Solo Practice

This post from Seth Godin, marketing genius extraordinaire, reminds us how far away we've gotten from paying attention to the client who takes the time to contact us on the telephone:

An inbound phone call is the ultimate in short-term permission. The customer or prospect is taking the time to call you. She's focused, interested, paying attention and willing to trust you.

Think for a minute about how much you spend (and how high up in the organization the discussions go) when it's time for a new logo or a new Super Bowl ad.

And yet, even though the rules have changed, the lowest-paid, least-respected, highest-turnover jobs in the organization now do the most important marketing work.

While the way we market has changed, the principles never change.  We are marketing/advertising/leveraging to bring in business.  Business means we are reaching out to potential consumers with real problems.  When someone calls your office, made the decision to contact you, differentiated your services, came as a referral, responded to your ad or blog, the first physical contact is the phone call (yes, sometimes a contact e-mail).  How they are greeted, whether in person or mechanical, falls under the axiom, "we don't get a second chance to make a first impression."

How are your clients greeted, 'real' person, voice mail?  What is being said, what is the tone?  Do your potential clients (and current clients) feel valued, their problems important, acknowledged if you can't speak with them now they will be contacted shortly as you appreciate them?  Don't assume a live person makes it a better experience if they are not trained to 'care' for the caller.  Don't assume because you have an automated response it is worse.  It is all in tone and choice of words and follow-up which will make the client feel their time was regarded and they made the right choice.

How do you make your current and potential clients feel valued?