It is not Rocket Science

Today I received a second call from a PR company pitching an annual service of doing press releases.  I have been planning my 2009 Marketing so when the guy first called me 2 weeks ago I asked him to call back after in 2 weeks and he would have my undivided attention.  He called back today and so my first question to him was how did his service differ from what I can buy online.  He immediately started listing facts about his products with some benefits--cost savings, help with setup, and so forth.  As he was talking it became increasingly clear that he had no clue about my business at all. I asked him if he knew at all what I did and he stuttered out that in fact he had no idea and could I explain to him.  The sad part is I was actually interested in what he was pitching, but the fact is I am not going to do business with any company that allows their sales people to blindly cold call people and waste my time.  I do not have the time to educate a sales person on the basics of what I do.  A quick search on the web will explain enough about my company to have a more relevant conversation.  I then said to him, "You have no idea if I am a dentist or a ditch digger and I don't have the time to educate you so I am finished talking."  

Seriously, it is not rocket science.  It is not a fancy sales technique.  It is simply understanding the other person enough to add value.  The fact that I asked him to call me back in 2 weeks did not even give him enough incentive to take the time to pull up my website.  The fact that people are still trying to sell this way is amazing to me and my mind is boggled by the wasted time and resources.