Time to get an edge
As businesses we are also customers ourselves, from buying stationery to leasing new vans or cars or whatever. It’s one of my pet-hates that some (well many) businesses appear to not even want your custom: don’t call back; don’t come round when promised; don’t sent out that promised quotation, sample or pricelist; take ages to reply to an email or letter (if they ever do).
How many suspects (i.e. someone who shows a first interest in the products, services you can provide) are lost this way?
And how many prospects (i.e. someone who shows a definite interest in the products, services you can provide) don’t turn into customers (someone who buys the products or services you can provide) because you didn’t bother to spend time on them?
Time is a powerful marketing tool, our own experiences (compliments from suspects, prospects and customers to be honest) have taught us that.
Our telephone is answered within 3 to 4 rings; if our phone is engaged the caller is automagically transferred to an answering machine (phone company’s option £ 1.50 a month) so the caller knows he has made contact. Messages on this machine are listened to as soon as we’re off the phone and callers are called back straight away.
Emails are replied to as soon as possible, if we have to search for an answer we will let the writer know it might take a little longer.
Quotes are either made on the spot in our showroom or emailed within 3 to 4 hours (Royal Mail is sometimes not very reliable, so after a few days we check by phone if letters, quotes etc are received in good order).
Delivery dates and times are scheduled in for the convenience of the customer, not for us.
When we fear we might be a bit late for an appointment, we call.
Time after time this simple attitude gives us an edge over the competition. And at what price?
Don’t say you simply don’t have time for this. Make customer contact a priority of your business, in the end they are the ones who pay your ‘wages’. If needed (and if possible) delegate specific customers contact task to others, but make sure it is done, time after time again.
Because if you don’t, another cleverer business will.
