Telemarketing?

[Island Lawn]

I hang up on peolpe as soon as I determine that I am being read to!
I just tell them I'm not interested and please dont call this # again!

BUT
If I could get just a few or so people stay on the line long enough to give me some info....

"Hello, Is this _____? (I have a names & # list)
My name is___of ABC Grass Maint.
Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?
(I need some input here!!)
Have you used LCOs in the past?
Are you currently using one?
If so, what services did you recieve?
Were you satisfied?
(How much did it cost??)

Thank you for your time. I would like to offer you a coupon for a free something ("only w/ service sign up" stipulation). I can deliver that to you myself when I give you a free estimate."

Just brainstorming while it's raining.
Wucha think?

[kutnkru]

Here was my reply to J Trim Co about telemarketing, phone soliciters, phone advertisers:

My personal beliefs are that this form of advertisement is the farthest one at our disposal to personal service. It shows clients several negative things right off the bat.

First one is usually that you are obviously making great money so you can afford to have someone else support your hobbies.

Secondly, you have not used any creativity in acquireing accounts so how can they turn to you for Landscape Design/Enhancement ideas when they arise even if you arent going to be doing the work.

Third, if you are so lazy as to market your business from your butt, how are they going to be able to rely on you to perform adequitely during the year in providing a labor intensive service??

Lastly, we HATE you people when you call up disrupting our evening for being so calous(sp) and disrespectful in regards to our private lives and leisure time.

I would STRONGLY recommend that you hire the neighborhood kid to help you distribute flyers, doorknob hangers and the like.

Good Luck this season!
Kris

[Stonehenge]

No matter how you slice it, any call you make will be seen as an uninvited sales pitch. As a summer job (for 2 weeks) 10 years ago I worked at a telemarketing-type company (also did surveys...same difference). For one week there were 6 or 7 of us trying to sell discounted tickets to a new theatre (The George Burns Theatre in Detroit).

In that week I sold 1 pair of tickets. Altogether I think we all sold 10 pairs. For about 280 hours of work.

You'd be better off hanging flyers, putting ads in the paper or yellow pages, holding a seminar, any number of things. Just not that.

Caller ID and automated call screeners are in business because people hate this so much.