Good Morning
My business is a brick and mortar business, and as such, I have a business landline phone. I’ve had the same business phone number for over 20 years. I’ve had clients who have called to use my services with many years in between uses. Because of this and my training in retail, we always answer the phone.
I’ve been getting a lot of calls that after I thank the person for calling and identify my company and ask how I can help them, I hear only silence or sometimes background noise. After a bunch of hellos, I hang up. Other calls are to sell me money, credit card processing, web sites, or phone service, lower my credit card interest rate or offer various other services. I try to be nice, at least at first; I tell them I’m not interested and ask to be removed from their list. If they don’t listen and keep selling, I get meaner and meaner and so does my language. Some people have told me to just hang up. I’ve done that but have found that someone from that company will try again and again. By being very “rude” I have found that most of them will not call back; they don’t want to be cursed at!
Years ago when I was first doing public relations for a number of companies, I stopped by the local newspaper and asked to talk to the editor. I wanted to know what to do to get my press releases published. I was give some rules, which I still follow to this day, even after working as a reporter for a daily newspaper.
One rule that I still try to use, even when I call clients and other people, is to ask permission. I use either “is this a good time to talk?” or “am I calling at a bad time?” By using these or a few others, I’m getting permission to interrupt what they are doing to get my message to them. More importantly it gives them control of the call and puts me in a positive and likable light. If they tell me it’s a bad time, I acknowledge it, ask for a better time to call back, thank them and hang up.
When you call your customers and prospects, do you want them to like you and welcome your call or do you want them to be like me after the third attempt to say I’m not interested? Remember, it’s only your business that’s on the line!
Till next time, Great Things Happen, But You Have To Take Action NOW!
Philip Freedman
Your Doctor of Customer Acquisition, Retention and Enhancement
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