I hate cold calling people.

[valis2]

I really hate it. I have been accused of having a "telemarketer" voice before and have even had friends hang up on me before. It really works against me to try to sound professional and cheerful and businesslike, because I've already had a store hang up on me before I could even get my message across. Craziest part is, I wasn't even trying to sell something, I just want to talk about hosting a trunk show.

*sigh*

Today has been hellish and tomorrow will be just as bad. I've already made about thirty totally fruitless calls. I'm really striking out. A lot. The one person who was excited as hell to hear from me couldn't help me out because it was the one week where she would be on vacation.

Oh, and I forgot about Easter. No one will be open on Easter. Stores will not be available during the time between Good Friday and Easter, so that scraps my mini-tour plans, and I'll have only the main tour. ARGH.

*headdesk*

Comments

[rexluscus.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

All I can say is, you are far braver than I. I would run screaming if I had to cold-call.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I absolutely loathe it. Honestly. The worst part is that people receive so many sales calls each day already that I don't even get a moment, even though I'm not calling about their long distance phone line or credit cards, but with a legitimate (and quite common in our industry) business proposition. Wah!

Thanks for the hug, I really need it right now. I've already had a bit of a melt down.

[rexluscus.livejournal.com]

*more hugs*

[kaiz.livejournal.com]

I completely sympathize with you. 150%. it's the worst thing on earth. I have no idea how people who do it for a living manage.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I have no idea how people who do it for a living manage.

Same here! I'm just very, very lucky that I only need to do this occasionally. Honestly, once I've visited a store/person, they're usually more than happy to see me again, so after the first batch of cold calls, I'm set. But I'm expanding my territory, so to speak, so now it's back to the phone.

I appreciate your sympathy tremendously. Today has been a pretty waaaah kind of day. ;)

[privatemaladict.livejournal.com]

Ugh, that sounds horrendously frustrating. Hope you have better luck tomorrow. Seriously, why would stores assume you're a telemarketer? Shouldn't they expect calls every now again? They should at least hear what you're calling about before hanging up!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I hope I have better luck too! I just can't believe that they won't even hear what I'm talking about. I'm not trying to sell them a postal machine, I'm trying to set up something which could bring in new customers for them. Argh!

Stores do get lots of telemarketers who target businesses, but still, I'm within the industry, and industry calls are far fewer, seriously. I'm hoping she was just having a bad day, and I'll try again and see what happens. *crosses fingers*

[catsintheattic.livejournal.com]

Poor girl!

*hugs*

I hate cold-calls, too. I can procrastinate like mad, only not to call.

And I think you are really brave, simply because you persevere and don't give up!

Good luck for tomorrow! I wish you people on the line who will listen to you.

&hearts

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I may not give up, but I will sit down and have a good mope about it. Heh.

Thank goodness tonight is spaghetti and CSI night, or I'd really be bummed.

Thank you so much for your kind words! *hugs back*

[catsintheattic.livejournal.com]

Spaghetti are true comfort food!

Have a good amount of parmesan and some wine together with the spaghetti to make them even better...

*hands you the cheese grater and a corkscrew*

[atdt1991.livejournal.com]

*nod* You definitely have to get -away- from the super-professional atmosphere of a corporate person and get into the "hey, we're both in business for ourselves, let's get down to brass tacks" voice.

A good way to do that is, when you first have someone answer the phone, say (and I'll just die if I have wrong what you're doing, but if I use the wrong words, please forgive me) "Hi, I'm a jeweller looking to do a trunk show in your area, could I speak to XXX?" And then when you get the owner or whoever, say the same thing, except "your area, my name is x." It's far more wham-bam! than you like as a personable person, but it is much more likely to avoid the impression you're afraid of.

[atdt1991.livejournal.com]

Oh, and *tacklesnuggle!*

[valis2.livejournal.com]

*falls over* whoa!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think that the more cheerful and professional I sound, the more I sound like I want to swamp them with direct mailing offers! *sigh*

Y'know, when I sound like I'm a bit clueless it seems to keep them lingering on the phone, but I don't want them to think that I'm clueless...even though I am. Heh.

Y'know, the effect of your keen mind and sound advice is slightly dampened by that coy look you're sporting on the icon...heh.

[atdt1991.livejournal.com]

*grins* How do you think I came to be sporting this boa, anyway??

[julian-black.livejournal.com]

Ugh. I've never been able to do cold calls because I end up sounding too cold and formal. Last time I had to do them, I had one woman sigh with relief when she realized I wasn't a lawyer, or from the IRS, or otherwise calling her with Bad Fucking News.

Sorry to hear it's going so badly...

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I just can't seem to get the right balance going, though I did marginally better during my afternoon calls. I actually got through all of the first set, which makes me feel a lot better.

I ended up having to set up an email account specifically for this.

Yeah, email account #6. Yikes.