In this job, I have to do a lot of cold calling. That’s a dirty word for a lot of people, whose minds instantly turn to having their dinner interrupted by someone using a fake English name when it’s painfully obvious that they’re calling you from a woefully overstaffed call centre in Calcutta.
These people want to talk about mortgages, kitchens, mobile phone tariffs, investments and all manner of personal information and yet they choose to start their call with a lie. “Hello, this is Mandy from British Telecom” – sorry love, but I can think of at least three things wrong with that sentence.
Cold calling in a B2B environment is an entirely different animal, yet there are still some people who find it hard to separate a genuine opportunity from a monkey trying to sell them double glazing.
On numerous occasions, I get politely told by receptionists that the people with whom I need to speak do not take unsolicited phone calls. Are there seriously still people out there who hold on to that mentality? Some of the greatest business relationships of our time have started with an unsolicited call. Mariah Carey blocked the path of an oncoming limo just to get her demo heard by the record company rep inside. That was an unsolicited call that made them both millions. Just imagine the outcome if that driver had chosen to just plough straight over her – Whitney Houston would have been left to monopolise the market on singing songs that only dogs can hear, and that’s just not right.
However busy I am, I can always spare a minute on the phone to hear a great new idea. If I’m not interested, I say so, and if I am too busy to continue the conversation, I schedule a follow up call for later in the day when I hope things will have calmed down.
Never have I had my colleagues dismiss someone who was calling to introduce themselves for the first time. Every idea and every relationship in history was new and unknown at some point. It was open minded people that allowed them to flourish.
Then there’s my other beef. The no names policy. “Sorry, but we have a no names policy here”. Really? Then how do you address each other?
These policies are essentially in place to block calls from headhunters. I know this because I used to be one. Once they’ve got a name then they can pounce, stealing all of your staff and then laughing wildly as they deposit massive cheques into their already overstuffed bank accounts.
Is that what companies are afraid of? Ultimately, that shows a fundamental lack of trust. Not only in their employees, but actually in their own company’s ability to keep their staff happy enough to not want to leave.
If a headhunter calls me up to tell me about an opportunity, I’ll listen. To dismiss him would be to go against everything that I have said here. The fact is that a truly unhappy member of your team is going to find a way to leave anyway – you can’t stop it, so you may as well let it run its course.
So why can’t I have the name of your Marketing Manager? All I want to do is help him make you some more money. Imagine I was calling to offer him a million pounds. Now imagine his reaction when he learns that reception would not put me through. Now a million may be excessive, but I am calling to help improve the company’s profits. I am calling to technically offer you all some money.
So what’s in a name? That policy is costing your company so much more than you know.
This is your last chance to sponsor me before the Flora London Marathon this Sunday. People keep asking me if I am ready, but as I have never done anything like this before, I have no idea what being ready feels like. All I know is that I will cross that finish line – even if it’s on all fours. Thanks to all of you who have supported me with your kind wishes and generous sponsorship – it really is appreciated.
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10 comments:
So true!
As a receptionist of a company who holds a no name policy, I regularly refuse to give out the name of a key member of staff... and the reason? Giving out a name is simply a foot in the door for annoying sales calls (and we get ALOT!), that name will then be stored on someone's database and as a result makes it harder to filter the unwanted calls from the genuine business calls who my colleagues wish to speak to. I appreciate everyone is doing their job, and maybe you have something new to say or a ground breaking offer... but EVERYONE who calls with a service thinks they have the offer of a life time.
Sorry, but I love the no names policy... my managers have work to do and cannot possibly take introductory calls off everyone who asks to be connected. At the end of the day, you can post something in, or even email... and if your product or service is great... you'll soon hear back!! :o)
Couldn't agree more with Anonymous receptionist. You are living in cloud-cukoo land if you think that every call should be taken - most of my marketing colleagues would spend all day talking to people who want nothing more than to take your money for yet another trade show, magazine, seminar, etc.
The reality is simple on this one, most receptionists are where they are due to their own failings in life and not being where they once dreamed of being. Let’s face it, who sits there actually dreaming of becoming a receptionist or answers a career questionnaire by ticking the 'I want to be a receptionist' box?
When taking a call a receptionist will decide within two seconds who needs to be put through and which calls are sales related. As soon as they detect a sales related call the only power they have within their role comes to bear. The questions start and the sales person will think that by being friendly they will get through to the decision maker. Wrong. You imagine how the director of one firm wishing to speak to a director of another firm will, in general, speak to a receptionist, with zero time for them. It's not personal, it's business and a receptionist holds no thought in their mind. The receptionist will put them through without hesitation as they both accept that’s the way things are.
If you are failing to get past a receptionist because you don't have a name that’s a simple fix - research. If you are failing to get through to a decision maker adopt the said attitude above.
Simples.
Oh dear! It is sad and quite pathetic that someone feels they need to actually insult someone's job! Are you back at school? You didn't like someone's remark so you had to stoop so low as to insult someone's career?
I am a receptionist and no, not by choice... who is? But sadly not all of us are blessed with a chance to go to university to get their dream job.
Anyway, back to the subject at hand. Sales calls are one of the biggest annoyances my company has and that is why my managers do not wish to take your call! You are no better than the companies who call while someone is having their dinner at home, to try and sell them new windows.
If your company is so great and has an opportunity not to be missed... how come we haven't called you first?
Do yourself a favour, get off your high horse and stop putting people down as we all know that someone who feels they have to belittle someone else is secretly very insecure.
OK, let's all take a breath. I have to say that I really don't like the idea of treating the person who answers the phone as nothing more than a gatekeeper - you catch more flies with honey as they say.
Yes, many sales people are annoying, and I have been on the receiving end of many a bad call. However, many sales calls happen at just the right time. More than once I have been greeted with lines such as "Oh, your timing could not be better".
You ask why a company might not have heard of us if we're so great. That seems a little short sighted - you may well be aware of a selection of companies that provide the goods and services that you need, but what about the hundreds, if not thousands of alternative companies that you haven't?
Does your own organisation thrive purely on referral business and in bound enquiries, or do you have people that actually get out there and try to generate new business?
I don't want my blog to turn into some platform where people can start hurling abuse at each other - I hate when that happens so let's all take the professional approach and try to get along!
Sales calls are essential to business, how else would we do business, business is buying and selling whatever the product or service, and the no names policy is a bit of a pain, but if you want a name, go out and buy one share of the company’s stock and then as a share holder you have a right to find out information about the company you part own!
Still at the end of the day sales people are smart and will find a way, so you’re not protecting anyone because once we find a new way of reaching our buyers your job as gate keeper will be over.
I hear McDonalds is hiring!
Gatekeepers have a role to play - we all accept that, but if sales people merely think of them as the enemy, then how can they possibly hope to move forward.
Gatekeepers can be a fountain of useful information. If you are resentful of their blocking your call, that bitterness will come through in your tone of voice and you'll be onto the next call in no time.
Ask these people for their help, and offer them something in return. They may be bound by policy but they're not all robots - they're human beings that deserve respect, and no automated telephone system will ever be good enough to replace them.
Thank you Paul, I appreciate what you've said in my (the receptionist) defence.
You are right- bitterness does indeed come through, as does the tone of voice where a sales person may as well scream out "I have no respect for you as a receptionist or a person".
Judge me all you wish, but my salary of 18k is plenty to enjoy life with. My other half has a very skilled career and I'm sure earns more than you probably do- so between us we live a great life. And my job means I don't have to stay late to meet targets and deadlines.... and so I am very happy with my job for all the above reasons.
And just to point out, as this point seems to have been overlooked by Anonymous- that indeed the no names policy is a POLICY. Not a policy made up by the receptionist, but a policy enforced by the managers and directors here... you see what I'm getting at? It is enforced by the very people you are trying to contact!
I'm a part-time receptionist at a no-names policy firm - a job that allows me to write, teach writing and learn web design for the rest of the time, which is my main ambition. It's the perfect job for my needs, and I feel genuinely sorry for someone who believes that anyone not as 'high-flying' as them is failing in life. Hilarious!
On the point of no-names policies, I agree with the second poster. Many of our people would literally spend all day fending off sales calls and wouldn't have the time to do their jobs if we gave their names out. I've had everything from aggression to sweet talking to plain lying, and none of them get anywhere; it's not my policy, but it is my job and I'm not going to bend the rules for you. Sorry. And it really isn't that difficult to find the name of our CEO.
We offer our email and postal addresses for those without names, which is something I don't see a problem with; it saves you trying to get past an unwilling reception desk and, as has been mentioned before, if the offer is that fantastic you'll be getting a phone call fairly quickly. The sad fact is, most of the offers we get through aren't worth following up or aren't appropriate, so why should our finance director spend his time dealing with the 99% of calls that are nothing special?
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