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Sounds silly doesn't it? Who would hide from their buyers?

Using voice mail and the Internet, many organizations are doing just that.

"Your call is very important to us, but not important enough to actually answer the phone."

It started when some accountant figured out if a business had a machine answer the phone they wouldn't have to pay a human being. It was a good idea for some businesses. However, the idea quickly evolved and voice mail became increasingly complex. Why not, the accountants reasoned, "externalize costs" further by having callers spend their time screening and directing their own calls? Surprisingly, even sales organizations that depend on incoming telephone inquiries have adopted complex voice mail systems.

To protect the guilty I'm offering a slightly fictionalized account of a call I recently made. All details except the names of the companies are true. I'm sure you've had similar experiences. Here's how my call went:

Brringg, brringg! "Hello, you have reached Acme Industrial Widgets. For complete product, services and company information please visit our web site at www.Acinwidgets.com . (I am on their site as I hear this recording and, if I can get someone to answer a couple of questions, I am ready to do business.) Please listen carefully as our options have changed. If you know your party's extension you may dial it now. For a company directory please press 7, for customer service please press 3, for sales please press 4..."

Great, I want sales so I press 4. Brringg, brringg! "Hello, you have reached the sales department at Acme Industrial Widgets. No one is available to take your call. Your call is very important to us. Please leave your name and callback number and someone will get back to you shortly. You may also visit us on the web at blah, blah. blah..." I don't leave a message and hang up.

The next company I call actually answers their phone! A pleasant, professional voice says," American Industrial Widgets, how may I direct your call?" "Sales please." "I'll connect you now." "Sales, Mike Jones, how can I help you?" Mike, who was friendly, knowledgeable and articulate, answered my questions. My trust and confidence in the company soared. Mike then informed me of a special they were offering. I liked it. He got my $7800 order.

Millions are spent on advertising and marketing yet some companies don't realize that most sales transactions of any size result from human contact. While the first company avoided the cost of answering their phones, the second got my business. I can't help but wonder if the bean counters figured lost sales into the equation before celebrating the savings from not answering the phone.

If your organization has a complex voice mail system which makes it difficult for buyers to reach you, I suggest you change it. You might get a dedicated sales number that is separate from the main company voice mail system and actually (gasp!) answer it. If you are a smaller organization, consider getting a cell phone that is dedicated strictly to incoming sales calls and publish the number on your website as an alternative way to contact you. Incoming calls to the dedicated sales line can be call forwarded to the cell phone and contact can be made.

"Come on in, it's a jungle in here!"

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} While the Internet is an incredible sales and marketing tool, it is a very dangerous place. Buyers are understandably cautious. Misrepresentations seem to be the rule. Scams abound. Clueless "experts' offer to make you a millionaire overnight. Others dangle a variety of "too good to be true" rip-offs designed to separate you from your hard earned cash. You've seen their bogus promises: overnight weight loss, instant stimulus checks, miracle cures, the list goes on. On top of all this you can add tracking cookies, phishing, viruses, spam, spyware and Trojan horses.

It's no wonder buyers are wary.

Unless you are in a league with Macy's or Amazon, or well known within your industry, an essential job of your web site is to overcome buyer caution. Post a list of customer referrals, publish bios, offer a solid guarantee of satisfaction and have a strong privacy notice. While you can put all kinds of these commonsense "credibility enhancers" on your web site, a simple thing like including your street address and phone number really increases buyer confidence.

Whatever you do, unless you are a Geico giving instant online car insurance quotes, do not require potential buyers to submit an email inquiry form and wait for your response.

I don't want to start a business relationship with an assignment from the seller. I refuse to spend my time filling out your intrusive online form in order to get a call back. Could we at least say hello before I tell you my budget, time frame to purchase, number of employees and annual sales?

I also don't want to leave a voice message and wait for a return call when you get around to it. I am the buyer. It's my agenda, not yours. Want my business? Tell me who you are and talk to me!