that I did, and yet didn't swear.

Then again most people don't drive round taking pictures of other men in cars...[/b]

So your entire contribution on this topic appears to distill down to the fact that you didn't like me taking one picture of one man in one car, and you're posting here because that other topic was locked.

FFS.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Freddy's Twin,

Very constructive, thank you. Like many people on here, I'm trying to run my own business in the construction/trades sector. I spend every available hour of the day building it up to being able to support myself.

Just to make life easier, what "proper job" did you have in mind for me?

One that doesn't involve wasting my day, one that involves working for a living, I work in a small practice, between the 4 of us we take approx 15 cold calls a day from various reps, printers, stationers, service providers, agencies etc and its a complete waste of our time. If we want cheaper elec. we'll look for it thanks, if I want better IT support I'll go get it thanks, if I want to specify some bricks I'll contact suppliers when I need to thanks! You're distracted from what you were doing as well as the time involved. For the record I'd like to reiterate that I hate cold callers. God it must be a boring soul destroying job.

 

[DiggerBoy]

Freddy, I get cold calls every day too. Some are useful, most arent.

I'm a groundworker - is that proper enough for you? Sitting on the phones looking for new customers isn't my dream job either. In fact, it fills me with dread. However, going back to the whole point of of my original question, I need more customers to keep my new business afloat. I'm glad for you that you don't, and hope it continues like that. Not everyone is so successful, and new businesses have to start somewhere.

Cheers.

 

[Thermo]

I think you can split down cold callers into two categories. Those that are from call centres and really only phone you because your number comes up and are a complete waste of our time. The other type are small local businesses that are trying to get a leg up and offering their services. I detest cold callers of the first variety immensley. The other type i am more sympathetic too. I am however more likely to pay attention to them if they e-mail me or send some literature to me and then follow it up with a call. One of my best subbies i use did that. If i had been blind enough to have ignored the e-mail/phone call then i would have lost out. Its all in the way you pitch it.

Keep trying different stuff diggerboy, the work will come in. Try a few small builders merchants that dont have hire depts and ask if you can leave cards etc. Try towing the thing down to your local diy store car park and handing out a few flyers etc. i still say try the fiday ad. you only have to do a small add for a few weeks too see what comes out of it. The work is out there!

 

[Dave Rowtree]

I have worked in call centers in the past and the above descriptions sound like very negative experiences that are worse than every day practicality.

Before the wolves are released to ravage my telesales corpse I'll state I'm not involved in the industry now since I've moved on to a 'proper job' (as was hilariously and originally stated to me once a week when on the phone)

Basically, if you don't want to be called it takes 5 minutes to register with the TPS. For domestic households this is lifelong until you register your details with another data collection company (ticking the "I don't mind being contacted box")

For businesses registering with TPS lasts 1 year.

If everyone knew this it'd be a whole lot easier for all involved; obviously telesales people have no desire to call people who have no interest in their product either, its a waste of time for them as well.

At the end of the day, telesales works; thats the reason a lot of companies do it. If only 1% of calls results in a sale, its worth paying minimum wage to folk to do it.

Cold calling is illegal in the UK; the company needs to get in contact via a letter or another means first.

Good telesales people (of which I think I can call myself one) get sales and rarely get sworn at; the secret is as someone said above to be honest and direct in what you're looking to do.

 

[gcol]

Cold calling is illegal in the UK......

What about cold calls from abroad? Like a call centre in India calling on behalf of a UK company? We're resistered with the TPS and still get cold calls.
I generally wind them up - sound overly enthusiastic. They shortly get the message that you're not being serious. Another way is just asking them if you can put them on hold for a moment and just leave the phone for about 10 mins.

 

[marshman]

((I generally wind them up - sound overly enthusiastic. They shortly get the message that you're not being serious. Another way is just asking them if you can put them on hold for a moment and just leave the phone for about 10 mins. [/quote]))

or in a loud voice talk over top of them and say "hello hello I'm deaf, I saw the light flashing but she's out
you'll have to call back" (repeat if you like) then pause before you hang up they always say sorry

 

[nickso]

im going to start trying to guess their real names....the indian ones i mean.

have you noticed the new trend of them picking a ridiculous european name that obviously isnt theirs.

i had a guy from deepest india insisting his name was magnus once

so from now on im going to bombard them with indian names until they fess up.

 

[Dave Rowtree]

What about cold calls from abroad? Like a call centre in India calling on behalf of a UK company? We're resistered with the TPS and still get cold calls.

Cold calls (where you have had no contact with that company already) from anywhere to a UK number are illegal; the company needs to have sent you a leaflet or similar to call.

If you're on TPS (and sometimes you can think you are but are not due to mistakenly ticking the dreaded "Yes send me more information!") then that company is breaking the law and you need but mention it to the call center staff. If they still insist on calling get in touch with OFCOM and get legal.

And honestly, leaving them on hold will just mean they call again, as are all these 'tricks' since you won't get marked down as "Not Interested" just "Not in" which means you get called again in a few days time.

The best way of getting off the lists and not being called is to say before they go into their patter:

"I'm not interested, take my information off your lists and never call me again"

The more polite the better. Obviously staff are human too and if you're a prick to them they can be a prick back and just put your number back in the system for a collegue to call in the next few hours.

They are a lot more likely to respect your wishes if you are firm but polite.