1. If they want to loan you money, tell them you just filed
for bankruptcy and you could sure use some money. Ask, "How long can I
keep it? Do I have to ever pay it back, or is it like the other money I
borrowed before my bankruptcy?"
2. If they start out with, "How are you today?"
say, "Why do you want to know?" Or you can say, "I'm so glad you
asked, because no one seems to care these days
and I have all these problems, my sciatica is acting up, my eyelashes are sore,
my dog just died . . ." When they try to get back to the sales process,
just continue on with telling about your problems.
3. If the person says he's Joe Doe from the XYZ Company, ask
him to spell his name, then ask him to spell the company name, then ask where
it is located. Continue asking personal questions or questions about the
company for as long as necessary.
4. Crying out, in well-simulated tones of pleasure and
surprise, "Judy!! Is this really you? I can't believe it! Judy, how have
you BEEN?"
Hopefully, this will give Judy a few brief moments of terror as she tries to
figure out where the heck she could know you from.
5. Say, "No," over and over. Be sure to vary the
sound of each no, and keep an even tempo even as they're trying to speak. This
is the most fun if you can keep going until they hang up.
6. If MCI calls trying to get you to sign up with their
Family and Friends plan, reply, in as sinister a voice as you can muster,
"I don't have any friends . . . would you be my friend?"
7. If they clean rugs: "Can you get blood out, you can?
Well, how about goat blood or HUMAN blood - chicken blood too?"
8. Let the person go through their spiel, providing minimal
but necessary feedback in the form of an occasional "Uh-huh, really, or,
"That's fascinating." Finally, when they ask you to buy, ask them to
marry you. They get all flustered, but just tell them you couldn't give your
credit card number to someone who's a complete stranger.
9. Tell them you work for the same company they work for.
Example:
Telemarketer: "This is Bill from Watertronics."
You:
"Watertronics!! Hey I work for them too. Where are you calling from?"
Telemarketer:
"Uh, Dallas, Texas." You: "Great, they have a group there too?
How's business/the weather? Too bad the company has a policy against selling to
employees! Oh well, see ya."
10. Tell the Telemarketer you are busy and if they will give
you their phone number you will call them back. If they say they are not
allowed to give out their number, then ask them for their home number and tell
them you will call them at home (this is usually the most effective method of
getting rid of Telemarketers). If the person says, "Well, I don't really
want to get a call at home," say, "Yeah! Now you know how I feel."
(smiling, of course...)