Sales call

We've been getting sales calls at work. They want me to change my employer's long distance carrier. I have zero interest in it. I don't know what carrier is used, have no responsibility or authority over the long distance carrier. I figure that either these guys are paid on commission or by the hour. If' it's by the hour, well, i can kinda see it. But if there's any commission, then there are tens of thousands of numbers to call at my employer alone where the chance of success is absolute zero. Now that's a cold call.

One of my coworkers speculated on how long these people would stay on the line if put on hold. I wouldn't expect them to stay on hold for long. If you want to keep them on the line, you have to talk to them.

One time years ago, i got home from work, and got a magazine salesman. I told him that i had just let my last two magazine subscriptions lapse. He asked what kinds they were, and i talked to him for 45 minutes. At that point, i mentioned that, "well i just remembered, but i actually subscribe to over 50 monthly magazines". He was outraged, "How did you forget that you subscribe to over 50 magazines?" - I answered, "Oh, I collect comic books." He hung up on me.

That was total victory for me.