Page 216 - 101 Ways to Market Your Business

ANOTHER 20 MARKETING IDEAS

102 People expect and deserve fast service

We are living in a world where everything is happening
fast. Technology is moving at an incredible rate, scientific
breakthroughs happen every day, fortunes are made and lost
a hundred times per day. The current model is outdated
the minute you leave the showroom.

What does this mean to the average person trying to sell
products and services? It means a lot. Consumers’ expectations
have changed. Long delays in supplying goods or services
are no longer acceptable. The old days of ‘we will get it to
you in a few weeks’ are long gone. When we go through
the drive-in at McDonald’s we expect that burger to be in
the car in a few seconds. If we are told that it is going to
take more than a minute, we sit there impatiently, watching
the clock, unhappy about the delay. How long would it take
us to buy the ingredients for a burger, prepare and cook it?
A lot longer than 60 seconds (especially if I am cooking it).

The same principle applies to your business. If you can’t
supply something quickly, whether it be a burger or a book,
people will lose interest and go somewhere where they can
get it—fast. Consumers want instant action.

Of course not all businesses can offer instant action.
However, most businesses can improve the speed at which
they operate. Some of the common faults that I see with
businesses being slow are outlined below.

1. Slow telephone answering These businesses always take
ten rings before they answer. Then the person who does
answer is distracted because the phones are still ringing in
the background so you don’t get their full attention. These
companies are obviously already very busy, but how much
business are they losing because customers stop waiting for
them to answer the phone?
2. Poor customer processing Some businesses just can’t
seem to get the hang of serving more than one customer

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