We can’t stand being contacted by telemarketers. Why is that, and how can telemarketers become better liked?
The statistics say it all about how we feel about telemarketers: more than 2.2 million Norwegians have opted out of telemarketing through the Brønnøysund Register Centre. This means that well over half of the adult population has reserved themselves against receiving sales calls on their personal phones.
We don’t have updated figures on the number of complaints resulting from telemarketing. However, in 2017 the Norwegian Consumer Authority received more than 1,500 complaints related to telemarketing. As a result, the rules governing telemarketers were significantly tightened, and the number of complaints dropped afterward. One change was the ban on calling from hidden numbers. In addition, data protection regulations have been strengthened in recent years—for example, businesses can no longer freely share call lists with each other.
Why do we hate telemarketers?
Many people experience telemarketing as intrusive and disruptive, especially when calls are made outside permitted hours or without respecting people’s wishes not to be contacted.
In addition, poor customer handling – such as failing to listen to the customer’s needs or applying aggressive sales pressure, can contribute to negative experiences.
Some also feel that telemarketers do not respect opt-out reservations, which further reinforces the negative perception.
FEELING THE PRESSURE: Performance pressure can lead some salespeople to take shortcuts.
Some of the hate is also likely driven by prejudice. For many years, telemarketing was an industry with a large number of unprofessional actor.
The industry is characterized by performance pressure. Many salespeople work solely on commission, where success is measured by closing as many sales as possible. In the desperation to push a sale through, many have likely taken shortcuts over the years. It’s easy to see how the industry earns a bad reputation when some salespeople apply excessive pressure or withhold essential information, leaving customers with a deal that’s different from what they originally agreed to.
Another reason many people have grown to dislike telemarketers is that a large number of them were trained in the so-called “yes method.”
What is the “Yes method”?
The “yes method” in telemarketing involves asking questions designed to make the customer answer “yes” to several consecutive questions, increasing the likelihood that they will eventually say yes to the actual sale. The tactic is intended to create a positive, agreeable atmosphere in the conversation and is based on the principle that one “yes” often leads to another.
The problem with this method is that it’s not as simple as it sounds. It requires very strong communication skills for the customer to feel seen and heard when the salesperson is constantly steering the conversation toward getting a “Yes”.
In practice, customers on the receiving end often experience a “yes method” salesperson as pushy.
The best salespeople are great listeners
If you want to be of any real help as a salesperson, you need to ask questions—and listen carefully to the answers.
A good example is a salesperson who called me recently to sell a mobile subscription:
“What matters most to you—price or coverage?”
“Both, but price is the most important,” I replied.
“What are you paying today?”
“399 NOK per month for unlimited data.”
“With us, you can get 50 GB for 379 NOK.”
“That’s not an option. I want unlimited data.”
“I understand. Then I won’t take up more of your time. Have a great day!”
There was no sale from that call, but the salesperson did a quick needs assessment, got a clear no, and was able to move on to someone else he could actually help – someone who was a better match for what he was offering.
He wasn’t annoying, and I was left with the impression that he genuinely wanted to help. I’m always open to considering new mobile subscriptions and quick to switch if something is better than what I have today.
But let’s fast-forward a few months.
I’d been out cycling in Vestmarka, a forest area outside Oslo, and needed to call home to say I’d be late for dinner. Did I have coverage?
No.
What if I’d had an accident and ended up lying in the forest without mobile coverage?
So later, when I was buying a new phone and the salesperson asked which mobile subscription I had at the time, and whether I was satisfied with the coverage, the answer was a clear “no.”
“Would you like to switch to a subscription with Telenor coverage?”
I checked the coverage map for Vestmarka.
“Yes, let’s do it.”
The salesperson uncovered my real need and had the product I actually required.
That’s how sales happen.
So… telemarketers: pushy sellers or genuine helpers?
Behind every call lies a choice: Should the salesperson force a sale, or genuinely try to determine whether they can solve a problem for the person on the other end of the line?
We don’t necessarily hate buying something over the phone. What we hate is being treated poorly. We don’t want to spend time on conversations that aren’t relevant to us.
The best telemarketers understand that sales is about asking good questions, listening to the answers, and accepting that not everyone is the right customer. They know that a quick and polite “no” can be just as valuable as a “yes,” because it frees up time to call someone they can actually help.
If more people sold that way, perhaps 2.2 million Norwegians wouldn’t have opted out of telemarketing. Maybe we’d even be a little more willing to answer the phone.
