How to reduce telemarketers and direct mail...
Thread Starter
Elder Member
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 19,795
Likes: 0
How to reduce telemarketers and direct mail...
Ali and I are really tired of the constant phone calls of telemarketers and the trees worth of unsolicted junk mail every day. I looked up anything I could find to help and found the following two links. These are all we have today as Americans to "opt out", except to tell all of the telemarketers "put me on your do not call list."
I don't know how well these will work, but I am trying the first link and have already filled out the web based links for the dma-org telemarketer opt out and direct mail opt out. It takes months for this stuff to help, but I will be paying attention.
A final note is that it seems if you are a customer of a place, you can't stop them from calling you to solicit more business. Being the great consumers that we are, I think that is going to amount to most of the "problem" in our case, but I will see.
I hope this info is of interest to you.
Ivan
State of Florida telemarketer opt out instruction page:
http://www.800helpfla.com/tmkinstruct.html
Direct Marketers Organization
http://www.the-dma.org/consumers/consumerassistance.html
P.S. I bought a "telezapper" device that is supposed to act like a disconnected line to the telemarketers autodialers. I am very skeptical of this device but I'll let you know how it goes.
I don't know how well these will work, but I am trying the first link and have already filled out the web based links for the dma-org telemarketer opt out and direct mail opt out. It takes months for this stuff to help, but I will be paying attention.
A final note is that it seems if you are a customer of a place, you can't stop them from calling you to solicit more business. Being the great consumers that we are, I think that is going to amount to most of the "problem" in our case, but I will see.
I hope this info is of interest to you.
Ivan
State of Florida telemarketer opt out instruction page:
http://www.800helpfla.com/tmkinstruct.html
Direct Marketers Organization
http://www.the-dma.org/consumers/consumerassistance.html
P.S. I bought a "telezapper" device that is supposed to act like a disconnected line to the telemarketers autodialers. I am very skeptical of this device but I'll let you know how it goes.
Eighth Member of AudiWorld. God-like, glorious and all-knowing.
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 21,469
Likes: 3
I really have mixed feelings about this...
Most of my clients started out as cold calls. When I have cold called, I was always very professional, called during reasonable hours, and I sincerely feel that my clients are far better off dealing with me than not.
I resisted burying them in tech stocks, even though that's what they wanted to do. Today, they want to buy long-term bonds, but I won't let them, because I know they'll be screwed when interest rates go up (and they will).
So I view cold-calling as a very legitimate form of marketing. Unfortunately, we have become a "got ya!" society. It's all about getting someone for some reason. It's tough to enforce the "do not call" lists. You have to research every phone number before calling to ensure that it's not on the list. This is really quite impractical. Violations subject the offending company to a $500 fine.
So there a lot of people putting their names on these lists and hitting corporate America for $500 whenever they can get away with it. Personally, I think this sucks, and is cowardly and c.s. Just one Man's opinion. I will never implement this, unless someone is an idiot who won't leave me alone. So far, this hasn't happened.
I resisted burying them in tech stocks, even though that's what they wanted to do. Today, they want to buy long-term bonds, but I won't let them, because I know they'll be screwed when interest rates go up (and they will).
So I view cold-calling as a very legitimate form of marketing. Unfortunately, we have become a "got ya!" society. It's all about getting someone for some reason. It's tough to enforce the "do not call" lists. You have to research every phone number before calling to ensure that it's not on the list. This is really quite impractical. Violations subject the offending company to a $500 fine.
So there a lot of people putting their names on these lists and hitting corporate America for $500 whenever they can get away with it. Personally, I think this sucks, and is cowardly and c.s. Just one Man's opinion. I will never implement this, unless someone is an idiot who won't leave me alone. So far, this hasn't happened.
Thread Starter
Elder Member
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 19,795
Likes: 0
I see your point but I would never complain if I never again got a single solicitation
call at my house.
I have NEVER bought anything off of a cold call to my home, and not because I refuse to on principle.
We had a guy calling us as a "financial planner" for months, leaving messages, etc. I now know the name of his company by heart and will never do business with them.
Do good work, spenf advertising money wisely and the customers will come.
Aren't you in a word of mouth business, really Brad?
The financial planner example was just that. I know you are not a financial planner by title and really an insurance salesman like that guy.
I have a guy just like you so I must agree there is a need for personal brokers.
I have NEVER bought anything off of a cold call to my home, and not because I refuse to on principle.
We had a guy calling us as a "financial planner" for months, leaving messages, etc. I now know the name of his company by heart and will never do business with them.
Do good work, spenf advertising money wisely and the customers will come.
Aren't you in a word of mouth business, really Brad?
The financial planner example was just that. I know you are not a financial planner by title and really an insurance salesman like that guy.
I have a guy just like you so I must agree there is a need for personal brokers.
AudiWorld Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 921
Likes: 0
IMHO: Telezapper seems to work
During the recent CA elections, the telemarketers were RAMPANT. My fax line and my renters tel were ringing about every hour. My telezapper equipped number rang about twice a day with unsolicited calls.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
audifull
Audi 90 / 80 / Coupe quattro / Cabriolet
3
Apr 14, 2005 09:32 AM
RXBG
TT (Mk1) Discussion
4
Feb 27, 2002 08:09 AM
