Got some interesting responses to my earlier post on cold calls. Thanks to LinkedIn! Here they are....

Alexandru Bleau:

Cold calls are a very good insight on what opportunities are out there that could interest your company. However, a lot of them can become time consuming. I do not generally refuse cold calls, but i do rush some of the sales agents who do not have an elevator speech prepared. Time is money so if they waste my time, they do not get my money!

Sanjay Mathur wrote:

Cold Calls? Mmmm. I analyzed my own response(s) to various cold-calls, and realized what enrages me most is if the guy or girl on the other end struggles while opening the conversation, "May to talk to Mr. Medur..er Mr. Mature..oh Math-Ur (my second name is Mathur)" I immediately know that it is a cold call, and question, "Who is this?" From there on the tone of the conversation does not remain congenial, and the effort is to cut the line as soon as possible. Believe me, there are plenty of such I calls I get, despite of my being on "do not call" list!! But, I do entertain cold-calls from some unknown callers and do some business with them. Why I chose to do business with them? It is mainly because of one or all of the following factors: -The caller opens the call enthusiastically -Does not disturb my dinner/ weekend brunch -Does not waste time in saying, "Oh! I am not selling anything to you" or the like -Comes to the point immediately and gives me FACTS and not an opinion -Add value by telling me something I did not know -Gives me option to think and decide and does not push me to the wall -Is well-mannered and honors my time The worst call I got so far was from an elderly gentleman from my country-of-origin. He opened the conversation intimately. I thought I was taking a call from one of my relatives; until he started talking about his "cause." The conversation went off something like this: He opened by saying, "Is this Sanjay?" I said, "Yes!" He said in most cold and matter of fact way, "And you are with AT&T?" There was such an authority in his tone that I said sheepishly, "Yes! What is wrong with it..." He immediately declared, "This is a big mistake!" You can understand how I might have reacted once I found he was not my long-lost uncle, but a telemarketer from overseas :-) Sanjay Mathur

Eugene Rembor wrote:

I think everybody hates cold calls. Probably simply because 99% of cold calls are so unprofessional and boringly badly executed that they make you want to be deaf after 40 seconds. The worst are made out of a call centre where you can clearly hear that someone is just rattling down a script, with no passion, no personal interest, worst with no listening skills and wasting your precious time. Sometime I wish those people would be forced to attend a high-class sales training at gunpoint.

Mike Mladineo wrote:

I don't mind taking business cold calls. They usually last less than 5 minutes and are a good way to gain market intelligence.