Commentary May 3, 2012

60 Seconds of My Life I’ll Never Get Back Again

<phone rings>

ME: J. Philip Real Estate, this is Phil, how may I help you?
Telemarketer: Is this Mr. Philips?

ME: *sigh* Yes, this is Phil.
Telemarketer: Hi, This is <Whatever> with <Company>, and I am calling to see if you’d like to do business with the 20,000 people who shop at the Briarcliff Manor  A & P supermarket in every month? Are you familiar with the Briarcliff Manor A & P?

ME: I know the A & P, but I am not going to buy print advertising  on supermarket carriages and walls. We have had more success with our Internet marketing.
Telemarketer: So if someone called and said they found you at A & P you would tell them you didn’t want to sell them a house?

ME: I would never do something that illogical. We are happy to do business with anyone no matter how they find us. I simply don’t think it fair to my clients to devote resources to a marketing effort that is not as finely tuned as my Internet efforts.
Telemarketer:  Don’t you think your clients would appreciate you getting your name out in front of the 20,000 people who shop at the A & P every month?

ME: My clients appreciate that I built my company through marketing  targeted at people who are specifically seeking real estate online, not people seeking milk and eggs.
Telemarketer: OK. Have a nice day.