-TW
October 6, 2008, 04:05 PM
I one of my biz's I go through an enormous amount of frustration, predictably, 3 times a year.
My prospective customers do not call me back. There's nothing unusual about that in itself -- but here's the crazy thing... even
-- my previous customers (who are overjoyed with my service, etc.),
and
-- very HOT prospects who have shown a definite interest (have raised there hand)
DO NOT CALL ME BACK. Even ones who've I've become pals with do not call me back -- even when I ask them to call me back "EITHER WAY" (to tell me no or yes).
Analogy: You take the time + expense to send out 100 wedding invitations. 20 people send an rsvp card that says NO -- and 20 people send a card that says YES.
Now, how many people are coming? Answer: YOU HAVE NO IDEA! Because 60 people didn't say anything!
After a while of this, I get the feeling these people are making me CHOOSE between making money at this, and retaining my own SANITY!
I don't mind being told NO. It's not being told one way or the other that forces me to make 10-million calls -- thus driving me battty.
Now, you may say the solution is to merely DROP any prospect who doesn't return calls. Or even to drop the entire business. Neither of those options will work right now, unfortunately -- I need the "eggs."
I have a way to solve the problem -- but it would require LAYING IT ON THE LINE + explaining the problem to the prospects in a 'lifting the curtain' BLUNT WAY -- that may seem unprofessional + scare away more people than it attracts.
I feel I must TRAIN the prospects to treat me with more respect or something. I'm getting Willie Lowman syndrome over here.
Any ideas out there? It's driving me 'buggy!'
-- TW
My prospective customers do not call me back. There's nothing unusual about that in itself -- but here's the crazy thing... even
-- my previous customers (who are overjoyed with my service, etc.),
and
-- very HOT prospects who have shown a definite interest (have raised there hand)
DO NOT CALL ME BACK. Even ones who've I've become pals with do not call me back -- even when I ask them to call me back "EITHER WAY" (to tell me no or yes).
Analogy: You take the time + expense to send out 100 wedding invitations. 20 people send an rsvp card that says NO -- and 20 people send a card that says YES.
Now, how many people are coming? Answer: YOU HAVE NO IDEA! Because 60 people didn't say anything!
After a while of this, I get the feeling these people are making me CHOOSE between making money at this, and retaining my own SANITY!
I don't mind being told NO. It's not being told one way or the other that forces me to make 10-million calls -- thus driving me battty.
Now, you may say the solution is to merely DROP any prospect who doesn't return calls. Or even to drop the entire business. Neither of those options will work right now, unfortunately -- I need the "eggs."
I have a way to solve the problem -- but it would require LAYING IT ON THE LINE + explaining the problem to the prospects in a 'lifting the curtain' BLUNT WAY -- that may seem unprofessional + scare away more people than it attracts.
I feel I must TRAIN the prospects to treat me with more respect or something. I'm getting Willie Lowman syndrome over here.
Any ideas out there? It's driving me 'buggy!'
-- TW
