Cold Caller's Comeback Leaves Client Chilly

I respect all sales people who pound the pavement making cold calls, particularly when the weather is lousy. It must be difficult to approach total strangers and ask them to do business with you. If you're lucky, you represent a company with a good reputation and a few folk might be willing to chat with you. Otherwise, you will receive a variety of responses ranging from simple "no" to rude dismissals.

Although there is a "no soliciting" sign on our door, sales people stop in our office several times a week to sell me everything from office supplies to electricity. I try to be polite when I refuse them because I know their job is a tough one.

There is a company in our area that must use our town as a training ground. Every few days, people stop in to give me their pitch. Each time, I explain that we get those items from a client and as long as that relationship is in place, we will not be doing business with any other company. I've tried, without success, to get them to take us off their list. On Thursday, a man and a woman came in. I told them the same thing: we will not do business with you at this time and please remove us from your list.

The response from the woman as she turned to leave was, "Then I'll get out of your hair."

That woman communicated a lot. In that one statement I learned that she didn't want to be making cold calls, she couldn't care less whether or not I gave her any business, and she had not been properly trained. If I were to make a guess I'd say that being a sales rep was not working out the way she had envisioned it. I hope her manager spends some time with her and helps her improve her approach. Otherwise I think she will continue sending potential customer the wrong message.

Do you think I'm right about my interpretation of her feelings?  Would you do business with her?