Stephen Nold

Return the Call!
May 29, 2008

I have a bias against people who do not return calls in a timely manner.  As one of the few edicts still left in the business world, a return call is something I strongly believe everyone deserves.  The number of “professionals” who do not seem to adhere to this rule amazes me.  This casualness immediately creates a negative image of an organization when their representatives can't seem to communicate with the outside world.

There are two exceptions to this rule:

- Everyone is allowed a moment of forgetfulness.  My wife can tell you that I have my own memory lapse moments, but I pride myself with work habits that allow me to connect with people both at the first of the day and at the end of the day.

- Any initial introduction conversation is granted 60 seconds to deliver the message. Afterwards, if you are selling insurance or some other service not applicable to our needs, the discussion is over.  I always try to conclude the call in the most polite way possible, but the call is over.

I do empathize with the hard working telemarketers who are just doing their job.  When I first started my career, I worked for a short time on a research phone bank as part of my management training.  It is a tough way to earn a living and I respect the people who can handle some of the insults despite the honest approach they often employ.  It is a shame that the telemarketing industry has such a black eye.

A professional representative attempting to convince us to purchase a booth recently contacted me.  Her eagerness to respond to our business goals along with her continued patience and persistence placed her show at the top of the list in our exhibiting efforts for next year.  She did not get our business, more due to our own marketing priorities, but I suspect that their tradeshow floor will do well.

I recently observed how several technology vendors did a very poor job responding to important phone calls.  I was surprised as several of these vendors were very large organizations.  Especially since external communications are often an important first indicator of internal business processes.  If people involved in the executive management team are not responding to introduction phone calls, then they are missing important opportunities.

I have witnessed, more than once, a decision to exclude a supplier from an RFP process based on their inability to respond in a timely manner.  It is a shame that communication skills override technology considerations, but it is all part of the equation, isn't it?  If an organization does not do a great job following up with a proposal on the table, how will they respond when customer satisfaction issues are being raised?

Smaller suppliers have their own set of resource challenges, but often times they seem to understand the importance of a prompt return call and leverage their ability to respond as an important differentiator over the larger competitors.  This makes sense - a smaller supplier is going to make certain that a large customer is treated with respect.

My advice?  Return the call!

Posted by Stephen Nold on May 29, 2008 | Comments (4)