Is It Something in the Water?

I have wondered for years if it is something in the water or in the air. Or maybe it is the intense summer heat that causes it. One explanation I’ve heard repeatedly is that so many Valley residents are here from somewhere else that it just causes confusion and gums up the whole system.

Are you thinking about how people in Phoenix drive? If so, that is a question that may never be answered. Sorry!

My concern here is; why do so many people in business never return calls, follow up or follow through? I thought maybe it was my imagination, but after almost nine years in Phoenix, it still amazes me how much business is lost due to simple neglect.

I have asked many others about this, and they agree; there is almost an epidemic lack of follow up and follow through. And my bet is that it’s not just the Valley of the Sun that is experiencing this problem.

Have you noticed it?

I recently contacted a local company inquiring about their product. I left two emails (from their site), two voice mail messages, and I stopped in – twice. Finally, after the second in-person visit, someone contacted me. Remember, I was buying not selling!

What blows my mind is that the product I was considering was $40,000. And that was just the upfront investment. Residuals would have brought the company at least $6000/year thereafter! It took six contacts before someone called me back. And there was no follow up. No follow through. There is no way they will get my business, or my referrals. Ever.

Has this happened to you as a consumer? Harder question – have you done this to your client/prospect base?

Sometimes stuff happens. We mess up our date book. We forget to enter data. We goof up. What I am talking about is consistent neglect to return calls in a timely manner… consistently putting the onus on your paying customer to give you money! Consistently doing this is wrong on so many levels… the good news for your competitors is they love you for it!

Several years ago Dodge ran a series of car commercials based on the premise of “be different.” One commercial that struck me showed a colony of black ants mindlessly following each other in a procession. It implied they had no creativity or independent thinking. Along comes one red ant rapidly and enthusiastically going in a direction away from the procession. Cut to a Dodge Viper (you guessed it – bright red) screaming down the highway. Then the tag line – Be Different.

I was talking to a friend of mine about business and people’s behaviors in business. I mentioned to her that the marketplace is unforgiving. Yes, unforgiving. This is the beautiful thing about a capitalist, free-market society; you perform and you are rewarded, you don’t and you are “outta here.”

Understand and appreciate that your competition’s neglected prospect could be your next evangelist.

I was seriously considering a “partnership” with another pro in the Valley. I can’t count the number of emails and voice mail messages I left him. Then to top it off, he gave me a commitment to be somewhere and did not show. No call. No explanation. No courtesy. Guess what — no business from me.

Is that unreasonable? I try to demand of myself what I expect in others. I figure if I get real lenient with poor behavior, I might start doing it too. I can’t afford that, can you?

There is an old adage that says, “under promise – over deliver.” I learned something different from one of the best salesmen that ever graced the planet, Sid Friedman. If you are in the life insurance industry, you likely know his name. He was a giant in the business. Sid said, “promise a lot, deliver more.” Now that will put you on the line. That thinking puts you out there. It is what the red ant would say and do.

Take a chance. Be bold. Be different. Hey – just be considerate and you’ll stand out!

And in business we all need to stand out. We all have competition. And competition is good because it brings awareness and choice to the consumer. So here are four extraordinarily simple, free, effortless (almost), painless, and fun ways to stand out.

1. RETURN PHONE CALLS
2. RETURN EMAILS
3. FOLLOW UP
4. FOLLOW THROUGH

You know, I started to expand on these and then I considered the unforgiving marketplace and the thought occurred to me, “You have to be kidding George, if the reader doesn’t get these four points they are too dumb to be in business anyway…”

No explanation needed. Just be different.