Type and tele-fundraising

[Lexicon]

This tread seems kinda spammish.

I already suggested we 'get him!'

...no one so much as grabbed a pitchfork.

 

[cascadeco]

I'm going to sound like a huge jerk, but here you go. As soon as I figure out who it is, I say (interrupting when necessary, which it usually is) "No thank you, please do not call me again" and hang up. There is nothing a telemarketer can do that will get me to make a donation - I won't even listen to the sales pitch.

I may politely listen at first (esp. if no opportunity to say anything, and if I didn't hang up in time during the initial delay when you first pick up) but as soon as possible, I terminate the conversation and say I'm not interested. I'm firm in that, and will reiterate if necessary. Then hangup.

I've never donated over the phone, nor can I ever see myself doing so. If I have a mind to donate, I will do it on my own, in my own time. I'll pursue those I want to donate to - them pursuing me does NOT work.

 

[Geoff]

I already suggested we 'get him!'

...no one so much as grabbed a pitchfork.

My intuition says he's writing a paper for a business course, and wants some input.

 

[Anentropic IxTx]

Much help is appreciated and thanks in advance.

Are you sure you meant "much help is appreciated" and not "help is much appreciated"?

 

[T-Guy]

I'm going to sound like a huge jerk, but here you go. As soon as I figure out who it is, I say (interrupting when necessary, which it usually is) "No thank you, please do not call me again" and hang up. There is nothing a telemarketer can do that will get me to make a donation - I won't even listen to the sales pitch.

Not that I'm unwilling help out or contribute to causes I believe in, but calling me over the phone to ask for money is a rock-solid, guaranteed way to get me to say no and ignore you in the future. This applies both for charitable causes and salesmen - even if you're selling something I might be interested in, if you call me unsolicited I won't even consider buying it. I find telemarketing rude, intrusive, and invasive in general.

But I'm curious... why do you ask? It almost sounds like you're trying to develop telemarketing strategies... if so :steam:. If not, I apologize, but I *really* dislike telemarketing .

Haha, thanks for your honest answer. I asked because I encounter lots of different people at my job (fundraiser) and I wanted to get a better understanding of why people react to my calls and interact with me on the phone so differently.

I personally don't mind telemarketing and I don't get why some people find it rude, intrusive, or invasive like you said.

 

[T-Guy]

I've yet to receive a phone call for any type of donation.
My brother used to try to order pizza off telemarketers when we were kids.


I have, however been on the other end of the tele-fundraising.
Yes. I called people's homes. Prospects, rather.

It was a job within my college $10/hr, flexible hours.. attractive boss (I digress). Called alumni and parent alumni for donations and contact info updates for our school, and various others. Some people were unpleasant, but overall, it wasn't too awkward. I did surprisingly well and brought in a pile of $$$ for various colleges.

There's a specific strategy for getting prospects to donate.
-gaining rapport is a big one
-making several "asks" between updating contact info & building rapport by talking about the school/listening to their experiences, etc.

Based on type alone, I wouldn't know how to get people to donate.. it was mainly intuitive timing and wording on my success with various prospects.


but... hey.. you're one of THEM.. aren't you?!


HE WANTS OUR MONEY!
GET HIM!

Haha, I'm doing the same thing you did actually...and I'm not trying to get money from you people.

 

[T-Guy]

Are you sure you meant "much help is appreciated" and not "help is much appreciated"?

Thanks for the correction

 

[kelric]

Haha, thanks for your honest answer. I asked because I encounter lots of different people at my job (fundraiser) and I wanted to get a better understanding of why people react to my calls and interact with me on the phone so differently.

I personally don't mind telemarketing and I don't get why some people find it rude, intrusive, or invasive like you said.

No problem . For me, here's why:

First, I see the phone exclusively as a tool for me to keep in touch with people I want to talk to - this really extends *only* to friends and family. They're welcome to call me (although I'm most definitely not a phone person in general).

But when I'm called unsolicited by someone wanting something from me, it's not substantially different than someone kicking down my front door or walking up to me on the street and slapping me in the face to get my attention and then begging for money or presenting a sales pitch. I'm a private person, and it's offensive to me in much the same manner.

It's using *my* tool as a mechanism to invade my privacy and interrupt my (generally quiet) home life for what I consider crass commercialization. I don't like advertising of any sort in general, but with telemarketing, it's worse. Often manipulative tactics are used (taking advantage of people's innate desire not to be rude, playing on people's compassion for people in rough circumstances, etc.), and it's not easily ignored, like TV commercials, junk mail, spam, and other passive or asynchronous advertising. When the phone rings, I'm interrupted *now*, and I have to stop what I'm doing to see what it is... and when it's a telemarketer? No sympathy. I'll be polite before I hang up (I know these folks are just doing their job), but I *will* hang up without listening to or considering a single word the telemarketer has said.

Rant over - but feel free to tell your boss to get the word out in a different way .

 

[proteanmix]

I'm kinda split on this.

I've had friends that have had telemarketing jobs and they're not too happy when people hang up in their faces or make rude remarks to them becuase frankly, they're just working. That's what it's like to me and what I think when they call. I say I'm sorry no thank you. I also put my phone numbers on the Do Not Call list and don't answer unfamiliar 1-800 numbers.

I'm not understanding why people are so upset with telemarketers. Yes, I agree they're annoying, but they're just making a paycheck. A lot of them get payed based on commission so if they want to have a decent check, they're going to have to put some pressure on you. Maybe I expect the sales pitch so I don't particularly care. It's one of the nuisances of modern life, what do you do about it?

 

[T-Guy]

But when I'm called unsolicited by someone wanting something from me, it's not substantially different than someone kicking down my front door or walking up to me on the street and slapping me in the face to get my attention and then begging for money or presenting a sales pitch.

Well I wouldn't quite put it that way, but fair enough. We have to respect people's privacy.

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

Usually I just say, "no thank you" several times until they give up. Even if I was interested in buying or giving money I would never do so through a telemarketer. I originally considered coming up with clever ways to mess with them, but then I realized that a person must be pretty desperate for a job to be a telemarketer. I don't want to pick on someone who is already miserable. Fundraisers are trying to do a good deed, so I don't want to mess with them either.

I personally don't mind telemarketing and I don't get why some people find it rude, intrusive, or invasive like you said.

The circumstances are different compared to a normal salesperson (although I don't really like normal salespeople either). When you go into a store that means you are interested in buying something to begin with, so the saleperson is there to help you get what you already want. A telemarketer is trying to sell you something that you don't want. Also they often follow a script and are persistant, so that means they are wasting your time as well. There is basically nothing good that can come from interacting with a telemarketer, only bad. That is why most people view them negatively.

 

[Lexicon]

While I'll admit my initial reaction to phone calls from people I haven't asked to call me would be to feel annoyed/irritated, I don't think tele-fundraising for schools [if you're alumni] is as intrusive as other types of tele-fundraising/marketing. You went to that school, benefited from it, provided them with your contact info. That sort of call seems a tad less unwarranted to me.

Door-to-door salepeople are intolerable to me, though. There are far too many other ways in this day and age to sell your product. Stay off my porch.

 

[Lexicon]

My intuition says he's writing a paper for a business course, and wants some input.

Never question INFJ intuition...
I was correct.