Who Has Time for Technology?
Have you become a slave to your e-mail system? Do you find yourself leaving voice-mail messages as often as you actually talk to a client? Has your life become high-tech without your permission?
E-mail has become an important form of business communication. It provides near-instant access. It is in written form, so that instructions or questions are clear. It can be used by anyone with a computer and Internet access. It can provide links to additional sources of information. Unfortunately, these attributes also make e-mail attractive for unwanted solicitation. If you reply to an unwanted e-mail asking to be removed from the list, what you are actually doing is verifying that your e-mail address is legitimate and available for resale to similar firms.
Voice mail has become a convenient method of screening calls, making it difficult to reach clients by phone. Looking for new prospects by phone has become even more difficult. Take an informal poll around your office or among peers—you will probably find that the amount of time salespeople are engaged in active phone conversation has decreased.
The good news is that your clients are in the same boat. They are also having more and more difficulty reaching their prospects. This is compounded by a recent FCC regulation that requires written recipient approval prior to sending fax communications.
All of this may point to print as a better method for offering goods and services. With all of the blocks thrown up against high-tech communications, direct mail may experience a comeback. Now, if you can just get through to your clients.
Bill Drennan
Editorial Director
bdrennan@napco.com