Planet 3 Press Blog » Customer Appreciation http://www.planet3press.com/blog Enjoy Green Tips, Graphic Trends and Marketing Tools with Planet 3 Press! Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:32:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Don’t Miss ‘Golden Opportunities’ When Customers and Prospects Inquire http://www.planet3press.com/blog/2009/09/24/don%e2%80%99t-miss-%e2%80%98golden-opportunities%e2%80%99-when-customers-and-prospects-inquire/ http://www.planet3press.com/blog/2009/09/24/don%e2%80%99t-miss-%e2%80%98golden-opportunities%e2%80%99-when-customers-and-prospects-inquire/#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:02:31 +0000 planet3press http://www.planet3press.com/blog/?p=154 “What a waste!” That exclamation is apropos of many small, medium and large companies that fail to follow up when customers and prospects inquire by telephone or e-mail. Here’s what happened when an East Coast research firm checked in anonymously with varied businesses across the country, making several thousand inquiries:

• Nearly 80% of the companies never asked for the inquirer’s name.

• Some 85% of the companies failed to request the inquirer’s phone number, e-mail address or other information—clearly essential for follow-up contact.

• More than one-third of the businesses contacted gave only price quotes and other requested information and left it at that. The telephone and e-mail response was both passive and abrupt.

• Almost 50% of the companies supplied product and/or service information but made absolutely no complementary sales pitch.

• At more than half of the businesses, telephone calls required an average of eight rings to answer, and nearly 30% of the callers were placed on hold for at least two minutes.

These stats illuminate a surprising and sobering marketing scenario. They should also motivate companies to reexamine their customer-inquiry policies and amp up their direct-sales practices. A word to the wise. . .

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•    Your entryway and lobby. Are they clean and inviting? What does the décor say about your business? If it’s shabby or overly stark, the message won’t be positive. Also, if there’s an area for customers/clients to wait, have you provided comfortable seating and appropriate reading material?

•    Your receptionist. Is this staff member’s attire and demeanor professional? Does she or he greet visitors promptly and warmly? If someone must wait for several minutes, does your receptionist offer him or her water, coffee or some other beverage?

•    Your telephones. The guidelines honored by Ritz-Carlton hotel employees set high standards—namely, “Answer within three rings and smile; ask permission to put callers on hold; don’t screen calls; and eliminate call transfers when possible.”

•    Your collateral materials. Take another look at your company’s website, business cards, letterhead, brochures, display ads and so forth. Do their various design elements combine to convey an overall positive and powerful impression?


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