Surviving & profiting in the age of instant communication
Whether you’re a social media addict or not, it’s a safe bet that your clients are used to being able to reach whoever they want, from wherever they are, at all times. And that could mean clients expect to reach you in the same instant-communication fashion that they’re used to from their BFFs.
With instant access to everyone and everything from the palm of your hand, companies who are most “connected” are the same companies who get first dibs on a ton of potential revenue.
Question. How are we all supposed to run our businesses, stay in contact with current clients, get in touch with potential clients, and yet not spend all day attached to our computers?
Here’s a few things I consider whenever I’m about to go into communication-overload…
In lieu of secretary :: Some companies always have their email autoresponders turned on. I get that it buys them time to work and get back to clients when they’re ready, but yikes! I don’t think I could ever do that. After all, I like revenue. And I like my clients. The way I see it; if you really (and always) need two days to reply to every email that comes your way, you probably also need an office assistant or a Blackberry.
Cherish your leads :: Every time you find yourself getting frustrated with the boatloads of emails and phone calls coming in (most likely emails – do clients use phones anymore?), I remind myself of a time when I would have killed for just one more lead… one more booking… This makes it a lot easier to take a few time-outs throughout the day to reply to emails. I cherish my leads, my happy clients, and – when those golden moments come along – my ability to give a helpful, meaningful answer on the spot without having to run to my computer to research and respond.
Give them a back-up option :: Have someone available to answer emergency inquiries. Now put THAT on your autoresponder… “If you need an answer now, please contact So & So at someemailaddress, so he/she can get you taken care of.”
Get connected :: Let’s face it. If you own your own business and you don’t have the budget for an assistant, then you don’t really get to have a real vacation without the risk of losing potential business. So my advice to myself, to you, and to any entrepreneur who loves revenue, is to suck it up, find yourself a killer smartphone (Blackberry is my favourite for email) and use it to send short, meaningful replies to the present and potential clients who could end up being your next set of raving fans. Just do it a couple of times a day – no need to be glued to your phone at all hours. And if there is an emergency, then you’ll be able to head it off at the pass instead of walking into a storm of drama when you get back from vacay.
In the end, the goal is to use whatever means necessary to strike a better balance between running your business, creating your products and staying in touch with the clients you have, want and love. There’s a million reasons why you shouldn’t have to be a mobile customer service & sales machine. But they only apply if you don’t love revenue and good PR.
Just sayin.
* Don’t worry (and don’t yell at me!). I plan to take my own medicine. 
