From the consumer's point of view, one of the most annoying kinds of calls are from discourteous sales people who want to stop by and disrupt next Tuesday, but studiously avoid saying why ("...and, no, Wednesday would NOT be better!" CLICK).

• The bad news is that people are growing tired of being bombarded by telemarketers with strobe-light personalities, but no manners or listening skills (and, unfortunately, that includes some insurance advisers).
• The good news is that they may not always like it, but most people will talk on the phone if a) they have a good enough reason (it's so much more interesting for the listener), and b) they recognize immediately that they're speaking with a courteous, competent professional, not a boiler-room sharp-shooter.