You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.
Yet too little emphasis is placed on this element of marketing. Here’s a case study that might help.
Right now, I’m in the market for web designing services. For a long time, I’ve been thinking of an ‘image overhaul’, and have been holding in-house brainstorming sessions to refine and fine-tune my branding… and now am going to change the website design to align with it.
I saw a friend’s website make-over, liked it, found a link to the design service that did their work, and filled in the contact form on their website indicating my interest and inviting them to get in touch.
On the next business day, I got a reply. It’s below:
That’s it! Nothing more.
Now, maybe it was because I hadn’t slept well last night.
Maybe it was because I was feeling irritated about an annoying incident yesterday.
Or maybe it was because of the minor argument I’d just had with my daughter.
(Hey, your prospects are having their own minor ‘life incidents’ happening too!)
Whatever the reason, I was a little more ‘hyper-sensitive’ than usual - and my first reaction was:
“What gave the idea I wanted “cheap” - not ‘best quality’?”
And there, in that instant of time, the sale was lost!
That sub-liminal first impression, where I got the feeling that this person was probably being condescending to me because I live in India, created a feeling of antagonism that’ll prevent me spending $3,000 or more with their business - or the even bigger pay off that’ll come from spreading word to my vast network of business owners.
It made me wonder how much more effective their process could be with one simple tweak. For instance, what if they had sent me this message instead:
= = = = = = = =
Hi Dr. Mani,
Nice to hear from you! : )
Are you looking to completely redo your brand? Also, I believe you are located in India. The labor is cheaper there and people talented! Why do you look to us for the web work then? : )
We are delighted and honored that you thought our web designing and rebranding services good enough to meet your discerning standards, and are extremely grateful for the opportunity of being able to serve you and meet your needs.
Our XYZ company has been a leader in cutting-edge web design, programming and branding for XX years. We have designed over (number here) websites spanning the range from small home-based business websites to corporate websites with hundreds of pages for $(revenue here) organizations.
As you are no doubt aware, a good, clean, impressive web design gives a very critical ‘first impression’ to your visitors and prospective customers - and as our ecstatic clients frequently tell us, we are good at helping deliver that powerful impact - consistently.
Here’s what M.S., one of our recent clients, shared after we designed her site:
“testimonial here”
(We have dozens of similar ‘delight testimonials’ on file and will gladly share them with you if you wish)
So I’m confident that we can help you with your web design and re-branding needs, whatever they may be, and are eager to get started.
First, to kick this off, I’d like to know a few more details about your proposed plans. Could you please spare a few minutes to answer the attached 5-part questionnaire and email us back? Or if you’d prefer it, we could call your office or home at your convenience to discuss this further - please send me your contact number and preferred time to call.
I’m excited about having you as our next client, Dr.Mani, and will eagerly await your reply so that we can begin working together soon.
If you have any other questions, clarification or concerns, please feel free to ask me and I’ll do my best to address them at the earliest.
Best wishes
(Name here)
= = =
Notice how the structure flows. The reply starts off acknowledging the prospect’s taste and judgement in selecting them as a service provider, and at the same time creating a ‘position’ for the business in my mind.
That is reinforced by the next paragraph that showcases the company’s experience, skill and client portfolio. The testimonial(s) that follow stack on further ’social proof’ about this quality - and all the while, the prospect is able to keep reassuring him/herself that the choice s/he made about picking this business was the right one!
After building up value, the next step is to initiate dialog, placing the client’s needs and expectations up front, seeking to learn before giving any suggestions, advice or opinion. And by offering to do it in a way that’s convenient and comfortable to the prospect, you take away all resistance to moving ahead to the next step in the relationship.
The upbeat tone and excitement conveyed through the email would also energize a client and sustain the energy needed to follow up and close the deal.
Yet the ‘first contact’ reply I got from this otherwise skilled web designer was a ‘lame duck’ missive - that I perceived as a personal insult about my ability to pay top dollar (in all likelihood, that was NOT the sender’s intention, but hey, email is IMPERSONAL… so bend over backwards to make things clear!)
Here’s the thing. A message template like the one above might take you an hour or two to draft (I do it quicker because it has become habit)… but even if it does, the same template can be used over and over for HUNDREDS of prospect queries, making it the best investment in your business.
Look at the numbers.
If you were to run an ad in a magazine, newsletter or website, it probably will cost you $50 to $5,000 - and you may get 1 or 2 or 20 leads from it per run, because most readers will not be in ‘buying mode’ at the moment.
For pay-per-click campaigns, too, you’d spend more than a few dollars to get barely qualified ‘warm’ leads. Ditto for other lead generating systems.
Yet, a web form attracts your BEST prospects - those hot for your product or service, who found you on their own (by actively seeking out solutions) and whom you got for FREE.
Just by filling in that form on a web designer’s site, I saved the business owner around $100 of ‘wasted’ advertising!
The ‘first contact’ email or phone call or letter or in-person meeting you have should reflect this reality.
Make your first contact WORTH $100 to your prospect - they’ve ‘paid’ it to you already!
Hope this is of some value to you. Please share your thoughts in a comment. How would you refine and fine-tune this process?
P.S. - I was just thinking. If this web designer was reading my blog (and again, if your prospect sends you links, you should ALWAYS explore them to get a feel for who they are, and what they’re about), they probably are getting over $3,000 in value from this post - from the business they’ll salvage by implementing this concept in their process.
So, they should probably offer me a discount for that much on their services, right? Or am I just dreaming?! 
.
If you know anyone who may enjoy this too, please invite them to register for updates to Money.Power.Wisdom at http://MoneyPowerWisdom.com And please download "The SMILENAIRE Way" and read all about the 3 critical mistakes most business owners make - and how to avoid them! Click here.
1 Comment Received
November 18th, 2008 @10:08 pm
Dear Dr Mani,
Your eloquent message about first impressions and your experience with the graphic design company brought to my mind a personal journey regarding relationships with people in my life.
Many years ago I was listening to a business conference recording and the speaker said “…know whom before you speak.” I believe he was telling about speaking in front of an audience and sharing an experience that had left him embarrassed because he had not known who was in the audience. Something he said was offensive to one of the listeners, who later he met again and his first impression had lasted many years. The result was loss of a potential associate, friend, mentor, and the one poorly chosen exchange prevented him from having a positive relationship.
I pondered this lesson for many years. There were times when I wouldn’t speak at all because I did not know who I was speaking to.
Then, about 10 years ago, I heard a story about a monastery of monks who had been preparing their whole lives for a great teacher to come to them. They were diligent about learning everything possible so that they would be prepared and would make a great first impression. Although they were very spiritual and had developed much willingness to serve, there was a growing discontent between them. As time went by, the interpersonal relationships were more and more in conflict. One of the leaders made a decision to seek out a sage to ask when the great teacher would be arriving. His concern was that if it took much longer for the great teacher to arrive, the tension would have escalated to the point that they would all fail to impress the awaited teacher.
The sage listened to the monk as he described the situation. When asked ‘when’ the great teacher would arrive, the sage said “the great teacher is among you already.” The monk asked ‘who is it” and the sage said “the identity of the great teacher will be revealed soon, but until then, be assured that he is already living among you.”
The monk returned to the monastery and shared what the sage had said. Within the very hour, the interpersonal relationships improved, as each was suddenly not sure who this great teacher was. Any one of them could be the one they had hoped to greet and show that they had been disciplined and prepared.
When I heard this story, I realized that “know whom before you speak” was a principle that I could never live up to, however, “knowing that EVERYONE could be the great teacher” allows me to be at ease in the world simply by appreciating the greatness of each one of us and being aware of another quote I like “everyone has lost something, everyone dreams of something, everyone loves something, and everyone has a valuable purpose.”
A few days ago I was traveling to a conference and had checked into my room very late. I had changed my clothes, taken off my makeup, put on fluffy socks (No Shoes), and was getting ready to get some rest. I then realized I needed to return to my car in the garage. I didn’t think twice, just headed down the elevator, through the lobby, out to the garage, up another elevator… well, when I was returning into the lobby I saw a very beautiful couple who appeared to have been to a formal event. My appearance stopped me from being open and friendly. I felt embarrased. I would normally be very friendly to everyone.
I am not sure when I realized how rude it was of me to act invisible. We rode the elevator up a few floors and as the couple was getting off at their floor, the gentleman turned and said “good night” and I replied “good night.” I have to admit, I spent much of the night thinking that it was possible this couple would be at the event I was going to, and I had already given my first impression as being distant, rude, unfriendly, and potentially judgmental. My behavior disturbed me and I had hoped to have an opportunity to meet them again, if only to apologize for being tired and rude.
We are always ‘in a relationship’ with people. When we are smiling at the checker in the grocery store, or driving by the crossing guard as we pass a school. We may not realize the power of one smile, or the potential of simply being kind to someone. So many times I have heard of people who tell of one person being kind to them at a time of great sadness. And as a result, they were motivated to get up and move forward, in spite of often having given up on their very lives.
I am grateful that we crossed paths on twitter when you posted about your blog topic. Thank you again for inviting me to post a comment in this discussion. It is of great importance to me that I do no harm as I tread the path of this life. One way I can be confident of reaching this goal is to strive to remember the power of a smile and a kind word. Especially when it is the very first time I am meeting someone new.
Kindest regards.
IN~JOY,
GypsyOwl
Leave A Reply