Cold calling
OK maybe its just me but I am getting really fed up with the number of calls which start with 3 seconds silence then somebody asking for the house holder by name and then launching in to some sales pitch or other. I know there is a service which can be used to block these calls but my concern is that at some point a legitimate call may not get through.
Why don't they just ring off when you say your not interested or do they get off on the stream of invective lightly to follow there inabilty to hear that you don't wish to talk to them...This often happens when you are waiting for amother call which makes it doubly annoying.
I am curious, surely nobody in their right mind actually buys the products that they attempt to sell this way. To put this in perpective I am not talking about sales calls from organisations that one actually deals with like the bank, but rather the random ones which are usually from far flung call centers. At least spam email can be filtered to a degree.
Advice on what to do, apart from the obvious:
Here's How:
Just say, “I’m sorry. I can't do this right now.” Use a sympathetic, but firm tone. If pressured as to why, reply that it doesn’t fit with your schedule, and change the subject. Most reasonable people will accept this as an answer, so if someone keeps pressuring you, they’re being rude, and it’s OK to just repeat, “I’m sorry, but this just doesn’t fit with my schedule," and change the subject, or even walk away if you have to.
If you’re uncomfortable being so firm, or are dealing with pushy people, it’s OK to say, “Let me think about it and get back to you.” This gives you a chance to review your schedule, as well as your feelings about saying "yes" to another commitment, do a cost-benefit analysis, and then get back to them with a yes or no. Most importantly, this tactic helps you avoid letting yourself be pressured into overscheduling your life and taking on too much stress.
If you would really like to do what they’re requesting, but don’t have the time (or are having trouble accepting that you don’t), it’s fine to say, “I can’t do this, but I can…” and mention a lesser commitment that you can make. This way you’ll still be partially involved, but it will be on your own terms.