Are You Kidding? (Written April, 1995)
That is a vague title, isn’t it? “Are You Kidding” refers to all you guys out there who insist on being unprofessional. It gets me sick to my stomach thinking about it! Where do you get off? Do you really think what you are going to tell me is so important that you can’t mail or fax it to me? I am in business to help you promote your products, services and programs. I can’t be bothered with ridiculous, random calls insisting to speak with me that are solely based on trying to recruit me into whatever “scheme” that they are doing at my cost of both time and money. I’ll explain!
Check out this scenario: A guy calls me and writes me a few times. I call him up at least 6 times before I finally get him on the phone. Meanwhile I left my name and number each time and I’m thinking this could be a sales call for me. You know: a sales call to put food on the table so my family can eat? That type of sales call! Anyway I finally get through to this idiot and he must have asked me every question that exists about my business for over 20 minutes. Then he has enough “gall” to start and try to sell me his program. When I brought this to his attention that I just spent 20 minutes of long distance phone time and my precious time explaining to him what he requested that if he thought I would join into his program, he must be off his rocker! Do you realize this guy told me I was obnoxious! 6 phone calls trying to track him down, 20 minutes of wasting my breath and 25 minutes of long distance telephone bill, for him to sell me his program? Is he kidding? Go to Hell! If this is your way of recruiting, you can put my foot where the sun don’t’ shine baby. Go to Hell! You will never make a nickel in this business and with every phone call, I will become more and more obnoxious! To top it off this Knucklehead sends me a copy of his $3.000 commission check with pride. So I send him a nice letter explaining my position and his reply, “so what.” Of course he doesn’t let us know how much of that $3,000 is expense and I can guarantee the way he deals with people, his organization will fall apart in less than a year – guaranteed! Guess what? I will be happy to see that happen. I’d rather see hard working professional behavior succeed then this obnoxious, unprofessional attitude continue! Why do you think no one respects this industry? I get calls from people all the time telling me they been “ripped off” by this guy and that scammer. It’s because of these unprofessional phone con artist! Be careful! When they call and you didn’t request them to, be insulting to them. It’s the only way we can end this rash of unprofessional behavior!
Here is another scenario: Another guy called me just today. Unbelievable! I have 8 phone calls to return and this guy asks me to write down some special number. “You got to listen to the conference call tonight we are having for our new MLM company”, he says. Come to think of it, he’s right. Calling his “special number” is the most important part of my life and I should take his number down. Guess what I told him without prejudice, without malice, without feeling? I want this behavior to stop and to stop now! We must all band together so this unprofessional behavior ends! Let me hear your horror stories like this.
Hey, I’m not saying not to call people! If you are interested in acquiring information regarding someone’s service, by all means, pick up the phone and honestly ask questions. I’m also not saying you shouldn’t call people to recruit them. Quite the contrary! I believe you should follow up all your leads. Notice I said leads. That means, you place ads in publications, generate leads to follow up and call. These leads requested you to call. You know what? You’ll get a much better response and a much better response in attitude when you follow up these leads. So how’s about placing an ad in the many fine publications out there right now! Generate a lead! Then follow it up by mail and telephone! If not expect our new chant to be heard throughout the telephone MLM world, “Go to Hell!” It will ring your ears if you do not become more professional. It’s your choice! You can help improve this wonderful industry or you can continue to give us a black eye!
The author of this article is Larry Costello, President of All-American Print & Mail, 2200 Wilson Blvd #102-57, Arlington, VA 22201.