Killing Your Own Bussiness
 

So I call an businesses who often posts here on the phone which was answered "Corporate Office" and left a message on Friday for a call back.

They have no idea what industry I called from (place I called is both mainstream and adult) nor who I was. My was inquiring about how to initiate the considerable size of the paid business I was looking to give them.

Still no return call.

Wonder why so many fail?

If they have no idea what industry you called from or who you are then maybe you should have left a better message.

:1orglaugh

:thumbsup 100% agree!

If we can not tell who you are or what you do it is usually spam, wrong number or crank call.
We do not return such calls either.

Let me qualify, I told the receptionist my name, mainstream company name and phone number as well as what I wanted.

No mention of adult or GFY was made.

To make matter worse I know they spent money on marketing here and they troll for business as well.

Sounds like they really blew it. Hopefully someone is reading this from their company and gets their act together. Good luck.

I see this WAY to much with small businesses... I think it is due to them not caring about "the little guy" and everyone waits for the big fish to roll in.

A few months ago I needed to get some work done on my car and called three local body shops for quotes. One got back to me ASAP and the second a few days later. The third one called me over two weeks later, then was pissed when I told him the job was already done. WTF do you expect?

Just recently I tried to order flowers from a small place nearby. I was traveling and couldn't call them so I filled out their contact form on their page telling them what I wanted and I would be by to pick it up when I returned that day. I even got a confirmation... but when I called to verify, no answer, so I had to go to a different place. Few days later I get an email saying "do you still want this?" :1orglaugh

Next time they troll for business I will link to this thread.

we don't take cold calls ourselves. If we did we'd never get anything done. Compared to a detailed email or an icq/skype conversation its no contest. People tend to be VERY vague on the phone in comparison.

we DO work online after all..

I'm on the side that doesn't accept cold calls or messages. There are too many of them daily.

While the person calling feels he is important and feels he has a good idea... the business on the receiving side gets so many calls that they simply can't return them.

My toll-free number has been online about 17 years. I get maybe 15-18 calls each day trying to sell me something. If I spent just 5 minutes with each it is over an hour each day listening to them propose something they think is great but I may not need.

Each minute spent dealing with them is a minute taken away from customer service, building traffic, etc.

Just ten minutes ago I got such a call saying they could lower my merchant fees (but we know from experience they don't handle adult so waste of time)... and before that some body calls and says "I'd like to talk to the owner" and I ask what they are selling and who they wish to talk to... they have no idea who the owner is... they just call every number they can find.

No, no, no.... I can't give over an hour each day to cold callers or returning the message they leave.

The original poster here sounds as if he feels his message is they only message they may have gotten that day. The truth is, those with a business phone number get dozens of calls and messages daily from unknown people with ideas they think are great and should demand attention.

Best approach - clear, detailed, professional letters. On paper if possible. Addressed by name to the person you wish to speak to. Then he can review it and decide if it is interesting enough to dedicate time to. Or, second choice, email that is professional. Clear, well typed, correct spelling.

The reason why so many fail, is because everybody can make porn.

Spot on from the 1st to the last word. :thumbsup

I find it's always best in such situations to contact someone from the company by email first, lay out whatever it is I'm trying to get across to them. Then provide my phone # and proceed with a phone conversation only when both sides know a little more about what it is that's on the table.

So some of you won't take a phone call from a potential customer (not a telemarketing call)?

While I love the convenience of email, it is far from the most efficient way to do business often and not the way I will communicate to try to get a read of off a potential vendor or courting a large customer.

I am also the type to drive or jump on a plane to meet new vendors or clients.

Guess I must be old school.

That is not at all what I happen to be saying. The entire reason my toll-free number is on my websites is to take phone orders and service customers in a timely manner.

That, in fact, is why I don't / can't / shouldn't waste time with cold calling salesmen that want to give me a new alarm system, health care, insurance rates - or as happen within the last hour a call from a guy saying he is the "Local Google Specialist" and can get me in the top of Google, guaranteed! (He didn't ask what business I was in or what keywords I would want).

B2B phone spam is soooo massive.... As soon as your company line is publically available you may start getting hourly cold calls from tons of "seo" and "marketing" companies trying to get their foot in the door.

It's also conceivable that the company you contacted uses a virtual office. All they do is forward calls and take messages.

If they troll for business so often here, surely you can find contact info of a relevant representative?

There's old school, and then there's out of touch. People still like to do business face to face, over the phone, and fly in for meetings... But random anonymous phone calls to their website's toll free number isn't going to get that ball rolling :2 cents:

1) Understood however I called the non toll free number listed under contact us.

2) Called them for their specified service.

3) Was never asked for my email address if they needed that. They could have had whoever answers the phone call me back to have gotten it.

If you can't get returning a phone call right, how would you handle a customers problem?

Dude. They are already sitting in the pool drinking margaritas. Work is done, bro! It is Friday. Don't hate the player, hate the game!

business is business, if companies ignore any form of contact, they are not doing themselves any justice.That golden egg could easily be missed.

Bingo!!!!!

Snail mail letter best approach?! Lol! Did you shut your business down in the 90s?

Email #1by far. A letter...lol...

the state of B2C is pretty dire as well

I'm in the process of moving and starting a new venture. I contacted 9 real estate companies in my destination country to find long term accommodations. In my contact I included our full names, name of company my dude will be working for, biz title, our very generous budget. One agent got back to us.

Go to book flights and find out our regular travel agent is away on a conference. We're eager to book the tickets so we decide to try someone new. We're abruptly told by the new agent that our airline of choice doesn't allow cats on flights to our destination country. Um, yeah they do. Chica has us take a seat and she goes out to get coffee before calling the airline to confirm that we were right. Guess who lost a commission and any chance of getting a call when we book flights for my entire family to come and visit. We waited until our regular agent got back and went through her.

I set up an appointment with an account manager at a new bank to set up a very specific type of bank account my credit union doesn't offer, and also to transfer over my not-insignificant savings. Dude kept me waiting for 20 mins on the day of our appointment and tells me that the type of account I want to set up won't let me do what I need it to do. I leave in frustration, knowing he's incorrect. The next day I go back, speak to a regular teller and get the account set up exactly the way I need it. I need the account, no fucking way will I transfer my savings there though.

So yeah, the human capacity for laziness and incompetence never ceases to astound me. At least that means people with drive, skill and intelligence will always succeed.

Yesterday I called 8 pressure washing companies in Las Vegas around 2pm. The first 7 didn't answer the phone. The 8th one got my business because they did.

Any mainstream business who doesn't answer their phone during regular business hours will never get my business.

Maybe those kind of guys are working in the field and can't answer the phone, but did any call back (I bet the answer for most of not all was no).

:thumbsup:thumbsup

I answer my unknown calls with "Hello, Backstage,,,,"

I think this topic has taken a shift in direction.

The OP was discussing a message he left in a business to business situation and how he thinks the person that hasn't returned the call is ruining his own business by not accepting the call or offer.

That, B2B, situation is entirely different than a retail or business to customer (customer to business) situation.

Yes, if it is a customer or potential customer calling and leaving a message they should be called back in a reasonable time frame. The same goes for if a potential customer sends email, or completes an online form to get service or an estimate.

But, that (retail customer service) is entirely different than the boss of a company being told he must listen to every unsolicited business call, phone pitch, phone spammer, phone salesman, robo caller, etc.

I think that was my fault, apologies :)

I do think there is a commonality in this case though, in that if a business is actively trying to recruit business (by advertising on gfy) then I wouldn't necessarily characterize the OP's attempt at contact on that tip as a cold call

I completely agree with you on unsolicited sales pitches