Telemarketers
Ever so often, I get a call from a telemarketer. Today I got two. One in the morning from a hotel and one in the evening from an investment adviser.
Both were friendly - asking me nicely, how I was doing today and in my friendliest voice I said, I am doing fine. But for sure, they are not interested at all in my well being, or only until I would agree to something they want to sell.
I don't always know where they get my telephone number from and the one from the hotel has my handphone number.
The guy in the evening had a strategy to sell something to me - he first told me where he got my number from. From another investment adviser that I talked to last year or so. So he established a reference. Than he told me about this great company that is going to be publicly listed in Sweden, and unfortunately, a larger investment banker has already bought a lot of shares, so there wouldn't be any chance to get into it anymore. Indeed, the other investment adviser got the deal, but if I would be lucky, the big investment adviser would miss a deadline and that would gave me the window of opportunity to move in.
After all this, he ask me if this was a convenient time to talk - which I denied - I believe it is good to talk to people and I am friendly, so I told him that. He kept asking, if I would be interested to know talk some more another time, so he could learn more about my investment behaviour. I first said, no that I wouldn't like, since I don't know him - bad move, since he moved in saying that is why he would like to talk to me so that we would get to know each other better. After which I said thank you, but I am not really interested in talking about investment in the near or medium term future. I could feel that he was getting very angry - may be frustrated (it is a frustrating job), and hardly managed to put down the phone - or basically slammed down the phone. Faster than I could say Good Bye (what I would have).
What went wrong? Well, this is direct marketing. You get a name, any name from anywhere, friends, internet, former or current business acquaintances, and call them. Direct Marketers are not interested in you or your well being - they are only interested in you until you have stated that you are not interested. Most of the time, one can hear the echo of the curse they shout after you, when they put down the phone. The business acquaintance that gave him my number is out of any consideration from me - and I will send a nasty e-mail that I don't accept if they pass on my details.
Just to make it clear - I am interested to talk to people. I know they do their business. But this is not customer relationship management or building up a relationship. This is annoying and in my face. This is a cramp in my stomach and a frozen smile on my lips. This is when the telephone receiver is pinned under my chin, and continue to work, until I realise that I am expected to say something.
The investment adviser that gave the marketer my number had a good strategy in the early stages - or better, his marketer. He asked how I was, and when I said I have no time, he asked me if he could call me back. Very friendly, even when I told him that I am not interested. He said, nevermind, but may be my situation would change 6 months down the road and if I would mind if he would call again. I said no, he could do that. Punctually six months later, he would call. He would ask, if I would remember him, and yes, after a while, I remembered him. He was friendly whey I told him that nothing would have changed in my situation. He would call again, at an agreed next schedule. One day he convinced me and I saw the investment adviser (the one that passed my name on). We had a great first and second talk, and I actually considered him. But, when I wanted to meet him, and by chance it was a holiday, he couldn't make it - and I never heard from him again - only receive some strange mails advertising great investment opportunities. That is when I knew that he was no better than others - he lost his edge. And now he is gone from my radar screen as well, since he passed my name on. Sorry! I will post him this link, later.
Ever so often, I get a call from a telemarketer. Today I got two. One in the morning from a hotel and one in the evening from an investment adviser.
Both were friendly - asking me nicely, how I was doing today and in my friendliest voice I said, I am doing fine. But for sure, they are not interested at all in my well being, or only until I would agree to something they want to sell.
I don't always know where they get my telephone number from and the one from the hotel has my handphone number.
The guy in the evening had a strategy to sell something to me - he first told me where he got my number from. From another investment adviser that I talked to last year or so. So he established a reference. Than he told me about this great company that is going to be publicly listed in Sweden, and unfortunately, a larger investment banker has already bought a lot of shares, so there wouldn't be any chance to get into it anymore. Indeed, the other investment adviser got the deal, but if I would be lucky, the big investment adviser would miss a deadline and that would gave me the window of opportunity to move in.
After all this, he ask me if this was a convenient time to talk - which I denied - I believe it is good to talk to people and I am friendly, so I told him that. He kept asking, if I would be interested to know talk some more another time, so he could learn more about my investment behaviour. I first said, no that I wouldn't like, since I don't know him - bad move, since he moved in saying that is why he would like to talk to me so that we would get to know each other better. After which I said thank you, but I am not really interested in talking about investment in the near or medium term future. I could feel that he was getting very angry - may be frustrated (it is a frustrating job), and hardly managed to put down the phone - or basically slammed down the phone. Faster than I could say Good Bye (what I would have).
What went wrong? Well, this is direct marketing. You get a name, any name from anywhere, friends, internet, former or current business acquaintances, and call them. Direct Marketers are not interested in you or your well being - they are only interested in you until you have stated that you are not interested. Most of the time, one can hear the echo of the curse they shout after you, when they put down the phone. The business acquaintance that gave him my number is out of any consideration from me - and I will send a nasty e-mail that I don't accept if they pass on my details.
Just to make it clear - I am interested to talk to people. I know they do their business. But this is not customer relationship management or building up a relationship. This is annoying and in my face. This is a cramp in my stomach and a frozen smile on my lips. This is when the telephone receiver is pinned under my chin, and continue to work, until I realise that I am expected to say something.
The investment adviser that gave the marketer my number had a good strategy in the early stages - or better, his marketer. He asked how I was, and when I said I have no time, he asked me if he could call me back. Very friendly, even when I told him that I am not interested. He said, nevermind, but may be my situation would change 6 months down the road and if I would mind if he would call again. I said no, he could do that. Punctually six months later, he would call. He would ask, if I would remember him, and yes, after a while, I remembered him. He was friendly whey I told him that nothing would have changed in my situation. He would call again, at an agreed next schedule. One day he convinced me and I saw the investment adviser (the one that passed my name on). We had a great first and second talk, and I actually considered him. But, when I wanted to meet him, and by chance it was a holiday, he couldn't make it - and I never heard from him again - only receive some strange mails advertising great investment opportunities. That is when I knew that he was no better than others - he lost his edge. And now he is gone from my radar screen as well, since he passed my name on. Sorry! I will post him this link, later.
posted by Andreas @ 6:13 pm
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