Proof That Our Approach Works

We often cite the statistic that "there are over 2.5 million telemarketers in the US, but less than 5% actually know how to make good cold calls." This comes from both secondary sources and the results of the Sales Skills Assessment that we developed.

Every once in a while though, we come across anecdotal proof of this assertion, like this email I received recently:

Dear JV/M:

I had just taken your B2B Appointment Setter position, and based on the information that I read, as well as taking the test; this type of work is simply not for me. I am a very sensitive person, and I cannot force somebody to take a product or service that they either don't want nor do they need. I am more customer-service oriented and an order-taker. I definitely would not be a good fit for this company.

This type of job is for somebody who is very thick-skinned, tough, and aggressive. In a way, I'm glad that I failed the test. I just wanted to try it out and see how it goes.

Thank you for your time and I wish you good luck in finding the right people for all of your available positions.

Sincerely yours,
Lxxx Fxxxxx

P.S. I am also not looking for a work-at-home position. I'd rather work out of an office instead.

Setting aside that the fact that job ad specifically stated that it was for a work-at-home position, this letter vividly illustrates what kind of morons are out there. But just for fun, let's pick this apart to highlight the fallacies that persist in the market. That is, what does our test-taker believe, versus what is the truth?

• Evidently she believes that people who make cold calls have to be insensitive. And while you clearly need to be able to take some rejection, being able to avoid rejection actually requires a heightened sensitivity, and excellent listening skills.
• She also believes that what we do is "force" people to buy products that they don't need, when the truth is that our main job is to find people who have needs, and uncover needs by asking good questions.
• And contrary to her belief that professional B2B lead generation specialists aren't "customer-service oriented," being sensitive to the customer's needs is the key to success in this business - whether that customer is the prospect or the client.

Her summary that the job is for someone who is "thick-skinned, tough and aggressive" mirrors the conventional (albeit incorrect,) wisdom - much like the belief that the main qualification for being a doctor is that you're not afraid of the sight of blood; and that the years of training and education don't matter.

We developed our Skills Assessment so that we don't have to waste time interviewing the 19 people who weren't qualified for the job to find the one that was. Noting, of course, that she failed the test, it's nice to also know that the process itself is self-selecting!