The other day I needed to get a quote on a service costing tens of thousands of dollars. I visited a website of a well known vendor, spent five minutes trying to find the information I needed, then looked for the “Contact Us” page. The page had no phone number, only an email form. Looking further, I finally found a number and called.
I got an automated phone system, listened to the endless array of options and pushed the number that sounded the most likely. I was routed to India or Pakistan and immediately asked for my name and telephone number. Patiently I gave the information and explained what I was looking for. Twenty minutes later, after numerous checks with the attendant’s “supervisor,” I gave up. The person on the phone had failed to understand my need. That company was Equifax.
Five minute later I was talking to Trans Union. I found the number quickly on the Internet, dialed and talked to a person who stuck with me, forwarded my request to a business sales person who called back within 30 minutes, and gave me a full quote. The value of the transaction could be up to $65,000.
Of course you’re familiar with this phenomenon. But my question is this. If we are all familiar, and have experiences like this, then why does the difficulty of helping a prospect via the Internet or phone still persist? VPs of Marketing, what will your CEO find when he calls his own company? Surf your own sites. Call your own number. You might be surprised.
Do great things.
Lee Stocking
Prairie Sky Group
Making Sales Cry With Qualified Leads
lee.stocking@gmail.com
651-357-0110 (cell 24×7)