I love to get calls from strangers who are attempting to sway my thinking or sell me trash bags. That is what I live for. I enjoy it so much that I have come up with a few ways to enjoy it even more.
- Advise that you are eating dinner (generally the case) and request a number where you can call them back, because you really ARE interested in chemical lawn treatment. If they are stupid enough to give you one, you can either ask the next telemarketer who calls to call you right back at your other number and give them the previous telemarketer’s number or post the number in a handy place such as a public restroom.
- Respond to personal questions with personal questions of your own (:and what about you Mary, how old are your kids?”); try to engage them in light repartee – it can be hilarious to listen to them try to wriggle out of talking.
- Ask them if they use the product they are calling about themselves, and if not, why not.
- Be sure to use their first name a lot (“What about you, Ted, do you have a credit card from this bank?”)
- Tell them you feel telemarketing is a fascinating field and you’re considering a career change. Ask them if they like their jobs, how it pays and what the hours are. Some good technical questions might come from TELECOM Digest, like what kind of headset they are using.
- Tell them that the conversation is being taped for their protection and ask them to say their name several times slowly in succession.
- Hand your 3-year old the phone and tell them it is Santa Claus.
- Act as if you know them and talk about high school.
- And as a last-ditch effort, sign up for the national Do Not Call registry at DONOTCALL.GOV or CALL 1-888-382-1222. You will, of course, have to sign up every year and remind the telemarketers to remove you if you are on their list if you decide to go that route.
