Fully Articulated Productions

"I'll give you the P&L statement!"

Beautiful.

Market Research: Comedy of Errors

Phone rings today - caller I.D. says "Unknown Name." Since I'm facing mental constipation at the moment while writing a bland article for a corporate magazine, I go ahead and answer.

A telemarketer doing market research for an office supply company.

"Are you responsible for purchasing office supplies for your company?"

"Yes, but I'm a sole proprietor."

"Sole proprietor?"

"You know - one-man operation."

"That's okay. Can I ask some questions?"

Why not. "Who do you work for?"

"Burnett Research," she says.

So she muddles through about 17 queries. but she hasn't asked the one important question. She wants to send me a video to watch on a specific day. "Sure." But she still hasn't asked me the important question.

Finally, four minutes into the call, it comes: "Do you or any member of your family work in the marketing or media industries?" The important question. The stopper. The qualifier. And she finally asked it - of course, AFTER she'd wasted nearly five minutes on a person who cannot take part in their survey..

"Why did you ask that at this particular point? Why not first?"

"I have to ask them as they come up on the screen, sir..."

Sad but true.