How do you tell a person you are not interested in the offer?

Background: An AVIVA Life Insurance agent visits me in the office and wants to sell an offer from Aviva. He is one of the countless agents who suddenly become active (or rather hyper-active) at this time of the year as the financial year closes. He explains me the PROS of the scheme (There are absolutely NO CONS in this scheme SIR. I did not think I look like a moron by face value ;)) Anyways, after the PROS without any CONS were over, I told him I will get back to him. I received around 3 calls (within a 2 week duration) from him reminding me that the date of 8th Feb (the time by which we need to give the investment proofs to the Finance Department) was fast approaching and I needed to take a decision (thats what I call social service). Even after having read lots of articles on "How to say NO?", the brainy part in me told me that "I will get back to you" would be sufficient in sending the message across to the agent that I am not interested.

Finally the climax

Transcript between a person trying to sell Aviva Life Insurance and me (30th January, 2006)

Note: All the comments within the () are the thoughts of my brain.

Agent: Hello Sir, I am Mr Agent calling from Aviva

Me: Hi, How are you?

Agent: Fine, Sir. Sir, I wanted to remind you about our talk. You said that you would be taking a decision. (Oops, I did not say that buddy. I said that when I take a decision (which may be never in this case), I will get back to you)

Me: I haven't decided yet.

Agent: Can I do anything to help you out? (Wow, the social service has begun.)

Me: Not really. (I am a trained anti-social element who accepts help only when requested for :))

Agent: Maybe we can talk about some other plan.

Me: Not now, maybe if I need to, I will get back to you.

Agent: Sir, please be assured that I am not trying to sell Aviva to you.

Me: Yes, I understand. (Do I? That was not TRUE, unless he agrees that he is really doing social service, in which case I would really appreciate his wastage of time on a moron like me)

Agent: 8th Feb is the last date. I need a week to get the proofs, so that you can show it to your Finance Department (Now, IS HE or IS HE NOT selling Aviva?)

Me: Thats True, but actually my investment of 1,00,000 is almost over. I have taken a House Loan and the principal part is added to 1,00,000. (Time to speak the truth.)

Agent: Sir, maybe we can meet tomorrow.

Me: I will get back to you. I have your phone number.

Agent: Sir, do you want to take the insurance? (Atlast, he has set the gun in the right direction)

Me: No (I could not get more blunt than that. Sighhhhh)

Agent: That was what I wanted to hear, so that I do not disturb you any more. (It is the time to fire the bullets. Am I supposed to be grateful now?)

Me: Okie, so now that you have managed to test my "How to say NO?" skills, I really appreciate if you do not disturb me any more.

Agent: Bye, bye (If the phone lines could be used as a mode to carry heat waves, then the BYE would have been sufficient for me to cook a cup of tea :))

Me: Bye (Maybe, this one BYE would cook his cup of tea also :). What do they call it - Tit for Tat?)

Of course, this is only my part of the story. If the agent has his own blog, he would be equally bewildered by my attitude and he would be writing his version somewhere. Anyways, this brings back me to the question:

"How do you tell a person that you are not interested in the offer?"

Anyone with any interested tricks to do that can E-Mail me at

vaibhav.madan@gmail.com

Category: Creativity