Stop being so darned polite

The other day I was speaking with the vice president of a large company. We were discussing the good, the bad and the ugly of sales and selling. When I broached the topic of prospecting calls, he shook his head and expressed his frustration.

“I can always tell when it’s a salesperson calling,” he said, “because they all sound the same. They say ‘Hi, Mr. Williams. It’s Bob Smith calling from My Company. How are you today?’ I know they mean well, but I highly doubt that they really care how I’m doing, and quite frankly, I don’t have time to waste on social chit-chat—especially with someone I don’t know.”

He continued, saying, “Salespeople don’t have to be so polite. They need to get to the point and tell me why they’re calling. I’m not suggesting they act rude or treat me with disdain, but they need to respect my time and cut to the chase quickly. Tell me how I’m going to benefit by listening to them.”