Beware The Dangers Of “Cold Callingâ€
Over the last few years we have all seen a major increase in the number of “cold calls†from companies in the finance industry, whether a visitor to your door, a telephone call or a letter through the post. Companies are being more and more direct in their marketing approaches as the clamour for business continues to grown.
Are you being taken in by their aggressive marketing techniques?
While it is very easy to bin a letter received through the post, and not receive any come back or aggressive marketing, it can often be a little more difficult with phone calls or doorstep selling. These people are trained in techniques which will grab your attention, and entice you to listen to their offers - even though the majority are unsolicited calls!
A few of the techniques they use include :-
· The over friendly approach. Many sales people will try to act very familiar with you, delving into your interests, maybe even a comment about where you are from, etc. To give them less ammunition to keep talking, keep your replies short and business like, never straying into your personal life.
· The classic “Buy Now Offerâ€. The financial papers are full of people who have been taken in by these “Buy Now†offers, and the comment that the terms will be “changing tomorrowâ€. They will often talk about massive savings, ease of sign-up (over the phone) and little paperwork to complete. Do not be rushed into making a decision, if they really want your business the offers will remain open - remember you are holding the purse strings, and you should be in control.
· Calling in the evening. As many potential customers work through the day, the telephone and doorstep callers often choose late evening to contact you, with many knowing that you may be tired, not thinking straight and possibly more open to offers than normal. Again, do not agree to anything without thinking it through.
· The doorstep caller. Once the uninvited doorstep caller is over your doorstep into your house, it can be very very difficult to get rid of them. While to some this may seem a rude option, the majority of sensible people will talk to them on the doorstep, and if they have a genuine interest in the offer, then maybe invite them in. Do not let them talk themselves into your house, although if you do invite them in it is essential that you ask for identification.
· The “Trial Period†offer. This is perhaps one of the most common ways that a sales person will try to tempt you to take up their offer. “Just sign up for a free 30 day trial, and then you can cancel†should set alarm bells ringing. Again, the financial press are full of stories of people who have signed up to “Free Offers†and not been able to cancel their subscriptions - with many left to foot large bills for services / products which they did not really want in the first place.
These are just a few of the tricks used by the “cold caller†and it is essential that you are awake to their styles and approaches. Never be pressured into signing something which you do not want, never lose your cool, and if they refuse to go - threaten to call the police, which always does the trick!
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