Page 50 - Outstanding Women Friendly Physicians (2)

I’ll be in a meeting all morning
By Rob Weinberg

In today’s marketplace, sales leads come from many different information about
directions including websites, publicity, newsletters, text campaigns someone doing his
and the like. personal business
rather than tending to
The phone remains one of the first lines of defense for any firm, company business.
providing instant mental pictures of the organization and oftentimes However, over time
the caller’s first – or only - impression of the product or service these negatives are
provider. guaranteed to take a
This means every company must maintain a professional image or toll on the all-impor-
they’re in trouble. tant bottom line.
The Commerce
As a marketing professional, I’m always looking for examples of Department reports
communications that really stand out. Employees using potty talk at around 407,000
work is TOPS on my list of bad communications strategies. businesses start up
It happens weekly: I call a business contact and am told “He’s in annually in the US.
the bathroom. Can you call back?”
Many of them have
This very personal information has nothing to do with my reason for employees unable to
calling, yet I’m subjected to it…and disgusted. When I finally reach communicate profes-
Mr. Jones I have that image of him stuck in my mind. sionally, taking the path of least resistance by asking customers to
Can I ever again view him professionally? send an email or call back, rather than bothering to take a mes-
Yes, I know everyone uses the bathroom. But what if you walked sage.
into Staples and saw the manager sitting on the toilet by the en-
trance? No doubt you’d turn around and never shop there again. No matter how you slice it, such strategies will consistently hinder
This may be the exact impression your business is giving YOUR a company’s professional image. And as mom always said, there’s
customers. never a second chance to make a first impression.

Perhaps I’m hyper-sensitive, but whether my party’s having lunch As good communications skills become an increasingly lost art,
50 or doing his business is NONE of my business. Sharing his exact those who can communicate well should, in theory, rise to the
location at every moment does nothing to engender better busi- top of their chosen field. Those who put their best voice forward,
ness relations. speaking courteously and smiling when talking, will communicate
best. Being polite at all times and circumspect when appropriate
Since the goal of any business is to increase sales, it’s smarter to will encourage customers to return again and again.
instead put your best foot forward with a positive image like “He’s
in a meeting”. Or offer “He’s not available – may I help you?” As you view your own communications efforts, consider this
The objective – covering for Mr. Jones – is accomplished…only puzzle: if a business spends lots of money on coupons, publicity,
without the icky part. and online ads to get my attention, what’s the advantage to provid-
ing me a negative image when I call?
Inadequate employee training is guaranteed to lead to bad com-
munications, poor implementation, and lost sales every time. Okay, so I sound like an old poop. I’ll give you that. But if you only
Many companies shortchange employee training with the mistaken get one chance to make that impression, do you really want it to be
notion they’re helping profits. This causes wait staff to speak with of you sitting on the toilet?
customers like they’re good friends; telemarketers to lack basic
information about their product line; and clerical staff to volunteer

My own prescription for health is less paperwork

and more running barefoot through the grass.

-Terri Guillemets