"Interesting" convos...

It is just 4 days away from my exams and here I am updating my blog...oh well..I deserve a break once in a while right?? Anyways, a few weeks ago, my Uni organised a fundraising campaign to raise funds for this new building they are building and also to sponsor scholarships to students (*gawd sounds like an advertisement*). Since they were paying damn good money for helping them out, I eagerly signed up for it and even went through a phone-interview. All the chosen candidates had to go through 2 full days of training (more like lectures). We were pretty much drilled into what we were supposed to do and then we started on our "jobs". It was more like a tele-marketing sort of thing where each one of us are supposed to ring up the Alumni members and "converse" with them for a few minutes (or networking they say) before bringing up the donation bit cos obviously no one would want to donate if you just called to ask for money. I am telling you these tele-marketing people are really smart. They have different strategies and tactics to work around a person's mind and I am proud to say I picked up some of the skills..hehe..

So you imagine..me...a so-not-a-conversationalist doing this job. I thought I was pretty much dead as it requires alot of my brainpower to start convos with people. But I was surprised at myself..I did manage to do reasonably well according to my standards that is. I talked to many different types of people..some really nice, some rude, some very talkative, some not so talkative like me, some really helpful while some not so. I was really amazed how people actually opened up on the phone. I mean after all, they were talking to a complete stranger i.e me. I had really good convos with some people and I had really "interesting" ones too. I also found out it is much easier asking men for money than women..the women I had spoken to were damn stingy..I am serious...I want to share some of the "interesting" convos that I had with some people...and it just so happens that all the convos were with men..

Prospect #1: Pakistani guy who did his MBA course in my Uni. I was happily talking about India and Pakistan and what not with him. I talked to this guy for at least 15min and at the end of it when I brought up the topic about the letter, which the Alumni was supposed to receive telling them about the campaign, he said he didn't receive it. So this means:
1) I wasted my precious 15min talking to this guy.
2) he would not donate a single cent.

And what do you know, I was right!!Instead he wanted to know more about graduate courses in Uni and all that. So while I was telling him how to get this info, this what happened:
He: Sorry what is your name?
Me: *told him my name*
He: Oh I see, my name is --
Me: Uh ok..*obviously I know his name..I addressed him using his name*
He: Nice to meet you
Me: Nice to meet you too *have no idea where is this going...*
He: Do you have a nickname or something?
Me: Umm no..everyone calls me by tat name
He: Oh ok. When you send me an email about the courses I will get your name
Me: *What on the earth is he thinking* Oh no no..the Uni will email you not me
He: Oh ok *sounding a bit disappointment for gawd knows wat reason*
So after that, I thought I should probably hang up and call up better prospects. I said my goodbye and all that "sugary" stuff we were supposed to say..

Prospect #2: This guy, my dad's age, has his own accounting firm. The moment I introduced myself, he said he wasn't interested but I managed to turn him around by saying I wanted to just have a chat with him (*form of strategy*). Since it is related to the field that I am doing, I had no problem in striking a convo. I was actually having a nice chat with him. Of course, the bonus was that he even donated in the end..hehe..At the end of the convo when I took note of his details and all..this is how the convo went:
He: It is a pity you are leaving if not we could have been friends
Me: *taken aback* oh well if you don't mind I can keep in touch with you through email? *I was thinking of networking only*
He: Sure sure, I don't mind. Please send a picture along with your email.
Me: *again taken aback* Haha..but why do you want a picture of me?
He: So that I know whom I am talking to..*which he had a pt bt I wasn't willing to entertain*
Me: *And I had to say this..*Oh haha..If I send a pic of mine then you also have to send a pic of urs too with your email! *realising too late this might have sounded wrong*
He: Sure!I would do that! *very willingly*
I finally ended up the call on that note. Happy that I got something at least.

Prospect #3: This guy working somewhere I forgot. His daughter is a student of this Uni also and doing the same course as me. Somehow he sounded a bit distant but I just thought the line must be a bit messed up. So I was happily chatting away with him when this happened:
He: *suddenly* just hold on a min..
Me: Ok *hearing him talking to someone in the background*
He: *After a while* Sorry about that..the cops pulled me over just now
Me:*Did I just hear it correctly..cops?COPS??* Oh..uhh..how come? *lost for words*
He: I think I was waiting for too long in the line. Didn't know the cops would come around this side. It is just a quiet street. Luckily I wasn't fined.
Me: Oh i see..I am really sorry...
He: So what were you saying again?
So I went on..the guy was willing to talk and I had a good feeling he would give..
Me: So a one-off of $100 is acceptable to you?
He: Yea sure, let me just pull over and take out my credit card..
Me: *Yippee* Ok sure.
He: You should be proud of yourself. You managed to get $100 out of me.
Me: *Just laughed..what else was I supposed to say..*
In the end I did apologise though for talking to him while he was driving. He should have mentioned it in the beginning..

Prospect #4: Retired cranky man. Had to go straight to the point and managed to get money in 2min flat!! Here is how it went after I introduced myself:
He: Are you calling for money?
Me: Well yes but that is not the main issue. I also just wanted to have a chat..
He: Oh pls stop all that nonsense. What is this abt?
Me: *pissed off and shocked but still maintaning my calm composure* Ok well there are 2 kinds of funds...
I went on to describe one of them first which he sounded like he was interested and when I described the second one..
He: I am not interested in tat one. Is $20 enough for donating in the first fund.
Me: Well yes thats enough *though obviously he could have given more*
He: You want my credit card details rite?My credit card no is...
Me: Just hold on a min!! *the stupid system had too many buttons*
He: Hurry up..cmon cmon!!
Me: Ok Ok!
He: You know how much of trouble I am getting into for giving you my credit card no??I am supposed to be somewhere else right now.
Me: *That's it..he crossed the line* Well, if you had told me earlier you were going somewhere I would have called back on another day.
He: It didn't turn out tat way now did it??hehe
Me: *he dared to even laugh*Ok sir, your credit card no pls?
He: Well I would like to donate $50 (it was $20 before *rolling my eyes*) to this fund and my no is -----
I asked him all the relevant details after that and I thanked him and kept down the phone. That was the shortest phone convo I ever had.

So these are the few "interesting" ones I had. They are somemore but I think this post is long enough and I think I have wasted enough time already...I enjoyed my work though even if it was not that pleasant everytime. I loved the people I worked with. They were awesome!

Ok ok now time to get back to work..hehe..