- By Matthew P. Binkewicz
- Around Town
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Ask IMOAsk IMOLansing's Advice Column
Dear IMO,
I am the office manager for a small business. Every day I am inundated with phone calls and visits from just about any and every type of salesperson imaginable. From toilet paper to copy paper, I have to deal with these annoying sales reps in a professional and courteous manner regardless of their aggressive attitude. My office has everything it needs, supplied by local businesses with whom we trust. How do I get these outside peddlers to simply leave me alone?
Monica
Dear Monica,
The history of dealing with salespersons is one filled with fable, legend, and kernels of truth. The earliest advertisements, cave paintings discovered in southern France mistakenly identified as art, were constantly showing up on cave walls and rock formations. Most cave people simply ignored these while less civilized tribes banded together and threw the salespersons into a pit of saber-toothed tigers.
With the extinction of the saber-toothed tiger and the invention of the telephone, modern society must deal with salespersons in a professional and courteous manner. After all, they are merely doing their job, and most likely are paid on a commission basis. You need simply repeat what you said earlier, “Our office has everything it needs, supplied by local businesses with whom we trust.” You may wish to follow up with, “Have a nice day,” and quietly hang up the phone. For those individuals who show up without an appointment, you may invoke the company policy stating no unsolicited vendors or salespersons will be received by this office. Make sure that your company/office does have such a policy. Be courteous and professional with them and you’ll make this part of the job just a bit more pleasant.
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