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I just hung up with an unmotivated and very ineffective telemarketer from Network Marketing.

Since the caller ID indicated a telemarketing firm, I answered with "Hello?" instead of the usual "thank you for calling Elizabeth Charles & Associates, this is Wendy..." spiel.

The caller started with "is this a PR firm?" and continued with "uh, a Wendy?"

A better approach would have been "Hi, I'm calling for Wendy Kurtz. Is she available?"

When I asked if this was a sales call for advertising she responded "yes, but it's only $250 and Meredith [Celebrity Last Name] is on there, and we bring a television camera to you..." and kept going. It was a very disjointed pitch.

A better response would have been something like: "technically, yes, but actually it's a call to let you know about an opportunity we have reserved for Orlando's community leaders (remember, she got my name off a board list). Would you be interested in showcasing your business to more than 10,000 business professionals in the Central Florida area?" That would have captured my attention.

She could have continued with something like, "I see on your website you assist executives in moving from free to fee paid speaking engagements. This advertising program will enable you to promote those services to your target audience multiple times for less than $0.70 a day. Even a basic postcard mailing would cost more than that." The subliminal cost comparison shows how her program can save me money. As a business owner, I am always interested when something affects my bottom line.

I politely mentioned she'd called in on a back line and our phones are on the national Do Not Call registry. She promptly told me I needed to contact the chamber and tell them to take my name and information off their web site. Umm, no, I don't.

A better approach would have been "I'm sorry; we got your number from the XYZ Chamber's web site. I'll be happy to remove your name from our list. I apologize for the intrusion. Have a nice day." Of course, sincerity is the key here.

$250 sounded cheap. Had her approach been drastically different, I would have at least been interested enough to find out more in order to more fully evaluate the opportunity (remember the "E" in the D.R.E.A.M. Principle). Unfortunately, the only thing her pitch interested me in was hanging up.

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Tracked on November 22, 2008 05:50 AM