Looking for assurances that your marketing message is actually being heard?

Sure, you probably have folks who assist you with your social media (or you do it yourself), carefully honing your marketing message to create a clear business presence.  But I mentioned assurances.

Assurances can be as close as the phone on your desk.  And whereas most social media depends on hoping that someone else does something (clicking a link, reading an email, spotting a post),  you literally have the control in your own hand when customers call.

For example (you knew this was coming, right?...) - let's say you're a small pharmacy.  98% of your customers know that you fill prescriptions.  But what extra services do you provide that they may not otherwise know?  Are you a compounding pharmacy? Can you provide medicines prescribed by veterinarians?  Do you provide flu shots or other types of common vaccinations and/or inoculations?   This is the type of information that can (and should) be communicated to customers who call to check on their prescription and then are placed on hold.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of businesses that could benefit from this type of audio cross-marketing tool. Does your business make the best use of hold time with your customers?

     Much of doing business these days involves a newly acquired communication skill essential in the 21st century - mind-reading.  That is, does the person you're trying to get in touch with prefer email or is the telephone their preference?  With new clients/prospects, it can often end up being a big guessing game.

     Call me old-school, but I'm still a phone guy.  The primary reason is simple mathematics: if I'm needing an answer to a question, I quickly add up the amount of time and/or complexity that I believe the query will take.  If I can knock it out with a quick email, so be it.  But more often than not, the time it takes for me to compose, proof, re-compose, take out the stupid joke, re-proof, add the appropriate emoticon, etc., is almost ALWAYS longer than it takes to pick up the phone and make the call. 

     Of course, the great unknown variable here is "the party to whom I am speaking."  One never knows if they'll be available to take a call.  And after a day or two of unreturned phone calls, one has to eventually come to the conclusion that they may simply prefer to communicate via email, so then it's time to shift to Plan B (or plan E, if you will).

I've seen this topic discussed across the interwebs over the years and have noticed that those who prefer email often STRONGLY prefer email ("I'd kill before I'd pick up a phone!!!").  If so - why? What's your time worth?


 

     So, did you know that the month of August is: 

• National Immunization Month (coincides with National Back-to-School Monthl!) 
• National Psoriasis Month
• Cataract Awareness Month
• Happiness Happens Month 
• Panini Month (a nice panini WOULD make me happy right now!)
• ...and Win With Civility Month (are you paying attention, elected representatives?)

   
It's also Audio Appreciation Month - one of our favorite months of the year!  So go hug a woofer and be nice to your tweeter this month.