Don't waste time or answer questions.

By Tom David Lewis | Wed, 4 Oct 2006

I am in the closeout wholesale liquidaton business but no matter what business one is in it is a good idea to keep a close watch on all costs and reduce them when possible. I did this recently with my phone bill and will save about 20% every month. Get this: After the representative at Verizon finished helping me she started in on the script routine: would I fill out a survey stating my satisfaction or lack of with the service?, would I answer a few questions?, do I need this or that product or service? Questions, Questions, and more Questions. It is amazing to me how much time they ask for. For free! Don't give it to them or make them pay for your valuable time. I started stating that my time is valuable, and that sure I would be willing to fill out the survey if they would deposit $100 in my paypal account. So far no company has agreed but then again the conversation has ended immediately and my time was saved for much better use. Think about what happens when you are asked a question. Probably you automatically answer. Unfortunately we are conditioned this way to our severe detriment. Practice understanding how you are constantly bombarded by these questions and see what you can do to protect yourself. You will save time, make more money, feel better, gain some respect and generally negotiate the world around you with more skill.