Chapter 7: Learning to Say No. Telemarketers know that it’s hard to say no. Indeed, they prey on our politeness—those dinner interruptions aren’t just for the old alma mater but also for timeshares, opinion polls, investment schemes, and sales pitches for all types of products. | Learning to Say No t s 7 . You ve settled down to a nice quiet dinner at home. The phone rings. Hello is this John Smith Yes you answer. How are you this evening Fine you respond watching your food get cold and wondering who this is. As a fellow graduate of the East Overshoe University I m sure you ve kept up on our recent successes. And you ve certainly been supportive of our efforts to continue that tradition of quality. That s why we thought you d like to know about our new fundraising drive . Maybe you d like to contribute to old EOU. Maybe not. It s hard to say no to this eager young voice. And you re even willing to forgive this interruption of your personal life and the manipulative way that caller has reeled you in. Copyright 2003 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Click here for Terms of Use. 81 82 Time Management k fiucKS I of he Managing Mail Here are a few tactics to help you say no to intrusions on your time through the mail Throw away or shred any piece of mail that s clearly junk. Don t even bother to open it. Direct mail experts know this of course so they often put something that looks like a check behind the cellophane envelope window that makes you afraid not to open it. Cancel subscriptions to publications you rarely get around to read- ing. Contact the Direct Marketing Association 1120 Avenue of the Americas New York NY 10036-6700 or to obtain forms that can help you limit the flow of unwanted mail to your office or home. Skim all wanted magazines for relevant articles highlighting or underlining key points. If you don t have time to read them tear out important articles and file them for future reference. Discard any topical magazine that s more than a few months old. You ll never get to it anyway. Telemarketers know that it s hard to say no. Indeed they prey on our politeness those dinner interruptions aren t just for the old alma mater but also for timeshares opinion polls investment schemes and sales pitches for all types
