Received via email. I've edited the original. Some good tips.
Tips for Handling Telemarketers - Three Little Words That Work!!
- Answer phone.
- If no one is there, press the # key 7 or 8 times rapidly.* Otherwise...
- Say: "Hold on, please..."
- Put down your phone (instead of hanging-up) and walk away. This makes your call time-consuming and costs the telemarketer.
- When you hear phone company's 'beep-beep-beep, hang up phone.
* No one there? - No one on the other end means the telemarketers are using a machine that calls and records the time of day your phone is answered. Using this data, they can figure out best time for a real telemarketer to call. Rapidly pressing the # key confuses the machine and, allegedly, kicks your number out of their system.
Junk Mail Tip
Mail return envelopes - When you get junk mail that contains a postage paid return envelope, mail the return envelope back with other junk mail (don't include anything that could identify you). This costs marketers money.
 | Complete Handbook of All-Purpose Telemarketing Scripts by Barry Masser |