 Is this how your company greets guests? |
Choose Every Word & Expression Your Staff Use Carefully
As they will come back to you and your business. No exceptions.
I have been doing a bit of hands on sales consultancy for a local IT company recently and I am seeing a disturbing thing or three in a great many of the businesses I visit. The job itself is simple: I enter appropriate businesses, say hello to the receptionist (or whoever is there) and ask them to accept the brochure-set. I explain the service in a simple sentence and then ask for a business card. At that point I am happy to leave. Only if the people want to talk to me do I stay. Yes this is cold call but all businesses have the right to present themselves and the approach is simple and relatively un-intrusive. Here are some of the things I encounter:
- Closed & Locked Doors: Staff are in but there is no way to approach them. Why? Does this business not accept customers or offers that may improve it? Think of this as a Feng Shui kind of thing - if the first point of contact someone has with your business is being locked out do they feel welcomed? An intercom helps but who likes talking on intercoms?
- No Reception: When someone steps into your business for the first time they feel apprehensive and a little lost. Not having a receptionist or any signs that point to one makes people feel unwelcome - like an intruder. Now I know that not every business can afford an army of greeters but there needs to be a clear idea of where the visitor needs to go to be improved. It can be as simple as having a clear sign pointing to reception upstairs or making sure that those closest to the door are ready to sing out to the visitor. Which brings me to the final and most disturbing point...
- Cheery Faces: Yes this should go without saying but in a disturbing number of instances I am met with scowls and other attitudes that make me feel unwelcome. I know that cold calling is about as popular as an STD but the person is a person and the offer may just be magic to your business. You simply don't know till you have a look and that will only take a few seconds. Also that person may have cause to use or recommend your business in a week or a year and if you treated them like something stuck to your shoe, will you get that business? NO!
So my message here is that before you (or your staff) go and do something dumb think carefully to see if this is the way that you would like to be treated as a guest in someone's business. You may have reasons to want to do some or all of these things but please be really sure that the reasons fully outweigh any opportunity costs that arise from these decisions.
If you want me to work with your business then please visit BRM Web Consulting
