I'm running into a lot of salespeople lately who don't seem to understand how to address the appropriate person or people in a transaction.
The old cliche, of course, is the construction worker or car salesperson, etc. who, when dealing with a married couple, virtually ignores the wife.
But even on a B-to-B level, things like this happen. I deal with several reps, for example, who insist on cc:'ing everyone on my team when they reply to my e-mails. In the past, I've had numerous experiences where a salesperson will invite my boss to an event or offer them some other goody, completely bypassing me.
Sure, sometimes it's forgivable. In some situations the roles of the people in a client or prospect's organization - or the relationships between those people - are complicated and hard to decipher. It makes sense for an outsider to either deal with everyone or just their "usual" contact.
It would be nice if (in all the other cases where it's not so understandable) the salesperson would simply ask a few questions to help clarify who should be involved. Don't go over my head or around me. Most of the time, you won't get a better response from the other people than you will from me, and in the meantime you're just making me think you're being sneaky or that you're unreliable.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Communications
It's interesting how many different ways people like to communicate.
I know people who seem to use Facebook (and, more specifically, their public "wall" on Facebook) as their primary communications medium.
I know others who would rather send a Twitter "DM" than write an e-mail.
And others who will pick up the phone for every little conversation.
And still others who go out of their way to meet in person.
At the same time, it's amazing how poor many businesses are at dealing with the multitude of preferences their customers may have.
Personally, for example, when looking for a new service provider, I love coming across "contact us" forms. If done well, they give me a great opportunity to send the provider a large amount of pertinent information up front, so I don't have to explain my needs to such a degree during our first phone call or meeting. Unfortunately for me, most service providers offer (at best) a form where I can submit a callback number.
Brands need to recognize that consumers' preferences about this stuff are all over the map. When a client asks me "Should we be using Twitter?" or "Should we advertise our mailing address?" or "Should we include our phone number on our Web site, even though people can just e-mail us?", I usually answer "Sure. Why not?"
Unless it's likely to require a significant investment of time or money to operate a communications channel properly, it certainly doesn't hurt to make it available. Setup a Twitter account as long as you'll be checking it daily -- even if you only post a few times a week... As long as you check the post as soon as it arrives, what can it hurt to advertise your mailing address?...
And finally:
It's even more amazing how many brands miss the most simple of tactics for communicating with customers: Calling people back.
I'm currently going through the process of selling a home, buying a lot, and hiring builders for that lot. I've had to deal with real estate agents, mortgage brokers, land owners, banks, construction firms, inspectors, government officials, cleaners, stagers, and so on and so on.
Sadly, a huge number of people I've contacted or replied to simply don't get back to me in a timely way. I wait days for urgent information to arrive (without receiving even a "It's on its way" in the meantime). I virtually tell suppliers that I have money ready and waiting for them, and they don't bother to get in touch. Are you so busy that you can't even spare a couple of minutes for a conversation with me? Not even an e-mail note? If so, lucky you. But you aren't getting any more business from me if I can't count on you.
I know people who seem to use Facebook (and, more specifically, their public "wall" on Facebook) as their primary communications medium.
I know others who would rather send a Twitter "DM" than write an e-mail.
And others who will pick up the phone for every little conversation.
And still others who go out of their way to meet in person.
At the same time, it's amazing how poor many businesses are at dealing with the multitude of preferences their customers may have.
Personally, for example, when looking for a new service provider, I love coming across "contact us" forms. If done well, they give me a great opportunity to send the provider a large amount of pertinent information up front, so I don't have to explain my needs to such a degree during our first phone call or meeting. Unfortunately for me, most service providers offer (at best) a form where I can submit a callback number.
Brands need to recognize that consumers' preferences about this stuff are all over the map. When a client asks me "Should we be using Twitter?" or "Should we advertise our mailing address?" or "Should we include our phone number on our Web site, even though people can just e-mail us?", I usually answer "Sure. Why not?"
Unless it's likely to require a significant investment of time or money to operate a communications channel properly, it certainly doesn't hurt to make it available. Setup a Twitter account as long as you'll be checking it daily -- even if you only post a few times a week... As long as you check the post as soon as it arrives, what can it hurt to advertise your mailing address?...
And finally:
It's even more amazing how many brands miss the most simple of tactics for communicating with customers: Calling people back.
I'm currently going through the process of selling a home, buying a lot, and hiring builders for that lot. I've had to deal with real estate agents, mortgage brokers, land owners, banks, construction firms, inspectors, government officials, cleaners, stagers, and so on and so on.
Sadly, a huge number of people I've contacted or replied to simply don't get back to me in a timely way. I wait days for urgent information to arrive (without receiving even a "It's on its way" in the meantime). I virtually tell suppliers that I have money ready and waiting for them, and they don't bother to get in touch. Are you so busy that you can't even spare a couple of minutes for a conversation with me? Not even an e-mail note? If so, lucky you. But you aren't getting any more business from me if I can't count on you.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Inventing A Problem
I'm automatically skeptical of any product that makes claims to solve a problem that doesn't exist. Or, at least, a problem that's greatly exaggerated.
The worst offenders are those late night infomercials.
ANNCR: "Isn't cutting fruits and vegetables a nightmare?"
FEMALE: [Pushes down on tomato with dull knife, wobbling this way and that, tomato juice squirts everywhere]
ANNCR: "And storing knives can be a real pain"
MALE: [Walks beneath a rack full of sharp knives, scissors, swords, daggers, and lawn clippers - all precariously balanced and about to fall on his head]
Come on. If your product is good, won't an (honest) demonstration show off its qualities? Why do they need to make the users look like they have the intelligence and motor skills of a 2 year old?
A recent, more mainstream, example is toilet paper ad. You know the ones with the happy little cartoon bear family? Apparently, that brand of paper doesn't "leave lots of little pieces behind". Really? Is that an actual problem for a lot of people? I hate to think of how hard they're wiping if it's tearing pieces off of their toilet paper.
The worst offenders are those late night infomercials.
ANNCR: "Isn't cutting fruits and vegetables a nightmare?"
FEMALE: [Pushes down on tomato with dull knife, wobbling this way and that, tomato juice squirts everywhere]
ANNCR: "And storing knives can be a real pain"
MALE: [Walks beneath a rack full of sharp knives, scissors, swords, daggers, and lawn clippers - all precariously balanced and about to fall on his head]
Come on. If your product is good, won't an (honest) demonstration show off its qualities? Why do they need to make the users look like they have the intelligence and motor skills of a 2 year old?
A recent, more mainstream, example is toilet paper ad. You know the ones with the happy little cartoon bear family? Apparently, that brand of paper doesn't "leave lots of little pieces behind". Really? Is that an actual problem for a lot of people? I hate to think of how hard they're wiping if it's tearing pieces off of their toilet paper.
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