Business Directories are they worth it?

The simple answer is the easier it is to get a link the less value it will carry but quantity may have some quality in the equation so we always recommend new businesses get listed in Business Directories for their sector (as well as a whole host of other things). The problem occurs when you put a free listing on a site that is then used for aggressive marketing (Sales). You can ignore every single business directory sales calls and be confident that your not wasting money and it will not negatively affect your new website’s ranking, take a look at this expensive promise of a listing (with photos – big wow) in a directory and feel free to put all future emails in your trash and hang up on all business directory sales calls.
[Business Directory] Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. We are the UK’s most exciting new online business directory. We are already highly ranked with all the main search engines including Google, Yahoo, Bing, Lycos, AOL and more. Our success is due to highly effective search engine optimisation policy and expertise.  This means we offer our customers outstanding value for money, enabling your business to be found more easily, attract more customers and as a result increase your business.
We discussed a listing for your business under your category of Builder in the area of Essex. Your listing will include a number of unique features including a full colour company logo, 150 word business description, 6 bullet points, 3 web links, photograph gallery, log-in facility to view your statistics and full, personal support.
Please read through the attached information pack or view it online here.  It will help you to understand just how our range of features will benefit your business by giving you unsurpassed exposure across the World Wide Web in your local area. You will also see a number of testimonials from satisfied customers just like you.
[Website Client] Just looked you up and found complaint after complaint about no jobs ever being given and aggressive sales, do yourself a favour I am a builder not an idiot and i can spend my money better else where which will get me work. Dont contact me again
[Business Directory]  Thanks for speaking with me earlier, following our discussion here is the further information that you requested.  The campaign we create you consists of 200 optimised words to describe your business, a full colour photo gallery, six key phrases which get picked up by Google, your address and full contact information, space for your company logo, a space for customer testimonials and 3 links back to any website you may have.
The last feature is particularly beneficial for your company as I know you are currently spending money on keeping your website on the first page of Google. Signing up with us for 12 months can ultimately increase your website position on Google for these reasons:
1 We are highly ranked for all search engines
2 We aim to generate you 1000 views per month on your listing which is linked to your website
3 Being linked with a website such as ourselves will be recognised by Google
The end result being that Google will slowly start to recognise the increase of activity on your site and slowly start pushing it through the ranks to a higher position. Like I said on the phone I am prepared to offer you this package at the discounted price of £182.50 for a 12 month period with us.
[Website Client to Delicious Webdesign] Can you have a look at this email i have had do you think it will get me ranked higher, doubt if will produce much work but if it helps ranking they have offered it at half the money for a year even if i used it to push up views of the site? also got 12 weeks free from Thompson local with out entering in to a contract and if i get any response i might take it.
[Delicious Webdesign] Please ignore these fools, the best advice I can give you is to blog / post onfacebook and do as many of these SEO suggestions for your new website are you can.  I confirm that we will continue to complete our SEO work for you which will include link building, meta tag optimisation and blog post publishing in the next month.