We all know that they’re just doing their jobs, but telemarketers have a way of annoying pretty much every person on the planet.

And today we’re going to hear from a professional named Erica Elson about five ways to get rid of these pests…I mean telemarketers…

1. Don’t hang up right away.

Of course, our first response is to hang up right away when we get one of the calls, but Elson says you shouldn’t do that.

Elson says if you do, she’ll mark you down as “no answer” so you’re right back where you started and you’ll end up getting more calls.

And if you hang up in mid-conversation, you’ll get another call, and the telemarketer will say you were disconnected.

It’ll never end this way!

2. Don’t engage.

Elson says that if you engage with them in any way, you’ll only give her false hope that you’re interested in what she has to tell you.

She says, “do not ask any questions. Do not try to explain why you are not interested in the product. Do not show empathy, compassion, or any other human characteristic.”

So, kind of act like a robot, I guess?

3. Don’t lose your cool.

This is a big no-no. Elson reminds people that the computer chose your number, she didn’t. So there’s no reason to get upset with her or any telemarketer who you get a call from.

If you’re rude, Elson says she’ll put your name right back into the pool for more calls just to spite you.

So you might as well be polite so you can just end the call if you’re not interested in what the person is selling.

4. The magic words.

Elson says the easiest way to be left alone is to nicely say the following words: “Please put me on your do-not-call list.”

And if the telemarketer asks why, politely say: “I want you to put me on your do-not-call list.”

Boom! It’s as easy as that.

5. The final step.

In case you don’t know about it, there is a National Do Not Call registry that allows you to add your phone number.

If you’re on this list, it makes it illegal for companies to contact you more than once…and I think we can all agree that’s a good thing, don’t you?