Thursday, November 8, 2007

Socially Challenged

OK, two things I have witnessed in my work travels this week. Both guarenteed to make your life as someone trying to sell something harder. Sales 101 here people. Don't do either of these things if you want to keep the attention of your customer for more than 5 seconds.

1. When you are sitting in a room with a customer, please turn your freakin' cell phone off. Yes...OFF. Not vibrate. Do you really think that having the damn thing bounce up and down on the table in vibrate mode is any less annoying than having the ringer go off? And beyond that, if you are dumb enough to keep it in vibrate mode, don't just stare at it when it goes off. Freakin' push the button to ignore the call or email. For crying out loud. What message are you trying to send to the customer? Because they are certainly thinking to themselves "wow, she must have some other stuff going on that is way more important than me."

2. Take the dumb bluetooth thing out of your ear when you walk into a meeting. Nothing says "I'm waiting for someone more important to talk to to call me" more than leaving that ridiculous thing in your ear. Not to mention that you look simply foolish with that blue thing flashing every 5 seconds.

Now, both items can be translated to real life. I have been known to be a prick, but only when you are violating a rule of common sense and being socially inept. Don't start a conversation with me with one of those damn bluetooth things in your ear. I will (and have) ask you (tell you) to take it out. Or if you're constantly checking your phone while we are mid-conversation because I'm not important enough to talk to with your full attention, don't be surprised if I walk away.

Honestly, what happened to common courtesy? Give people your full and undivided attention when you are with them. And if you don't, don't be surprised when they tell you to flip off and walk away. You may think the other person is the a-hole, but you are the one who is socially challenged.

9 comments:

van den kombs said...

I agree about those earpieces. Everyone looks like Lt. Uhura (sans the go-go boots and mini skirts).

Also why do people need to talk 10X louder than normal on a modern cell phone ?? It used to freak me out riding home in the dark on the bike path having someone alone talking loudly to themselves ? no, they had that bluetooth thing in their ear.

Next thing you know, people will be having those things surgically implanted in their heads !

Colin R said...

I can understand that not everyone remembers to turn their phone off all the time. But how they react to it ringing is a different story -

1) See who's calling and answer it - Sucks for you, but if the calling party is important enough it might be the right decision. Rarely.

2) Turn it off ASAP and apologize - Correct

3) Don't answer it, but don't turn it off either - Retarded. All the disrespect of #1, plus now the person you're talking to knows you're such weasel you're afraid to tell someone "Yeah, I killed your call because I was busy with someone."

Why the hell am I talking about this on a cross blog?!

matt said...

The correct answer is that the cell phone should be off under all circumsances during any business meeting unless you expect an emergency health related call regarding your kids or your parents. Anything else can wait.

The one exception to this rule is that it is ok to set the phone's alarm to go off 5 minutes before registration opened for a VERGE event so that you can get back to your desk in time. I've done that more than once.

gewilli said...

okay - now i know what i need to wear in the presence of Zank...

i actually only really use the bluetooth thinky when i'm talking to my bro's and cooking at the same time...

ya know, doing something that actually requires two hands...

meetings, yes. That's the best thing about being in the dungeon. No one's cell phones work down here.

I've got them cornered...

Honestly though. There are times in meetings where something 'can' be more important, but, there are very clear and easy ways to deal with it. Don't stare at the phone, but check the caller id and go through a vague thought process out loud so the person there doesn't think you are an a-hole...

reminds me...

i've been meaning to watch this video - maybe that's a good ring tone for an annoying sales person, hmmm

solobreak said...

If I had one I'd where it in the race at Putney and call Gewilli to have him get me a cookie for the next lap.

solobreak said...

wear it...

Colin R said...

hey solo! no handups!

megA said...

zank--

can you toss me your email?

stergem at hotmail dot com

Ross said...

Kick ass... I'd love to share this with my clients.. So many of them do the same thing to me..