Why Didn't I Call You Back?--06/21

Why Didn't I Call You Back?

"I get plenty of voicemails, and I actually return lots of those calls," explained the anonymous executive. "When I don’t return a call, it’s often for reasons like these:

• "You called four times without leaving a message. Each time you called, you disrupted the call I was on as my phone prompted me to choose between your call and my current call. To keep you from disrupting more calls, I blocked your number."
• "I called back, but you screen your calls, so you didn’t answer. Your next message to me was, ‘Sorry, I didn’t recognize your number, so I didn’t answer.’ You only get to waste my time once. Number blocked."
• "I called back and left a voicemail. Your return voicemail to me starts, ‘I see you called, but I didn’t listen to your message.’ You called me, but you are too busy to listen to my voicemail? Number blocked."
• "I called back. Your voicemail answers robotically, ‘You have reached 312-555-1212. Leave a message.’ If I don’t hear your name, maybe I misdialed. Suddenly it became just too much work to return this stranger’s call. Never mind."
• "You called me from 312-555-1212, but your voicemail asks me to call you back at 708-555-7834. Call me from the number you want me to call back, and I can return your call with one tap. I was already on the fence about returning your call, and you made me write down your number. Never mind."
• "The voicemail you left for me is a mumbled name and a phone number spoken too quickly for me to write down. I don’t have time to listen to a message over and over to capture the digits."
• "The number you asked me to call is answered by a call screening app. I am supposed to wait while Nomorobo decides whether or not to put my call through? Never mind."

"If I didn’t return your call," concludes the executive, "now you know why."

Speed Is My Secret Weapon

"I feel the need, the need for speed." — Maverick, Top Gun

It happens every time someone sends you an email. It happens every time someone leaves you a voicemail. It happens every time someone sends you a text. Every time someone reaches out to you, that sender’s internal clock starts ticking. Reply quickly, and what the sender hears is, "Impressive response time, I must be a VIP." Reply soon enough, and the sender hears, "Pretty good, I am among this person’s valued clients." Reply eventually, and the sender hears, "I am not a priority. Maybe I can find a ..."

Where and How to Find Rep Salespeople

"When I start thinking about adding someone to my agency, I know I’m in for a rough ride. Just about everyone working in my industry right now is in the 50- to 70-year-old range. It’s more difficult now than ever before to find someone younger who might be interested in carving out a career as a rep."

"I was so desperate the last time I had to hire someone that I developed a flyer describing the position and ran around town dropping it off in the hopes someone would be interested."

Growing the Family Business Through Multiple Generations

In the following article James Loy Jr., president, Scout Metals, Charlotte, North Carolina, recounts his beginnings in the rep profession leading to the establishment of his own agency last year.

One of my earliest childhood memories was pulling through a bay door of the Alpha Tube plant in Toledo, Ohio. Our semi-reliable 1975 Buick Skyhawk made another trek through the winter weather to pick-up Jim Sr. My dad walked from the tube mill to the car with a smile, but clearly he was worn out from his 10-hour shift. Both my grandfathers were investors in that tube business.

Check the Boxes!

Things everyone who sells for a rep agency should do. A check list for every rep firm owner/manager. Selling as an independent representative salesperson for a manufacturers’ representative agency is not an easy job. Success demands great organizational skills and discipline. Here is a review of essential elements:

See how many boxes you can check if you are a territory salesperson. If you are the boss, how many boxes are the members of your team checking off?

• Line Card Review — Territory Results Analysis
• In your line card, how many of the lines do you actually sell productively? Which ...