Telemarketing again
3 Sep 2007
This is the second time in just a few weeks that I have posted some comment on telemarketing standards. Can’t help it – I get so incensed at the appalling standards and the reflection it has on everyone in the sales profession.
By late Tuesday last week my PA reported she had taken five calls from people asking to speak to ‘the owner of the business’. ‘Put the next one through to me please’ I requested.
11 am Wednesday – the call comes through:
Caller: I’m calling to speak to the owner of the business
Me: We have 27,000 shareholders all of whom own the business. Which one would you like to speak with. (not true – me just being difficult).
Caller: Oh – any one.
Me: None of them work here. They are just owners and shareholders. Do you have the name of the person you need to speak with?
Caller: I just wanted to speak with the owner.
Me: What’s it about?
Caller: It’s private.
Me: Which company do you represent – who are you calling on behalf of please?
Caller: It’s private. I can’t tell you.
Me: Well I might be able to put you through to someone who could help if you can tell me what it’s about.
Caller. I can’t – it’s private for the owner. Never mind thank you. (Hang up)
I did try to get them to give me the name of the company they were representing so I could call ‘the owner’ and tell them how I thought they could improve their results. My recommendations would have started with BUY A LIST OF COMPANIES WITH THE NAMES OF THE MANAGING DIRECTORS SO YOU CAN AT LEAST ASK FOR A PERSON BY NAME.! And no doubt you too could add several other suggestions.
If you are the company who is paying for this telemarketing campaign or are the organisation running it on behalf of your client – get help please. You are ruining the reputation of professional salespeople. We don’t like it and we’d like to help.