Technology has created new communication methods for our customers and prospects over and above the traditional telephone and face-to-face communication. You already know these methods well: e-mail, text messages, Twitter, social media, webinars and video conferencing. On top of that, we now have more devices that aid in communication, including cell phones, smartphones, laptops, desktops, netbooks, notebooks and tablets.
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This poses the question: Is all this technology helping or harming the process of communication?
One of the potential downsides of electronic communication like those above is that they typically put some “remoteness” or “distance” between us and our customers. We don’t know when they might reply to us, and we can’t see or hear the other person’s intonation, mannerisms, or expressions.
Because of these deficiencies, there is still nothing like connecting with your customers “live” — in person or over the phone. Unfortunately, these other electronic communication methods are making people less inclined to pick up the phone. In fact, experts estimate that as much as 75 percent of business calls now end up in voice mail. Customers now know to use technology to distance themselves from potential “live” communication. So technology, it seems, may be hurting our communication.
Despite this, is there hope for strengthening our customer relationships using technology?
I believe that with some work, the answer is a resounding, YES! All is not lost; there is hope!
For example, I have a customer that initially contacted me over a year ago through the “Contact Us” page on our website. The e-mail said they were interested in a “web demo” of our training; they seemed to be looking to watch some sort of video of our training and to just communicate their interest and questions via e-mail.
Instead of using technology to make them a training demo, I offered to make the demo “live” by using a webinar. A webinar gives you the ability to interact with your customer just like you are together in their conference room. However, you still at your office and are remotely linked to them through your computer. You can speak to them over a standard telephone line or through your computer.
In this case, my customer had 10 people in their conference room two states away, and I was in Chicago. The webinar and conversation were very interactive. They asked many questions, and we were able to quickly come to an agreement following the webinar. That webinar showed me it’s a great way to meet with my customers remotely, eliminating the difficulty of an in-person set-up. Video conferencing is another exciting technology option to keep your communication “live.”
The point is, you can and should answer the call of technology. Proactively pick the communication methods for your customer to get them engaged “live” — instead of just using e-mail. If you don’t, your competitors will.
