I don't mind telemarketers. 

There. I said it. 

As a marketer I understand why it happens. In fact, there have been some telemarketing calls that have actually worked on me. I opted to receive an information package (from Direct Buy) once and ended up becoming a member. I have also been known to donate to the occasional charity over the phone. Mostly, though, I don't mind them because I know how to deal with them. Clearly unsolicited calls can be easily dismissed by insisting they remove your name from their call list. I'm better at this than my wife, and now she gets more calls than I.

However, prerecorded telemarketing calls piss me off to no end. They tell me that you really don't care about me as a potential customer. They tell me you're employing a shotgun approach to telemarketing (calling everybody, and hoping someone responds). They tell me you're sinister. The worst part, though, is that I can't ask you to remove my name from the call list. To me, that's entirely unethical and borderline illegal.

It's telemarketing spam. Isn't that the worst of two worlds?

Telemarketing can work if you properly segment, show some compassion, act politely and adhere to some basic best practices. Prerecorded telemarketing messages meet NONE of those standards.

It just pisses everyone off. 

You may get 1 of 10,000 people to respond, and that may make the economics work for you. But you're creating far more brand disenchantment which is far more damaging. 

If, after considering a marketing tactic, you're not sure you can look at yourself in the mirror, don't do it. Please. Spare us. Save yourself.

YOUR TURN:

Give me your telemarketing horror stories. Better yet, what are your telemarketing success stories?