The Question: When you receive a telemarketing call, what do you do?

My 2 Cents: I actually used to do telemarketing when I was in college, and I remember quite vividly some of the “tricks of the trade.”

One that I recall, and it’s been some years so I don’t know if they train representatives to do this anymore, is that you keep trying to sell as long as the person is on the line. If they haven’t disconnected, it’s not a definite “no,” even if s/he’s said “no” over and over and over.

Because of that, I simply hang up once I realize it’s a company trying to sell me something or trying to get me to take some survey. If they can get you to say “OK” at the end of their presentation, that’s the equivalent of you saying “yes,”  which launches the representative into a whole ‘nother part of the presentation. That’s why I disconnect the call when I realize who is on the other end.

As a telemarketer, I actually appreciated the people who hung up right away. For the telemarketer, the interactions with those s/he calls is a law of averages. The more calls you make, the more of a chance you get a few people to say “yes.”  The key is getting through all the people who say “no,” so you can get to the people who’ll say “yes.” Without fail, there are going to be some customers who will buy what you have to offer.

You weren’t doing me any favors by sitting on the other end of the phone allowing me to get through my entire presentation, especially since I was trained to keep selling until the other person disconnected the call. If you hung up on me before I got started, I was able to get to the next call and the next and the next, harvesting the “yes” calls from the many “no” calls.

For those of you who believe it’s polite to sit through the whole presentation and then say “no,” think about that the next time you get a call from a telemarketer. A telemarketer who’s serious about being successful in the telemarketing business will not take it personally when you hang up, which is something else we were trained to understand; when the person hangs up they’re saying “no” to the product, not “no” to who you are as a person.

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Take a few moments to check out the tweets from Twitter on this subject:

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ImABlackPoem If they want surveys, I’ll do it. If they want money, I tell them I dnt hv it or 2 put me on the do not call list

atane  I usually politely tell them I’m not interested in whatever they’re peddling.

tiffeetiff  act like I don’t know English and mess with then for 5 mins or until they hang up lol

Geaux_Smoke_14  I try to confuse the [bleep] out of them!!

williecolon  Say “Not interested” and hang up.

MydniteAngel  I put my 3 year old niece on the phone and let her deal with it. no joke

PROTECTED TWEETER  hang up!!

Speaklife2  If I want what they r selling, listen; if I don’t, remind them of no call list; B firm cause they r; if thr 2 firm, hngup

PROTECTED TWEETER  i normally listen to the entire pitch, depending on the product being marketed, and then decline their offer very respectfully

Cherry_Letters  and to answer your question I listen then politely decline and if they dont say ok and hang up i do =/

mayqueen79  As a former, albeit for a short while, telemarketer- I am always nice, but distracting. I will ask them for their lifestory.

jreneker  I wait until they identify themselves so that I’m sure it’s not a call I actually want and then… click.

Quintessence_T  immediately hang up on their arses

EvrythngNailz  haha.. hang up!

MissMeandI  I quickly say “No Thank you” and hang up before they can argue with me

md20737  Ignore

PROTECTED TWEETER I say “no thank you” and hang up lol

Shadowsperson  Politely ask to be removed from their calling list, then hang up quickly before they can annoy me further.

BLKMGK  I don’t even answer the phone

womprat99  Politely ask them to add me to the do not call list, thank them for their time, and hang up.

Write_Of_Fusion  Cut them off before they even start!

chocolate357  Hang up!

treschic67  I ask 4 their HOME Number&Tell them I’ll call them back when they’re eating dinner w/their family. They usually hang up then..

walkerdl  Let them talk to my voicemail…If I don’t recognize the #, I usually don’t answer the phone. If they want something, they can leave a msg

overanalytical  When I rec’v calls from telemarketers who ask that I don’t hang up, I oblige them & put the ph down till they hang up

BrownManATL  sell them something

weezos  tell them Im not interested and hang up

Mrcarl007  listen and decline lol

bythesea_1  Politely say “not interested” and hang up.

LadyJay91  When I get a telemarketing call I say look DUDE we’re in a RECESSION DUH!! Then hang up (ha ha ha ha)!!

Pettra88  Listen, then decline.

KittybTM  tell them to me on their Do Not Call list if I’m in a hurry. Or play games w/them if I’m not.

Sparty1216  Hang up! Oops on ‘no call’ list

Mo_Rease  Don’t answer

PROTECTED TWEETER Ask them to remove me from their calling file. Many ppl hang up, but I learned that it doesn’t help! You gotta ask 2 b removed.

JoshDamage  let em speak for about three seconds then hang up lol

Divagwendolyn  Well first I have to answer. With caller I’d, if I don’t know the number I don’t answer.

Tazzee  I don’t even answer my home phone, but they call it all day.

tclarkusa  If it’s a number I don’t recognize I let voice mail get it, but if I get the call, I’m nice but try to end call ASAP

rishaholmes  HANG UP!

iJustJason  let them finish their initial script, then politely tell them I’m not interested. I understand that this is their job

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The commentary doesn’t have to end!

Please feel free to continue to add your comments below.