Are You Alienating Potential Clients?

Jan 2
07:18

2024

Chris Rawluk

Chris Rawluk

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The first paragraph of this article provides a brief summary of the content. Since the inception of showtheplanet.com, we have been consistently bombarded with sales pitches from tech and internet companies worldwide. While this could be seen as a positive sign of visibility, it's clear from the majority of these interactions that the salespeople have little understanding of our business or how to effectively conduct business online. Here are some real-life examples of these interactions from the past month:

H2: Unprofessional Sales Tactics

  • A salesperson from an internet company left a voicemail,Are You Alienating Potential Clients? Articles followed by 10 minutes of office background noise and conversations. It seems they forgot to hang up the phone. This happened two days in a row from the same individual.
  • A salesperson introduced their product, which had no relevance to our business. When asked if they had visited our site, they responded, "Uh...no, but...."
  • A salesperson from an internet company called. We were interested and asked about pricing. The response was, "Uhh...Actually, this is my first day. Can I get my manager to call you about that?"
  • A salesperson from an internet company called. We requested information via email. Instead, they couriered a five-pound information package to our office the next day. It contained volumes of information about their company, but no detailed information on prices or product.
  • Similarly, we requested pricing information via email from an internet company. They responded with their own five-pound courier package. Again, no information on pricing.
  • A salesperson from an internet company called and introduced their product. We were interested and requested information via email. They called back three days later and asked for our email address, which is prominently displayed on our site.

These examples would not seem as ridiculous if they had come from traditional firms unfamiliar with the internet. However, all these examples came from internet firms, many of them public companies. This is hardly the leading edge of the dot com economy.

H2: The Silver Lining

Of course, there's always a bright side. The more inept businesses trying to operate online, the less competition for you.

H3: Three Essential Rules for Online Sales

In our opinion, these three rules can make or break your online sales:

  • Provide ALL the details of your product on your website. Include every possible detail and specification. Don't waste the customer's time, and they won't waste yours. The internet is about information on demand, and the consumer is more demanding than ever.
  • Post your prices on your website. I repeat. Post your prices on your website. Nobody wants to jump through hoops to buy your product. Most potential customers won't inquire about price unless your product is very specialized.
  • Know your product and your industry. If you're not an expert, customers will see right through you.

It's simple, yet it's amazing how many companies have no clue. If you play by the rules, you will sell more. The internet consumer can be very generous to those who do.