Telemarketers are very resolute and resilient sales professionals. Their job is to get on the phone, make cold calls to people, and try and sell a product or a service. They do not give up easily - if you don't pick up the phone, they will call you again; if they encounter an answering machine, they will hang up and call again; if you are registered with the "do not call" service, chances are that you will still receive a call.
Many people who get cold calls express a range of emotions - frustration, anger, fear, sadness, helplessness, violence, etc. A few folks who are on the "do not call" list complain and get the telemarketing firm penalized; others, which form the majority, usually grin and bear it. Some folks (a very small percentage) even listen attentively to the sales pitch and end up buying products - Nothing wrong with that, of course.
This feature is intended for those who do not like to receive marketing calls. If you adore telemarketer chattiness, no hard feelings.
Tackling Telemarketing Calls With an Internet Answering Machine
- The first thing to do is subscribe to an online answering service and set the software up. Your phone line will go into a modem port. The instructions are easy to follow and your answering machine should be ready within 30 minutes. Also, the monthly subscription is negligible, so don't worry about the costs.
- The next step is to record your message, and this is where the whole trick lies. Telemarketers do not make calls from a phone, they use special software. Your goal is to trick the calling software into thinking that it has hit on a blank wall and therefore it must stop calling you again.
- The first half of your answering message can be a tone that you hear when you call a disconnected number. If you set such a tone as the first part of your message, then the telemarketer's computer will automatically assume that it is dialing a number that is no longer in existence and it will drop your number off the calling list. The second part of your message can be your regular answer. Download this tone or dial any disconnected number and record the tone on your mobile.
- The hassle is that genuine people will get put off by such tones and they may disconnect before leaving a message. You can call these folks when you reach home. Also, remember to inform all your friends and relations that you have set a "disconnected line" tone as the first part of your message to get rid of telemarketers and that they should go ahead and record their message after hearing your voice, which follows soon after.
That's how you can get rid of telemarketers, and also ensure that your number is not dialed by their software again (or at least for a while). You can even try this trick with a regular answering device.
Andrew E. Carlson is a blogger and business man from Biloxi, MS who recommends (and uses) Max Email for his internet answering service.
