Articles About Tele

Con Artists' Legal Trap--Do You Believe Phone Polls?

So, you thought the purpose of that poll showing 73% of California restaurants now providing salsa as a standing table-top offering was to provide factual data, right? Wrong!

The true purpose of the poll scam, commissioned by a salsa processor, was to further an agenda--to get you to accept as bald fact that salsa, placed alongside salt, pepper, and sugar in that high percentage of restaurants proves its mass-market appeal.

Intent is to mislead you into believing it has now replaced ketchup as a table-top standby. If truly informative data were sought by a truly objective pollster, the actual figure would probably be closer to 20%, maybe as high as 35%. How, then, did the pollster in this case, get to the 73% stratosphere?

Easy! Through adapting con artists' tactics, the run up, or lead-in, questions in this poll scam paved the way.

These preliminary questions, asked of restaurant operators, were (something like): Do you feel salsa is a worthy addition to your customer's choice of offerings? (Key word, "choice," connotes big-heartedness, customer satisfaction, willingness to serve, to please. The "yes" response to this question would be substantial.)

Next question, please: Do you feel that having an ample supply readily available is important? (Key words here are "readily" and "important.") To the restaurateur-respondent, reaction is pre-ordained. " To himself he would say, "Of course, I just said it was good customer relations, yes, yes, a thousand times yes."

Now that the recipient has been pre-conditioned to say "yes," and the setup is complete, comes the big question, "Do you offer salsa as a standing table-top offering? With the way the restaurateur-respondent has been "set up," this will bring out puffery, exaggeration, hyperbole, and outright lies. It will jump the percentage of those saying yes way up, to the pollster's desired level of positive response. Viola, the 73% figure.

If you are ever polled, while you're wondering if this train of thought has a caboose, you might also be thinking: it's better to be thought of as a fool than to open my mouth wrong and remove all doubt. If you feel on the defensive, bingo. That's exactly where the word-games-playing con artist pollster wants you.. Does the name, Pavlov, ring a bell? Bingo again. The pollster is trying to make you feel like Pavlov's dog, obedient, compliant, follow his leads, and, above all else, be polite and agreeable, so that you will give him the answers he wants.

It's not only the lead-in questions which are the enabler--to jack the percentage of the main-thrust answers for which the pollster is fishing. Often it's the choice of questions themselves.

Example from another poll scam:

If the pollster asks, "Do you believe in capitalism?" the yes answer would probably come to somewhere around 50%. (The term, "capitalism," has a negative connotation to many, bringing forth thoughts of greed, money barons, the exploitative rich, albeit it is still the generally accepted American economic system. That's why the split in opinion.) Yet, if the pollster con artist were to ask the exact same question, in different words, "Do you believe in the American free enterprise system?" (key words here are "free," and "enterprise," which does not carry capitalism's baggage), this alone would jerk upwards the positive response to at least 90%.

Go figure!

So, remember, when that friendly pollster next phones, you must ask yourself, "Does he actually seek informative data? Or, is he trying to manipulate me--to promote his own hidden agenda?"

If you decide his purpose is the latter, you might never again believe poll results you see, read, or hear.

The Con Man's Blog, and first two chapters of Jack Payne's legal thriller book, Six Hours Past Thursday, are now available online. Both readable for free. You are invited. www.sixhrs.com

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

MORE ARTICLES:

Allen Hunt To Lead Invocation for TALKERS magazine's Annual New Media Seminar Luncheon
Atlanta-based talk show host to participate in the freedom of speech luncheon.

Free or Unlimited Calling to 90+ Countries and Cities Worldwide From SpeedyPin.com Phone Cards
SpeedyPin now offers the STi FREE phone card, which provides free or unlimited calling to over ninety countries and cities worldwide.

Microsoft Continues to Innovate Rapidly With Service Pack Release for Small-Business Phone System
Response Point SP1 will add VoIP for small businesses, growth opportunities for software resellers and Microsoft channel partners.

Broadband Gives You Access To The Internet, Phone And Tv
Do you remember using the Internet back when you had to dial in using a modem. If you are unlucky enough to still be using dial-up Internet access, I feel for you. The internet is a growing and dynamic entity and everyone will have broadband sooner or later.

Succeed in America's Dr. Nara Venditti to Conduct a Seminar for The International Careers Consortium Members on Helping Foreign-Born Students to
The International Careers Consortium (ICC) is hosting "A Succeed in America Seminar" on helping foreign-born students to succeed in the American workplace. The day-long program will also feature professionals looking at new trends in international employment.

Choosing The Right Phone and Voice Mail System
Phone and voice mail systems can be pretty costly, even for companies with a low number phones. Before investing in any type of phone system or voice mail system, you need to estimate how much your company is likely to expand over the next few years and if possible how many phones you may require.

Now Online, Public-record-search-engine.com is the Easiest Way to Find Phone Numbers, Cell Phone Numbers, Addresses, and Public Records and More
The goal of Public-Record-Search-Engine.com is to give you the most up-to-date information no matter what you’re looking for. Most people don’t realize the power of public records access, but for those that do, the searching world is at their mercy. High-powered attorneys use Public-Record-Search-Engine.com to crack cases and save countless hours at the county clerks office.

Pinzoo.com provides Instant Phone Cards
Pinzoo.com provides Instant Phone Cards, Prepaid Calling Cards, Long Distance Phone Cards, International Calling Cards Online at Affordable Rates.

Online Florist Directory, LocalFlowerShop.com, Reports Record Levels of Online Traffic and Phone Inquiries as the Holiday Online Shopping Frenzy Begin
The floral industry's fastest growing directory becomes deluged by record numbers of consumers clamoring for an opportunity to order flowers directly from a local florist.

TeleBright's Exclusive Patent License Agreement: Proactive Cell Phone Notifications
TeleBright, a pioneer in the telecom industry, has entered into an Exclusive Patent License Agreement with TracPoint Wireless. The announcement is on the heels of the wireless industry's 2006 spending statistics. Wireless communications have rapidly changed the face of telecom. TeleBright is on the innovation edge for its client's survival with surging wireless costs. TeleBright has brought together an end-to-end management solution to build a fortress around its client's budgets.

How To Maximize The Use Of Your Prepaid Phone Card
A prepaid phone card is a handy and convenient communication that allows you to make personal or business-related calls in your area or abroad. In truth, many individuals are starting to notice the advantages of using phone cards, rather than sticking with a regular telephone service.

Seattle Health and Fitness Coaches Announce Public Seminar on Fundamentals of Healthy Eating
On March 26th, three Holistic Health Coaches at Studio 122 in Seattle, WA launch a free seminar series on the fundamentals of health with a discussion of the benefits of a whole foods diet.

Restaurant Expert Offers Free Seminar to Independent Restaurant Owners
Restaurant expert David Scott Peters is offering independent restaurant owners the chance to learn how the most common form of restaurant marketing -- coupons -- can actually destroy their restaurants. And he's offering it for free.

Smart Sony Ericsson W980i Mobile Phone
Searching for a smart, user-friendly and stylish mobile phone and not yet found the elegant mobile phone that fits your personality? Well, here is the solution to your problem, use multidimensional versatile Sony Ericsson W980i with stunning styles, high performance features and advanced technologies. With its slick back case and sharp square design with innovative features like music player, digital camera and internet connectivity, this latest mobile device looks like a small laptop. Under the flip of the phone you find a new world of technology; built with the QVGA color resolution, circular numeric keys. The Sony Ericsson W980i has a maximum internal storage memory of 8GB helps you to make a library of music and photos, assists you...