I run a small business and receive on average 1-2 telemarketing calls per day to my mobile. Being a reasonably freindly person, until recently I usually listened to the first speil before trying to politely end the conversation.

Since my work is hands on by nature, it can be a considerable inconvenience to stop what I am doing to answer the phone, and this is costing me money on a daily basis. Sam, If I went through the dialogue in your second paragraph when I clearly have no need for the product on offer whatsoever, It would be costing me even more.

Due to the sheer volume of calls I receive, in the last week or so I have turned to saying “we’re not interested, thanks anyway” and hanging up as soon as I realise it’s a telemarketer.

I am sure that there are a few legitimate operators such as yourselves who are polite and have valuable services to offer.
(Perhaps small companies with less than 5 telemarketers could be exempted from the legislation?) However, after years of listening to the sales pitch, I can only conclude that you are a tiny minority of those who make these unsolicited calls.

Why shouldn’t I have the choice to opt out of receiving these calls just because I have a business number? You can always send me an email. If I am interested, I will read it when convenient. If not, one click and it’s in the bin. That I can deal with. Bring on the register for business numbers!

I also use the phone to introduce myself to businesses and offer my sevices. In the last year alone I estimate I have saved businesses about $300,000 that they didn’t know they didn’t have to spend. These people simply wouldn’t have searched for me online (like is being suggested by people with their head in the clouds) because they didnt know my services existed. It took a simple 30second call to ask for an appointment and now they wish they met me 5 years ago.
Its very easy to put every telemarketer into the box that is reserved for Sanjeev and his Indian friends, but when you do that business in this country will suffer…
And if the worst thing in your life is you have to cop a call from Sangeev every now and again be thankful thats the worst thing in your life

Salesman learn how to sell a product and “no” is often an opening, learn how to politely and decisively decline. “No, thank you” and hanging up is not smart, because they have your number and will call again. Try, after listening, calmly stating, “we recently upgraded, maybe you can call me next year around the same time and we’ll discuss it further then when this system has had a chance to prove its worth.”
Who knows, next year you might want to discuss it. Being hotheaded about it will only frustrate you.

The Prankster:
You know what I do when a TM calls, I’m heaps original ay, I put the phone down, then I pass them round the office, then I hang up on them. Or I ask them for their number then I don’t call them back. I am a business Genius.
Or, this one is good guys, I made it up, you tell them to call back in two weeks, when they call back, you tell them to call back in three weeks, when they call back tell them to call in a month and then when they call back, tell them you are not interested and hang up. Its HEAPS funny. You know, because they were going to waste twenty seconds of your time so you get them back by wasting heaps of theirs.

This is what a loser does to feel like they have power. Oh, how good it must feel to put one over those faceless telemaketers who are probably doing this thankless job as it is the only one available to them due to the flexible hours while they study!

I am a good respectable TM:
I have something good to offer, here is what it is…………..
Obviously this is a difficult thing to describe over the phone so would you be interested in learning more about it in an appointment, or with some further information to peruse at your leisure?

Here is a reasonable response:
Wow, that sounds too good to be true, yes I would like to know how it works, I am available next week OR can you send me some more information?

Or its alternative:
I can see the benefits, however, currently we have a system in place that operates SIMILAR (use similar as opposed to “same”, as many companies usually have “unique” products and this might cause them to have an opening, if they are a good TM) to what you are describing and we would like to give it the chance to prove itself, however, your call is appreciated, if you would like to send some information for our files so I can give you a call. It would be good if you could call me in a year to see if anything has changed.

People who do not take TM calls are doing themselves a disservice. Twenty seconds and you can make an informed decision as to whether the service or product is worth more of your time.

Telco’s are to blame for this attitude towards TMs, with their incessant calling. A good TM gets results from working with you, not throwing stuff at a wall and hoping it sticks, which is the technique of the bad TM.

I am employed as a liaison between my Director and other companies Directors in order to promote a system that is internationally recognised to reduce a major mandatory cost to business. We do not advertise in traditional mediums due to the system being effective for companies with ten or more employees. Our word of mouth business is strong and I am the only “telemarketer” in the company.

There are many occasions where I have been told someone was not interested one year, only to be our client the next due to a well timed call that ignited interest in a time when interest could be ignited. My follow up method has been refined and perfected over 15 years, granted it is one that other TMs could only dream of, but it allows me to organise my calls to have maximum effect.

The Do Not Call Register for business’ will kill this opportunity not only for me, but for potential clients who could save money from our system and others. All it would take is one phone call from an Indian call centre trying their best to sound Aussie offering something without listening to the needs of the client and that client might feel it justified to wipe all marketers through that medium off the list, to his detriment. Is that right? Better, is that smart?

Vote no on this register.

While individual businesses may have chosen to dump their advertising budget into deliberately annoying and driving away as many potential customers as possible, their smarter competitors will be more than happy to take up the slack when such antisocial practices are cracked down on.

Thanks for the update too, Angus.