We're in the middle of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Yet, a simple flat motorcycle tire made me ask if things are really that bad, or do we need to re-think how we do business?
A few days ago, my friend David came over to visit from out of town. Thundering across the highway in the dead of night, his motorcycle popped a tire and began to go flat. He spent the night at our house and we planned to take the tire into a shop for a quick change. Simple enough, right? We're in Los Angeles, and we figured it would be done long before Noon.
Instead, it became a reminder of basic principles I've learned from a variety of sources.
Most business gets done before 9:00AM. Work may start at 9:00AM, but the high-powered sales person knows the golden hour is between eight and nine in the morning1. Secretaries are not there to screen calls. Those in charge are usually in the office early. Chances are, the big guys you need to talk to are taking advantage of the quiet before the storm of work that's about to hit.
We were no different. David and I were up early. He had the phone book laid out. We went over listings across the area. Who is closest? Who might be cheapest? Who looks most reliable? As we started to call businesses, we found answering machines, voicemail, and some places that just would not answer their phone.
Which brings us to...
The phone needs to be answered by a human being whenever possible. Yes, phones are busy. Yes, there are a lot of kooks and solicitors out there, but using a voice jail system to screen calls pretty much guarantees you could loose customers. Voice mail can be a direct insult to a customer, outright saying "Take your money someplace else." Whenever we can, Sherry and I try to insure a human is there to answer calls ASAP, even if we're outside of the office.
Those discouraging solicitors, take note, many sales people actually like voice mail. It gives sales people a chance to make a pitch without having to be told no. By relying on voice mail instead of answering your phone, you may be sending paying customers away while encouraging solicitors to clog your phone system2.
So, with no one answering the phone at a dozen shops, David and I are left with a flat motorcycle tire and time running out. We get in the car and start heading to the closest shops, hoping to catch someone as they walk in the door.
90 percent of success is simply being there. The first shop we showed up at was still closed, even at 10:00AM. In the middle of the recession, one mechanic lost out simply by not being in his own shop.
Have stock close at hand. We walked to the cycle shop next door. These young turks were more than ready to help us, smelling the money come through the door. Unfortunately, they couldn't deliver. David was using an inflatable tube in the tire. This is what popped and we needed to replace the tube. Despite the shop being open and busy, they did not have the tube in stock, and would not be able to have the part in promptly.
Have staff who care about what they're doing. Before we left, one of the employees was cleaning the parking lot with a leaf blower. He came right by the wheel, blowing dirt and debris right into the grease filled opening for the drive shaft. We were left knowing that even with the part in stock, the guys really wouldn't give 100%.
Out of sheer luck, we found a place across town. On the outside, it looked like another shiny parts store, but around the back we found a wise old mechanic with a pristine shop. Apparently, the store allows him to operate the shop in the back, while they make their sales calls. Calling an old bearded biker beautiful just isn't fair, but seeing him handle the wheel with pride and great care was enough to bring tears to our eyes... and sweat bullets. Time was running out. David needed to head out before the winter day ended. I needed to head off to my evening gig. Invoice in hand, we raced into the office to pay for the excellent work, and couldn't get the guy up front to be bothered to take our money.
Eliminate as many road blocks to getting paid as possible. This isn't window shopping, haggling, or "think about it" time. We have cash in hand and are ready to go. The man up front was more interested in making sales calls than taking money. David was fuming. I did mention David is a biker, right? If we had walked away right there, chances are no one would have noticed. We didn't need to interrupt this dude's phone call. We just needed to put cash in his hand and go. Grudgingly, he accepted our money and we bolted.
Wow. So there it is. The entire time, I found myself thinking "I can't believe this." This didn't happen off a deserted freeway in the mid-west. Our epic search was across The Valley region of Los Angeles, a suburban metropolis filled with shops and mechanics for miles around. Who knew it would be so hard to give people money?
And what does this have to do with your business? Well, place yourself in your customer's shoes for a minute. Do you think they're going through any of these issues? Are you sleeping through the golden hour? Is the phone going unanswered? Are your employees unenthusiastic? Are you ready to put what your customers want in their hands promptly? On this day, 12 motorcycle shops lost out on over $40 in cash for an hour's work. These guys will cry over a bad economy and slow sales, but truth be told they just couldn't do business right and that will hurt you in any economy.
1: Stephan Schiffman, Cold Calling Techniques That Really Work. 2: Jeffrey J. Fox, How to Become a Rainmaker - Chapter 43, Love Voice Mail.
