Is There Anybody There?

How to manage cold calls

How many times have you answered the phone and there’s no one there? Or the voice of a stranger asks: “How are you doing?” or “How’s your business going?”. It’s another of the Cold Calls, an unsolicited call from someone you don’t know who wants to sell you a product or service you didn’t ask for. However, irritating it may be, it’s best to be polite and assertive in case in a fraction of one per cent of cases, it could lead to something positive.

Prevention is better than cure.

If you feel truly irritated by these calls and want to do everything to avoid them, practical possibilities include registering with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) which allows you to opt out of receiving any unsolicited telesales calls. You can register your landline or mobile on the TPS website or by phoning 0345 070 0707. An additional option is to contact your phone provider for ways to block nuisance calls.

Speaking to the caller

If you’re caught unaware and answer to the sound of “Can you manage more customers?”, take a breath and be polite. That’s a clever question on the surface to which most people in business might automatically answer “yes”. At this point you may decide whether to immediately close the conversation or to engage.

Engaging with the caller

You may want to check who the caller is, the company and their name. “How are you today?” asks the caller. “Who is this calling please?” you reply. Find out the identity of the person and company. Are they legitimate? Or are they phishing? It may be a scam call to get you to part with your details and your money. Scammers often pretend to be from a well-known company they expect you to trust. For more details and to report a scam, go to the website of the National Security Cyber Centre.

Requests for personal or business information

Never give personal information over the phone, such as your date of birth, your address, bank details or facts about your business. Make your refusal to provide information impersonal, such as “I don’t give personal details over the phone” or “I wouldn’t talk about my business on an unsolicited call”. If put under pressure: “Surely you wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity like this and it’s only available today”, again reply clearly and calmly, for example, “I don’t buy under pressure and or make such decisions quickly. Thank you for calling. I’ll say goodbye now.”

Aggressive and persistent callers

Perhaps you’ve experienced a caller who starts to get angry and won’t let go. “Don’t you want a better deal than you already have?” “Surely you want a better offer than the one you have?” they smirk, in an effort to make you feel small and stupid, so you’ll give in. “Thank you for explaining your product. As I’ve said, I’m not interested in that now and I’m going to go now. I wish you well” and/or “Please remove me from your records. I’m going to go now”.

Remain polite even if they are not. Keep your integrity and in a work-related situation, your professionalism as the way you deal with the call also reflects on your company.

While it’s hard to be on the receiving end, it can also be tough to be a cold caller, especially with companies who set the bar high and give their cold callers demanding targets. The callers are likely to experience many unpleasant reactions themselves.

Time to say goodbye

To close the conversation be pleasant but clear and draw a line under the conversation: “Thank you for calling. However, it isn’t something I wish to pursue. I’ll say goodbye now.”

Possible potential

In rare cases, that cold call could be beneficial, another good reason to remain polite. A business or networking opportunity arises – but still be wary of giving out information until you have absolutely verified the identity of the person and the organisation.

In summary

It can be difficult to intercept a cold caller and close the call. Indeed, it can be a challenge with friends and others who talk a great deal and listen far less. If you would like to manage such conversations with confidence and assertiveness, 1-2-1 coaching can help you think through what you want to say.

If you feel 1-2-1 coaching would be helpful to develop your assertive skills, do get in touch via my email or website.  You are also welcome to book a 20-minute call (£15, phone or Zoom) to find out how coaching can help you.