Amazon, Expectations, and Communication
Watch this week's Short Attention Span Sales Tip here.
Good morning!
I ordered 2 pairs of pants on August 21. On August 27, I received an e-mail:
“Great news! Your order has shipped!”
Six days? Really?
On Monday of this week, I called a kitchen and bath restoration company and left a message. They have not called back.
Today is Wednesday.
When I broke into the business forms industry, our standard delivery was 6 to 8 weeks. A rush job was three weeks and a super rush job was 10 days. Today, you ask a client when they need the job and they might just roll their wrist, look at their watch, and say, “Well, it's 9:00 now...”
The point is, there are standards and expectations. Customers are going to rate your actions based on societal forces, including (and especially) Amazon. I'm not saying they're reasonable, but I do think we have to address them as our selling day goes on.
I might have a completely different opinion of the pants company if they sent me an e-mail and said, “Hey Bill, it's going to take us a few days to get this order out the door. Keep your pants on (see what we did there?).”
And that kitchen and bath company would be well served to change their outgoing voicemail message and provide better information; Better communication: “Thank you for calling. This being the end of August, some members of our staff are taking vacation. For you, this might mean an abnormal delay in response time. Bear with us.”
Our customers have expectations as consumers. You might not always be able to meet them, but you can avoid losing an order and a customer by making certain they understand your process, and more importantly, a timeline of your process.
Communicate! In fact, over communicate. Either give the client the information they need up front or get ready to give that same information as an explanation after you lose the customer.
How can I help grow your sales? Happy to talk: 781-934-7036 or bill@salesvault.pro. You can also receive more helpful information at SalesVault.pro
Bill Farquharson is a respected industry expert and highly sought after speaker known for his energetic and entertaining presentations. Bill engages his audiences with wit and wisdom earned as a 40-year print sales veteran while teaching new ideas for solving classic sales challenges. Email him at bill@salesvault.pro or call (781) 934-7036. Bill’s two books, The 25 Best Print Sales Tips Ever and Who’s Making Money at Digital/Inkjet Printing…and How? as well as information on his new subscription-based website, The Sales Vault, are available at salesvault.pro.
