Off the Cuff: Good Phone Habits and Follow-Up Drive Growth

March 2, 2009

Mark L. Venit, MBA, Contributing Writer

Does the following phone conversation sound like something that happens in your shop?

R-R-R-R -I-N-G…R-R-R-R -I-N-G…
ShirtStop: Hello?
Prospect: Yes, I’d like to get some information and prices on T-shirts.
ShirtStop: Uhhh, well, can you call back in an hour or two?
Prospect: Can I just get a few prices?
ShirtStop: Uhhh, well, I’m just the shipper. You need to talk with Tony and he ain’t in right now. But lemme check…(Yelling) Yo! Anybody know what time Tony’ll be back? (No response heard). Uhhh, he should be back pretty soon, so you can give him a call later, OK?
Prospect: OK, thank you.
CLICK.

Do you think this prospect will bother to call back? Let’s eavesdrop on another call — to someone who can at least quote a price over the phone.

Tee Times: Hello, Tee Times Printing.
Prospect: Yes, I'd like to get some prices on T-shirts.
Tee Times: Sure, how many you lookin’ for?
Prospect: Well, about 50, maybe 75.
Tee Times: Would you prefer 50/50 or 100% cotton?
Prospect: All cotton.
Tee Times: And what color shirts would you like?
Prospect: Plain white.
Tee Times: Do you know how many colors will your design be printed in?
Prospect: Our logo is navy blue and red.
Tee Times: (reading from the company’s standard price list) OK, for a two-color print on a 100% heavyweight cotton T-shirt, it’s $5.75…plus preparation charges of...
Prospect: OK. Thank you very much. We’ll get back to you.
CLICK

You’ve just heard a couple of all-too-typical call-handling at most shops. Tee Times Printing certainly was courteous and gave the prospect a rough price quote. But did T-Times do a good job of collecting information in order to further market to this prospect? Let’s look at an example of a more effectively handled exchange.

R-R-R-R -I-N-G...
T-Rex: Hello, T-Rex...
Prospect: Yes, I'd like to get some prices on T-shirts.
T-Rex: (Bright, friendly) Great! I’ll be happy to help you. My name’s Gina D’Angelo and yours is...?
Prospect: Lou Charles.

The first three things Gina has already done right are stating she’s happy to help, giving her name to quickly establish cordiality and obtaining the prospect’s name. While she has the prospect on the line, she’ll enter information into a contact management program — typically on the computer, but it could be hand-written.

Gina/T-Rex: Lou, when will you need this order?

Were this a rush order, Lou’s answer might have some bearing on the price, but the real reason Gina asks the question is simply to engender a little bit of conversion beyond just the facts and the numbers. Her pleasantry and perceived interest helps her stand out in the prospect’s mind.

Lou: No hurry, about a week or two.
Gina/T-Rex: I can guarantee that! And is this for your company or an organization?
Lou: For my company.
Gina/T-Rex: So that I can enter this quote on my call report, Lou, may I have the name of your company?
Lou: Sure, Metro Dee-Jays.

In the course of the conversation, Gina will ask how Lou heard about T-Rex and record the lead source — Yellow Pages, Internet, newspaper ad, business-to-business event, radio, direct mail or word-of-mouth, etc.

After giving the caller the pricing he requested, Gina now moves into high gear to get other vital data.

Gina/T-Rex: I sure appreciate the opportunity to — hopefully — do business with your company, Lou. I’d like to confirm this in writing to you. What's your e-mail address?

Most legitimate callers will usually give it and, when asked, will continue cooperating. Gina continues, I’d also like to send you our catalog and price lists, along with some promotions we’re currently offering. What’s your zip code? And your mailing address? And phone?

It’s critical to ask for the data in the order outlined above. With practice, doing so almost guarantees you’ll get all contact information from the prospect.

After the call ends, Gina should prepare a written quotation and send it via e-mail or fax within two minutes. Literally.

Whether this particular call results in an order isn't critical within the context of a strategic marketing system, in which harvesting the prospect’s contact data is far more import.

The company’s game plan is to make relationship-building contacts from time to time to first convert Lou from a prospect into a customer. Getting re-orders and orders for additional products could make this account worth hundreds or thousands of dollars a year — and possibly generate referrals.

Along with the written price quote sent via e-mail or fax, Gina also sends a link to the T-Rex Web site and adds what I call a “Propaganda Sheet.” This quick-reference document tells the prospect all the great things T-Rex can do in terms of services, special capabilities and experience. Below is what you want to cover on the Propaganda Sheet.

T-REX SERVICES:
• Screen Printing (not “silk screening — that term is more associated with craft and hobby applications)
• Embroidery
• Promotional Products
• Laser Engraving/Awards & Engraving
• Digital Printing (for banners, signs, etc.)
• In-House Graphics/Art Department/Digitizing

BUY FROM T-REX
• Prompt, Courteous Service & One-Stop Shopping
• Professionally-trained technical staff
• In-House Art Department, Digitizing & Production Facilities
• We guarantee imprints/embroidery forever!
• Guaranteed (number)-day service — Rush service available
• Free catalog and price list
• Locally-owned & operated
• Competitive Prices (legal requirements preclude bigger claims, deception, and outright lies)
• Huge Inventory (either you've actually got it on the shelf or you use off-premises warehouses – as in your favorite wholesalers!)

CONVENIENCE
• Visit our showroom (include a map and/or directions, if helpful)
• Hours / Evening Hours / or Evenings by Appointment
• Visa, MasterCard, American Express logos, etc.

T-REX — Since 19XX
• Official sponsor of ... (list local events, organizations, etc.)
• Member, XYZ Chamber of Commerce, Business Association, etc.
• Associate Member (e.g., Hotel & Restaurant Association, Convention & Visitors Bureau, Builder’s Association, etc.)

All the above Propaganda Sheet information should also be included on your Web site’s home page.

Follow-Up
By the end of the day that the prospect first called, you should have assembled a packet of information, including a hard copy of the quote sent by e-mail or fax, a catalog and price list, and some incentives, such as coupons for a free extra color or free digitizing with an order of X items, or a dozen free printed-or-embroidered caps with an order for X-number of specified-type items.

Also include your business card and a promotional product. Send something flat such as a magnet or calendar. And practice what you preach — avoid cheap-looking stuff your prospect won’t value. A $1 (net) item with your imprint will help get your identity and message across quite affordably.

You might also put a short, handwritten note on a Post-It, indicating you look forward to serving the prospect, hopefully doing business, or welcoming the chance to answer questions or to make helpful suggestions.

Mail the package on the way home or on the way to work tomorrow. Your prospect will receive it in a day or two. Your logo and address on the outside, on the hard copy of the quote, on your business card and other materials inside the package make many advertising impressions — helping the prospect remember your company for future reference.

The day after fielding the prospect’s call, send an e-mail asking if your e-mail quote and Propaganda Sheet were received, offer to answer questions or provide suggestions or alternatives, and inform the prospect you mailed a package with additional information.

Two to three days after you mailed the information to your prospect, call to ask if your package has arrived. Offer again to answer questions or provide suggestions, and again say that you’d welcome the opportunity to do business.

Follow these steps and you can be sure your prospect knows the name of your company and what you offer. In some cases it won’t work — they don’t confirm your e-mail or fax and don’t take your calls. Time to let that prospect off the hook.

Out-of-pocket cost to do everything above, including postage, printed materials, and promotional product, is likely $10 or less. For this investment, you have cultivated a new customer or a future customer, or a referral to someone else down the road. For $10, it’s a bargain in qualitatively building your account base.

In the next month, send the prospect another e-mail and/or snail mail, call again and — if your company has the resource to do so — make it an in-person call by a salesperson or customer service representative.

During the coming year, send appropriate e-mailings every six to eight weeks, and a snail mailer of any type approximately three to four times annually.

Within the year, you’ll have likely earned the patronage of this prospect with a first order and hopefully more.

Assigning a human being to handle follow-up solicitations via e-mail, via telephone, and, circumstances permitting, in person will dramatically increase and accelerate your return on investment.

Mark L. Venit, MBA, is president of Apparel Graphics Institute Ltd., Ocean Pines, Md., which provides management and marketing consulting and proprietary research to apparel graphics companies throughout the Americas and Europe. He also is the chairman of ShopWorks Software LLC, a provider of industry-specific business software. Venit teaches pricing, strategic marketing, salesmanship and other business management topics at the Imprinted Sportswear Shows. You can reach him at markvenit@cs.com.