RING * RING * RING!
Me - “Hello?”
Caller – “Is Mr. Wilkerson there?”
Me - (Hmmm...is Mr. Wilkerson there? Really? My dad? Or does he think my married name is Wilkerson? Ok let’s see where this is going.) “No, he’s not at this number but may I leave a message?”
Caller - "No, it's ok."
Me - (Man, I wonder who is calling since this is a San Antonio line and neither my dad or husband live in San Antonio...must be a scam, but I must find out so I can do my duty to report it on the YouMail Spam Directory! You know me!)
"May I ask who is calling?"
Caller - "No, that's ok, sorry to bother you." … stammers off the phone.
So what did I do?
In this day and age, knowing we had an estimated 58.8 billion robocalls last year, the last thing we appreciate is suspicious sounding sales calls thrown in the mix. But since I continuously work on being patient with others, and I just love chasing down all of those teachable moments, I decided to call the number back to see what was going on. To my surprise, it was a local wealth management firm right here in San Diego! Really? And the caller hung up on me as soon as I asked who it was? UGH! Patience isn’t always at the forefront, but I try for it to be.
The woman who answered when I returned the call heard the initial call from their end and immediately transferred me to the gent who called me. I mean, Mr. Wilkerson, haha! When he answered, I said in a very calm and polite voice, "Hi, I'm the woman you just called...would you mind telling me your name and what you were originally calling for?"
Of course, he was thrown off and a little nervous, but he gave me his "who" & "why.”
I could tell that he was probably new to making sales or cold calls or maybe just didn’t like making them. I told him, "Look, I'm not trying to be rude, but you need to up your phone game. I used to make cold calls all the time, and I still make some here and there, and I get it. I suggest you make a script, always introduce yourself, and work on it because you will not get new clients with phone calls like the one you gave me."
His voice relaxed, and he thanked me.
THE KID THANKED ME, GENUINELY THANKED ME!!!
I know we are busy and always annoyed by the 58.8 billion robocalls plus the who knows how many other random cold/creepy/scammy/spammy calls we receive daily (on top of life in general). Still, if we can just take a deep breath, take a moment to give the best of ourselves to someone else, we can make a difference in someone else’s life.
Who knows. He may have left the profession altogether by now, but maybe my returned call and pep talks were what he needed to get the ball rolling.
It can take a million no’s to get a yes in sales. It can be hard on the ego and hard on the heart, and if you don’t have the right coach or person to support you, it can be challenging.
I was not always the girl who enjoyed making cold calls, but I can thank my previous boss-lady Colleen Lyons, for teaching me everything I know while at Sports Car Company. "Dialing for Dollars,” as she would say.
Your take away?
I think it is so important always to take the opportunity to be a teacher, a positive role model, and set a good example. When I received this call, I could have easily and happily hung up and gone about my day to have never spoken with him again, but instead, I called back and gave my business advice to him. I hope that if you ever find yourself in this position or one similar, you’ll do the same. It only took about 5 minutes from my day.
You can find the most exciting moments to help others. Even when you think it might be insignificant, just try to give the best of yourself anyway. You have no idea how profound your involvement maybe for the person on the other end.
