Unforgettable, That's What You Are (my apologies to Nat King Cole)

In this hectic world of information overload and excessive connectivity, sometimes it's hard to remember all the things that happen in a day. However, there are some things that are unforgettable. Rudeness - either personal or professional - is one of them.

I have to confess that recently, due to the economy, I've considered going back to work for someone else. This has been a mighty struggle, which I haven't completely resolved, but that's another story. During this process, I've been in contact with a lot of people regarding potential jobs. I've dealt with some outstanding professionals, but frankly, they have been few and far between.

The level of rudeness by "professionals" that I have encountered has amazed me. I understand the black hole of online resume submission (don't like it, but do understand it). I understand the inability to respond personally to all job applicants due to overwhelming volume. I understand how time slips away during a busy week and things fall through the cracks.

What I don't understand is a complete lack of responsiveness from decision makers with whom I've had a personal, and seemingly positive conversation. Believe me, I am well aware that it is a buyer's market for employers right now. But that doesn't make this kind of behavior acceptable.

As a marketing professional, I am bowled over. Don't they know what kind of impression they're making? Don't they know what they're doing to their company reputation? Are they aware of how disrespectful this is? Don't they know that behavior like this is unforgettable for anyone on the receiving end?

So what does this lack of professional behavior have to do with internet marketing, you ask? Think about the conversations your customers are trying to have with you in the online world. Suppose you work to create a lead, either through your website or email marketing, and a customer contacts you. Then what? Do you answer them professionally and continue the conversation, or are you unresponsive, i.e. rude?

If they don't get a response, do you think they forget? Well, they don't. They might not run around bad mouthing you to their friends, but you'll always be perceived in a negative way, and on a black list in the back of their mind.

Why would you want to alienate anyone with bad behavior? Maybe the relationship won't work out. Maybe it's not a good fit. Maybe you don't have the right product for the customer at this time. And that's OK.

But, and this is a very big deal - you don't know where that customer (or job hunter) is going to end up. Maybe that job hunter you blew off will end up being a decision maker at one of your biggest accounts. Maybe that customer you didn't respond to will win the lotto and need 800 high dollar widgets you could've sold them. Yes, it could happen. I've been around long enough to figure out that it's a very small world, and getting smaller all the time. You really don't know where someone will show up next.

There's a saying about seeing the same people on the way up the ladder as you do on the way down. Today, I'm convinced there are a lot of people, and companies, who need to listen to that message. Good manners and respect will always pay off. And wouldn't you rather be unforgettable for all the right reasons?

Where in the World.....???

Are you looking for a job? One great resource is the Groups on LinkedIn. Many of them list jobs that don't make it to the main Job Board, and are usually industry or skill specific, i.e. "Online Marketing Experts" or "Executives and Managers."

However, I have a major peeve with the people posting these jobs. More than half of them do not mention a location in the headline. HELLO people! LinkedIn is an international forum with an overwhelming amount of information available to readers. That's the first thing I need to know.

If you're looking for a job, and see your perfect position, "International Director of Taking Naps," how disappointed are you going to be if you live in Arizona and the job is located in Abu Dabi and you can't relocate? Not to mention, you've just wasted your valuable time figuring this out, because not only is the location not listed in the headline, it's at the bottom of a lengthy job description, if it's mentioned at all. Job hunters do not need any additional grief these days - seriously!

This issue also shows that these deficient posts are put out by people who don't know their audience, or don't care. Yes, it's a buyers market these days when it comes to employment, but I'm going to pay much closer attention to someone who seems to have some knowledge of the job hunting process, and makes my life easier.

The same holds true of online marketing. If you don't understand your audience and the process prospective customers go through when they visit you online, (and make it as friendly as possible), are you worthy of their business? I don't think so. If you aren't doing an online mystery shop to make sure your process works, you're shooting yourself in the foot. What do you think?

A Dirty Little Secret

You know how important your mailing list is. You’re (hopefully) adding leads to it on a regular basis, and wow, you never thought you’d have so many prospects! The reports look good, and it’s pretty exciting seeing the list continue to grow. And it’s testament to how good you are at generating leads.

But there’s a dirty little secret about lists that’s generally ignored. It’s the dreaded Non-Responder! Everyone keeps track of Unsubscribes (at least they should since it’s mandated by the CAN-SPAM Act). That’s usually pretty easy, and they should be a small percentage of your list.

However, you need to look at your Non-Responders as well. I define these as people who never really do anything with your email. They don’t click, they don’t respond, but they don’t unsubscribe either. Maybe they open the first message, and never open one again. They’re sort of a black hole.

So what’s the deal? They signed up to get emails from you, right? Why would they suddenly decide to ignore you? It’s enough to hurt a marketer’s feelings, I tell ya!

Often, it’s easier to focus on how many new leads are coming in instead of learning from this segment of your list. And almost all emarketing statistics are about what prospects DO, not what they DON'T.

There are several things you need to consider, but the number one question to ask is "How valuable is my email marketing message?" You might think it’s great, but obviously these people don’t.

I suggest you contact these prospects and find out how you can serve them better. You’ll be amazed at what people will tell you when you just ask. By reaching out to your Non-Responders, you’ll learn how to improve your value, and get the added bonus of re-engaging these prospects with your company.

Leave me alone!

The other day, I got four emails from the same company within eight hours. One was a generic message from the local sales person (Hi, I'm following up...), one was promoting a local sale (Visit today for 50% off!), and the other two were promoting new product lines the company introduced on a national level.

At this point, do you think I was interested in what this company had to say? Not by a long shot. I was annoyed, and they lost a certain level of my respect because their right hand clearly didn't know what their left hand was doing. How would that translate to customer service down the road, or warranty work if needed? I went from a strong prospect (after all, I'd provided contact information) to a disgusted potential customer who felt slightly abused.

So, are your customer contact channels coordinated? There are so many ways to send messages to customers these days, you need to make sure everyone in the company is on the same page. I'm not talking about the personal correspondence that occurs between a sales person and a prospect during, or even after the sales process. I'm talking about email marketing messages.

Often, email marketing messages are not coordinated within a company. Marketing is sending one thing, and sales staff is sending another. (See the first paragraph). This can be especially true in a large organization that has both a corporate and a local marketing department who share a database.

The result is prospects being bombarded with messages that are inconsistent, may or may not adhere to brand standards, and are generally way too frequent. Email marketing should be coordinated with all other customer contact channels to ensure this doesn’t occur. This means marketing must communicate with sales to plan message content and frequency.

An integrated marketing program is essential. Email marketing must be included in the big picture and not left up to chance. If it is, there will be a lot more annoyed prospects out there.