I was looking into a new telemarketing firm to develop an outsourcing relationship for WealthNet and some of our clients. They kept “dripping” on me with some fairly marginal email marketing. Meaning the emails were always the same content. BORING. But I have been thinking about ramping up the outbound call campaigns and decided to call the company.

I called to speak with the owner who’s name is on all the emails they send. Figured I might deal with him directly. But he was out of the planet or office or country that day. The salesman who fielded the call (I’ll call him Mr. Don’t HaveEnoughLeadsLately or DHELL) pitched me a webinar the company hosts twice weekly. I figured I’d attend and see how they do. I could also tackle some bookkeeping work for our bookkeeper if the call was totally lame. And it was.

Here’s where the follow up failed. Between Thursday of last week and today, Monday, I received about six reminders for the webinar. Maybe most people need to be reminded this much. But for me, once I commit and put it on the calendar, I am in. Don’t bug me with all your email reminders that need to be deleted.

As if the experience thus far wasn’t bad enough, I get two phone calls just prior to the webinar today. Guess who? Mr. DHELL of course. He called my office and left a voice mail. Then he called my cell and left the same voice mail. Can you spell ANNOYING? If you’re going to call me, just leave one message. Better yet, email me a personal email. It’s more convenient for me to respond.

By the time I completed my bookkeeping work, I mean the lame webinar telling me how great they are because they use CRM software and email marketing, I am completely annoyed by the marketing and follow up experience. Or lack thereof really. In fact, I’ve decided shortly after the call that I’d blog about it today and help our readers understand what not to do. I also decided to send an email to the company to tell them to leave me the heck alone. Specifically, don’t call me.

Then guess what happened? It was the last straw. About an hour after the webinar and my follow up “please leave me alone” email, I am on a weekly call with Noah, my partner, taking care of some business when the office line rings again. I see it’s MR. DHELL calling for the five hundredth time. My blood pressure rises as I think about what I want to tell this guy. I put Noah on hold. And I tell Mr. DHELL what I think about his follow up. Politely of course. But directly in hope that he would “get it.” I think he got it.

Here’s the moral of the story. Don’t be a pain in the ass with your follow up. Make it relevant. When prospects respond telling you to leave them alone, leave them alone. Go back to “dripping” and following up in a very soft and indirect way. Instead of pissing your prospects off you can at least keep them in your pipeline so when the time is right for them to dialogue again, they are willing, ready and able to do so. And maybe they won’t be pissed off about you pissing them off.

Clifford Jones, Founder
WealthNet Partners, LLC
“Discover The Art of Business Development”
Scottsdale, Arizona

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