It must be easy to accumulate bad habits in business, there are so many of them.
Here are 22 business dos and don’ts that influence how we are perceived:
• Don’t make sales calls from a cell phone. Here’s why. First, it gives the impression that we’re on the run, in a hurry and squeezing the call in. Second, cell phone sound quality is often poor. Worse yet, there’s the distinct possibility of a dropped call. These are not appropriate conditions to make sales calls.
• Acknowledge e-mails promptly. It’s only proper business etiquette to acknowledge an e-mail as soon as possible after receiving it. If you are delayed, send a simple explanation.
• Don’t e-mail information in bits and pieces. A series of e-mails, each with one or two items of information, is difficult to piece together properly. No one needs to spend time trying to figure out what’s going on in your head or mine.
• Don’t expect others to remind you when something is due. Employees are the “owners and operators” of mini-businesses – themselves. How well we manage ourselves determines our value to the overall enterprise.
• Require meeting participants to put cell phones, PDAs, Blackberries and other devices in the center of the table and in full view of everyone. If meetings are valuable, distractions are harmful, disruptive and impolite.
• Ask people if they want you to call them on a landline or cell. It’s wise to let those who take your call make the decision, so you have the best possible conditions when discussing business.
• Don’t let what others are doing influence your marketing. For example, Chevrolet’s “The car you can’t ignore” advertising campaign subtly suggests an unintentional question, “Who says I can’t ignore it?” Or, maybe Web 2.0 is where it’s at for some, but not necessarily for every business.
• Don’t make decisions based on anecdotal evidence. While such “evidence” may help in pointing in a particular direction, it should always be confirmed before being acted on. Otherwise, the results can be costly.
• Don’t confuse Googling with research. We have come to believe that turning out piles of paper from a Google search is research, when it’s just bits and pieces of unevaluated worthless “stuff.” As such, it is the antithesis of research. If someone hands you the typical “Googled” pile, hand it back.
• Don’t chase the wrong prospects. Too many salespeople irrationally race after even the most unqualified leads, always hoping a miracle will occur. It rarely happens. Qualify prospects against the profile of your best customers before going after them.
• Remember to fax. Stop thinking every e-mail you send will be opened, read, understood and acted upon. A fax message can receive more attention – it’s in your face and it’s hard copy. Include possible action steps so the reader can respond – by fax.
• Use advertising, direct mail and PR. In other words, invest substantial time and money to drive visitors to your Web site. Do the same when writing letters and e-mails, which can include a link to your company’s Web site.
• Take a risk to attract attention. Taco Bell’s “Steal a base, Steal a Taco” World Series promotion was daring and incredibly successful. Although the total estimated cost nationally was only about $770,000, based on about 1 million takers, the value of the publicity generated by the promotion was the real steal.
• Share your expertise. Any company’s greatest asset is its accumulated knowledge and experience, and the way customers measure competence. Let them know what you know and do everything possible to communicate this.
• Never start a conversation, sales pitch, e-mail or letter with “we.” If we really valued our customers, wouldn’t we start every conversation or letter talking about them?
• Don’t brag about delivering quality customer service unless you are ready to give it the way customers want it. There’s only one measure of “quality customer service” and that’s the way individual customers define it. What one values, another may view as irrelevant.
• Never use a testimonial unless it is real in every way. Forget about “T.K of Miami” or “A Nashville manufacturer.” Anything less than a complete identification may be viewed as fictitious and reflects poorly on a business.
• Free offers are terrific, but don’t hold customers hostage. Nothing is worse than responding to a “free offer,” only to be denied access until you answer 20 questions or talk to a “representative.” Deception is destructive.
• Tell stories. If you wanted to talk with our nation’s president in 1825, the best way would have been to walk down to the Potomac River early in the morning, where you would find John Quincy Adams taking a swim. Stories can be memorable because they increase involvement.
• Drop the jargon. It puts people off by making them feel like they are outsiders. If you think using jargon means you can talk someone’s language, forget it. Understanding another person’s issues is far more effective.
• Avoid small talk. If building rapport is the issue, then figure out what’s important to that particular person and talk about it.
• Always ask the most important question: “What does the customer need to accomplish?” Figuring out the answer is the best way to make sure the solution is correct.
Twenty-two items are anything but exhaustive. Add items that will make a positive difference in your level of awareness of your customers’ needs. •
John R. Graham is president of Graham Communications, a marketing and sales consulting firm. He can be reached at j_graham@graham.com.
