Thread: Oh, I'm Not Selling Anything

I noticed a few months ago that the new trend in telemarketing is: "But I'm not selling anything." Maybe it's not a new trend; I just never noticed it before.

The conversation usually goes like this:

Caller: May I please speak to the person who orders your office supplies?
Me: Thank you but we're not interested.
Caller: Well, I just need to speak with the person who orders your office supplies. What is that person's name?
Me: Listen, you're trying to sell us something and we're not interested.
Caller: Oh, I'm not selling anything. I just need to speak with the person who...

I was approached at a bus stop once by a guy who interrupted me from fiddling with my cell phone. He reached out to shake my hand and introduced himself. I said it was nice to meet him and went back to my phone. He then handed me a business card (something about prepaid legal services) and demanded -- not asked for, but DEMANDED -- my contact information. When I refused more than once he became threatening and confrontational. I thought he was going to fight me. Finally he stormed away into the afternoon.

I know it's a tough world, but what kind of training did that guy receive?

And why are salespeople saying they're not selling anything?

I think honesty will get you further, in the long run.

I guess that was my rant for the day...

That is a good rant - we were recently approached by pre-paid legal also... would you believe he tried to tell me with their service I would not need E&O insurance... go figure.

Ha, ha. But I'll bet he wasn't actually selling you anything!

Simply GIVING you an opportunity!

How rude of us to turn them down! We should be ashamed of ourselves...

I was approached by someone wanting to sell me prepaid legal yesterday!! Crazy...haha.

I'll talk to random people and I never try to demand things. I'll try to strike up a conversation if I'm waiting in the line at the store, while renting a movie, at a fast food place...anywhere I have a few moments to talk to someone.

I never tell them what I do first, I simply find a way to strike up a conversation and then find out what they do and then offer what I do and if they seem like they might be interested I'll offer them a business card. If they say something like "Oh, I've been thinking about buying a house" or anything along that nature I'll ask them for their info and if I can contact them. I've had really good success with it. I've been to a BBQ every weekend for the last month or so since it is so nice out and there are always people I don't know there but I've always gotten a new client every time I was there as well!

Hey Rick - Long time no see... how are you doing?

I am good Thesa, thank you for asking. I'm trying to make time to post in the forum, my blog, and the new mortgage forum the guys at sitetutor have put together. That coupled with staying busy at work doesn't leave me much spare time these days...But its all worth it so I don't really mind. How have you been? I could only imagine how beautiful Sun River is right now.

Glad to hear you are doing well!!!! Keep the posting going!

A lot of that pre-paid legal stuff is multi-level marketing, so they are SOLD on the idea that they will get RICH if they can sell a certain amount of stuff AND get people beneath them in the flow chart.

They BELIEVE.

So it is really hard to deal with those guys. Or anyone who doesn't change the channel as soon as they hear, "This is a pre-paid half hour advertisement, not regular programming." (or whatever the disclaimer actually says).

I've had my experience with Prepaid Legal as well. About 12 years ago when I sold life and health insurance, a lot of the agents that worked for me were recruited into it. They were always trying to sell me on it. It was supposed to be like health insurance, only for legal services, but it is mostly a rip-off. The people who buy into it really believe it though. As others have mentioned, it is a multi-level, get-rich-quick scheme. They rip off a lot of people who hope to better themselves but don't know any better.

I once had to fire an agent, and he went out the door screaming "I'll get you. I have prepaid legal!" It was kind of funny.

Everytime I go to the bookstore or some other place, someone will come up with me with a big legal pad and start a minuture chat and see what I am interested in and before I know it he or she is handing me a business card telling me to check his or her multi-level marketing idea out. It's funny that the cards have addresses like xxx and then a / and about 12 other letters behind the slash.

If I was really interested, I would just check out the main link, not the whole thing.

Also real estate wise, I joined a popular forum a while back. Well I have my site address in my signature so this weekend, I got a card from a marketer saying we met on the forum and just a pre-printed message on it. He had no url listed, but had his company name on it. Being curious I looked the company up and the first thing I see is the words "If you got a greeting card in the mail from us, click here." Very clever marketing there but it's a bit scary how people will go to your site and harvest your infomation like company address and send you stuff from off these forums.