The salespeople call. And they call and they call and they call.

• Sometimes it’s the leasing people wanting to rent you new space.
• Sometimes it’s the office supply people wanting to sell you pencils and paper.
• Sometimes it’s the Westlaw people.
• And let’s not even talk about the stockbrokers. OMG.

“I’m not interested, thanks for calling,” I tell them when they get through to me. Click, buh-bye. They’re gone.

Over the years, I’ve become pretty harsh, and I get off the phone almost immediately. I just can’t afford the time.

Getting off the phone is an essential survival skill.

Please Hold . . . Permanently

Of course, the salespeople don’t stop calling simply because I won’t take their calls. At some level, I admire their persistence. They keep trying. When I won’t talk to them, they try to find someone else in the firm who will take their calls.

When they can’t get you, they talk to your team. They ask for your office manager, marketing director, paralegal, or anyone they can get. They start pitching those folks, and they ask lots of questions and try to schedule appointments.

Your people probably aren’t as jaded as you. They’re more likely to stay on the phone. They answer questions like “When does your copier lease run out?” and they get involved in the conversation.

Your people are nice, and they aren’t likely to cut things off. They’re more likely to let the salesperson push them into an appointment.

When your people talk to the salesperson, they’re costing you money. You’re paying for that conversation, plus you’re losing the opportunity for your team to be engaged in productive activities. These calls can easily take up a big chunk of daily staff time.

It’s harder than you think to teach your people to avoid these interactions. The salespeople are good at what they do. They make your team feel bad for blowing them off. They’re good at using guilt to their advantage, and they frequently come bearing gifts and incentives.

You need to train your staff to avoid these interactions. Teach them how to walk away and explain the cost of allowing the salespeople to gain access. Keeping your staff from wasting time with salespeople is harder than I ever would have imagined. It requires constant training and never-ending diligence.