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"Hi! I have a great opportunity / product I would like to share with you; it is SO fantastic I just know you are going to love it. Do you have 30 minutes to talk? It will be the best 30 minutes of your week!"
Does this sound like a really bad info-mercial? Unfortunately, it is the overture some people take when approaching others. Subtlety, or the concept of building a relationship (people do business with people they know) doesn't play into it.
If you try to discreetly push these people off with a gentle excuse, you may find yourself on the receiving end of seemingly never-ending follow-up calls ... "Our meeting will only take 30 to 45 minutes and I just want to share this information with you; you don't need to feel obligated to buy anything (although I know you will want to!)"
So how do you respond to this type of approach in the first place? Obviously, if you are interested in the opportunity, set the appointment!
However, if you have no interest in pursuing the matter, then say so up front, with a courteous but firm "Thank you, but I'm not interested." IF there is a second call, a polite repeat of those words, followed by "please don't contact me about this again" should be enough to solve the problem.
There is no need to make excuses or even offer explanations; your reasons are you own. By letting the other person know your feelings right away, you are actually doing them a service -- instead of wasting their time on you, they can move on to other, perhaps more lucrative, prospects.
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Remember...
It is important to support others and I believe most people maintain a willingness to help someone else out.
Still, there is also
the idea of personal boundaries and self-respect; if you don't believe in them,
no one else will. |
