“Where did you get my number?”: answering honestly on a cold call

Why there is only one good answer to this question, three lines for the cold call, what the GDPR and the German Unfair Competition Act (UWG) say about it, and what to do when the person doesn’t want any more calls.

It also sounds like this: “How did you get my details?”, “Who gave you my number?”

When the objection comes

In the first minute of a cold call, often annoyed. Sometimes curious, too, when the person doesn’t remember passing the number on.

What’s behind it

The person feels disturbed and wants to show it.
How to tell: You hear it in the tone, and it is often followed by: “I don’t want to be called.”
A real question about the source.
How to tell: They listen to the answer and react to it: “Oh, from the trade fair.”
Concern about how their data is handled.
How to tell: They ask what else you have stored about them.

How to respond

Replace whatever is in [brackets] with your own details.

“To be honest: [from your website / from the trade fair’s exhibitor list / Mr X recommended you].”
The only good answer is the true one. If you can’t name the source, you shouldn’t be calling the number.
“I understand a call like this comes as a surprise. Shall I take you off our list, or may I tell you in one sentence why I’m calling?”
Gives them the choice and takes the annoyance seriously. Someone who is allowed to say no is more likely to listen to the one sentence.
“We have [name, company and phone number] stored, nothing else. If you like, I’ll delete that.”
Someone who asks about data wants to know what is stored. A specific answer reassures more than any assurance.

What not to say

“That doesn’t matter.”
It matters to the person, and they are entitled to the answer.
Making up a source.
Falls apart at the first follow-up question and ends more than just this conversation.
Carrying on after the person says they don’t want calls.
An objection to further sales calls has to be respected. Anyone who calls again after that does so without consent.

If the objection stays

If the person doesn’t want to be called: thank them, put the number on your do-not-call list straight away and document it. If they ask what data you have stored about them, answer that in full.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to say where I got the number?

Yes, honestly. Anyone who asks where their data came from is entitled under Art. 15 GDPR to the available information about it. Apart from that, any other answer ends the conversation faster than the truth. Not legal advice.

What do I do when someone doesn’t want any more calls?

Put the number on your do-not-call list straight away and document it. Anyone can object to the use of their data for direct marketing (Art. 21 GDPR). Calling again after that is not permitted. Not legal advice.

Can I use numbers from company websites for cold calling in Germany?

In Germany, a sales call to a business is only allowed with at least presumed consent (Section 7(2) No. 1 UWG): there has to be a specific reason to assume the company is interested in your offer. The number being public is not enough on its own. Not legal advice.

More objections

All objections at a glance, with two responses each →Objection handling techniques: from the clarifying question to pre-empting →