Is Automated Communication Driving Away Potential Clients?
Written By: Coach Jeremy Williams
What are your thoughts on automation when it comes to marketing? Here are some recent personal experiences for me, and I’m curious to know who out there may be having similar experiences are feelings towards this approach.
A couple of weeks ago, I received from an individual, “Hey Jeremy, anything new that’s happening in your life?” It was vaguely similar from a text from this same individual about 3 months prior. For the second time, responded, and for the second time no response. Coaching up real estate agents and being in this industry since 2004, I knew exactly what it was…an automated text message. Bad enough it went out and doubly bad not to respond. Now I know this person, and I have grace and understanding for their effort, yet why send it and not respond.
I purchased a home recently and the loan officer we were referred and used leveraged an automated service. It would send constant reminders of items to turn over to the lender which had already been delivered. It was annoying and I think created more work for all parties because then there was additional conversations and emails and texts making sure everything needed was secured for the transaction. Without the automation, I think both the lender and as a home buyer would have done much less work and accomplish the same goal. BTW – the lender did a great job, and I believe he created unnecessary work.
We signed up for a pest control service in our new home that heavily leans into automation with the communication of their services. We get a text that were scheduled, a text we are in route, a text that they are here, a text following letting us know they are done, a text letting us know the next time they will come out, a follow up email asking us about the service….. How about just schedule the service, show up at the prescribed time, ask if we are satisfied with the service, schedule the next appointment and move on. The automation is a bit overwhelming and with a world throwing information at us constantly can start to become annoying.
I can go on and on with examples with church, extra-curricular activities at school, and much more. Automation of communication is being pushed more and more in today’s world. Don’t get me started with calling into our cable provider, navigating their automation system for several minutes only to be prompted to leave a message that may or may not be returned.
What if in your business you were counter to the automation of communication? This does not mean you don’t systematize your communication, yet instead of blasting clients, past clients, and prospects with automated texts that you were different. You reached out to them. You build relationship and rapport. You do what you say you will do. You treat people like people and not a transaction.
One, I think it would solve several problems in our world around the topic of communication as a business owner. Two, I think you will attract more and more people to what you have to offer because there is a real person behind the message.
Just my two cents that might be worth a penny today, yet I would be more interested in hearing your thoughts on the topic than what is on my mind.
If you’ve read this far, my challenge is to get different and understand what you hear in the world is not always right.
Onward and Upward,
Coach Jeremy
