Telemarketers

[sfaJack 0]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/features/2442008

 

Telemarketing calls can really pay off

By DON OLDENBURG

Washington Post

Before the national Do Not Call Registry reduced the barrage of annoying telemarketing calls, you could hear some consumers say, "I wouldn't buy from a telemarketer if they paid me!"

 

But what if they did pay you?

 

You may soon get that chance if business innovator Daniel Shifrin's plan to reinvent telemarketing works.

 

Shifrin founded his New York-based company Adnoodle last fall based on his brainstorm that what had been missing from those loathsome phone solicitations was incentive for the consumer -- a little something to make up for the inconvenience. Now Adnoodle has signed up 15,000 consumers who have agreed to listen to recorded telemarketing pitches, speak with telemarketers and respond to e-mail solicitations -- for a price. He says 500 to 1,000 people are enrolling daily, and he is planning a promotion campaign on college campuses this month before he "hard-launches" the program this spring.

 

"It's all about getting value for the consumer -- because consumers have value, right?" says Shifrin, 35, whose other company, AutoWraps, pays consumers to put advertising on their cars.

 

To enroll, consumers go to adnoodle.com and decide the minimum per-minute payment they would accept -- generally, the lower the payment, the more companies will contact the consumer. The recommended range is 10 cents to $1.20, but registrants are advised that "bids" of 10 to 50 cents are likely to draw more ad calls. Participants also have the option of being paid in entries to a $5,000 Adnoodle sweepstakes.

 

Registrants also choose the ad vehicles -- telemarketing, e-mails or both -- and they can choose the window times they'll receive the ads. They complete a survey that asks gender, age, number of children, interests and consumer behavior, so companies can target products and services.

 

The typical Adnoodle sales call is a recording and states up front its cash offer for listening. Not enough coin? Too busy right now? You can accept or decline -- no obligation. Each ad runs a minute or more. The consumer must correctly answer a multiple-choice question at the end to get paid. "Knowing that the person who heard that message understands the content is really a leap in advertising," says Shifrin.

 

At the end of the call, consumers can opt to receive a coupon for the advertised product or talk to a live representative -- or hang up. Payment is via PayPal, the online payment company.

 

"For 2 1/2 minutes a day, if your average price is $1 a minute, you make $80 to $100 a month," says Shifrin. "Not bad, right?" Actually, it's more like $75.

 

Shifrin says he's learning from them. "We're trying to make it easy for the consumer to earn money and not take too much of their time," he says. "We're doing it smart."

 

For more information about Adnoodle's pay-the-consumer ads or to enroll, see www.adnoodle.com.

 

-------------------------

 

No way I'd do this, but is there anyone here who would?

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I would probably say no because the sales pitches would probably be more aggressive. I don't mind doing phone surveys, however...

[C Dubya 04 0]

I unfortunately used to telemarket for a summer. It was the worst job I have ever had, or will ever have.

 

But, I would probably do this. It seems like easy money, if you time it right. Hell, I could do two hours during Raw every week. You really only need to half pay attention anyways.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

How many sales did you make per hour, and how many people would cuss you out?

 

I worked for one day at some place that did surveys. I was told when I started that there would be no cold-calling.

 

Well, the fat bitch lied. In a six-hour shift I only got 3 surveys done while calling well over one hundred people...

[Guest thebigjig]

I worked as a telemarkter for about three weeks right out of high school... I was moderately successful. It depended on the day, where we were calling, and what kind of people we were targeting. Favorite "targets" were the elderly, and rednecks in trailer parks (no lie!) with bad credit, and yes they were generally easier to sell to

 

My second day on the job, was 9/11. Strangely enough, we were calling New York that very morning. The first I heard of the terrorist attacks, was actually from a coworker next to me, who turned to me and asked if I had heard anything about a plane flying into the WTC. I laughed and said that that was the most creative excuse I've ever heard to get rid of a telemarkter... little by little we kept hearing more and more until the supervisor of the place told us to hang up the phones and gather around... he made the announcement... we were of course shocked, but we kept working. An hour after they collapsed, the supervisor told those of us selling Network Plus to hang up our phones and to gather around... he then told us that the corporate headquarters of this specific product, was on the 50th floor or whatever of the WTC tower 1, and that effective immediatly, we were to stop selling it

 

Aaaanyway, I was deeply affected by this experience, and I quit three weeks later, a day after being told to lie to a customer to help sell a product... I just couldnt stomach it anymore

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Funny how it took the total destruction of that corporate office to get them to make you stop.

 

And what lie did they make you tell?...

[Guest thebigjig]

Funny how it took the total destruction of that corporate office to get them to make you stop.

 

And what lie did they make you tell?...

I was selling Excel long distance stuff, and we were calling former customers of Excel, trying to get them to come back to us... this was really really really tough, because in 2001, the reason everyone left in the first place was because of HORRIBLE service, and when you're calling trying to get pissed off people to come back, then you can see how it wouldn't be the easiest thing to do

 

Sooo, after a day of not being able to sell anything, and being yelled at for not doing my job properly, I basically asked "how the hell can I convince these people to come back?" and a supervisor thought a moment and said "okay, make up a story... like this... saying that Excel was once a part of a different long distance phone carrier, and that the reason the service was so horrible, is because this seperate company that we were joined with, handled that side and messed everything up... well, we just broke away from them, and now we want to work hard to get your trust back"

 

My last day... I was sitting there being yelled at by an old man, starring straight ahead thinking "why am I doing this?" so, five minutes later... break started, and I calmly walked out of the building, got in my car, drove a few blocks to a small private gym I used to be a member of, and got into the hottub... relaxed, and didnt even call to tell them I was quitting until 4 days later. ANY other job would've fired me immediatly... they were calling every day, leaving messages, asking if I was coming back lol

 

I must also mention that everyone that worked there, sold and did drugs. A few months after I left, cops raided the place and arrested three of the supervisors.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Damn. Funny -- my future white trash sister-in-law used to be a telemarketer before she became a total crackwhore. I guess that job would be better if you're high...

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Ugh, that'd be a miserable job to be high at. Yapping on the phone to pissed off and inconvenienced people? That'd kill a buzz pretty quick.

 

I'd like to do that job for a day, only to get myself fired from it. I'd yell at people who get shitty.

[C Dubya 04 0]

I sold credit cards for MBNA, but sucked at it. I would get around 8 people a day. Other's got between 20 & 30. I would give up right away if a person showed the slightest objection. Not the best hard sell technique.

 

One guy was a total prick to me on the phone and I was having a bad day, so I programed the automatic call back feature to call him every hour. That felt pretty good to do for some reason. I got him again about 4 hours later and he sounded like he was going to blow a fuse. That was the only time I enjoyed the job.