Tell me what’s disconnected about this ‘About Us’ page [from a local retailer]:
“Got something to say? Give us a shout any time of day at info@xxxxxxxx.com.
Wanna visit us IRL? Come on by:
{local street address}
City, State, zip code
Our hours are:
Monday-Saturday 10-7, Sunday 11-5.
We even have a landline:
xxx-xxx-xxxx
Have a question regarding your online order? Pretty, pretty please shoot us an e-mail instead of calling.”
In this day of desired human connection, we often mistake electronic connection for the human touch.
It’s not the same.
And it’s a problem.
I rarely use that word {problem} because I think it’s overused and incorrectly applied. Something not going like we want isn’t a problem; it’s a different than you wanted way it worked out. Someone doing something different than we perhaps thought how we wanted it to go? That’s not a problem, that’s a new solution.
In the case of the example above, asking people to ‘pretty pretty please’ send an email instead of calling – even with the number published – is a clear sign that we are less than willing to have the human interactions that are necessary to keep us talking. Keep us in conversation. And staying in active conversation is the key to healthy community and communication.
It’s no surprise that Community and Communication start with the same letters!! Commune is another…
This isn’t the first time I’ve experienced this in recent months, in my hometown either.
I was planning an ice cream social for my beloved Father in law’s memorial celebration; searching for phone numbers I could call to ask some questions.
A few had them and answered when it rang, some didn’t, and a few didn’t even have a number. One told me they were trying to scrub the internet to get rid of their number. Wait, What??!!
You want to be in business but you don’t want people to call you??
Before you get into “it’s their choice, Ginger” mode, know that I recognize that. Of course. Free country, free to publish and have or not have a phone number.
Consider:
If you get agitated at people for not communicating like a nice human, reflect on your own habits and channels first.
If you have a number, especially for business, publishing it helps people REACH YOU. Relationships run on human interaction, conversations, and connection. Business runs on the same actions.
MAKE IT EASY FOR PEOPLE TO CONNECT WITH YOU.
And they will support your business.
Ask yourself:
What’s to be accomplished by discouraging live conversation via phone?
Who are you trying to keep away?
Do you know how people like to contact you?
Business is about the people you serve; not about the business owner. Done with purpose (vs passion) in mind, helping people reach you with a phone number published and live answered by a human will continue to garner vital interactions & build communication skills.
Reframe & remember: there’s a human on the line seeking our help. And that’s the business we’re in: helping people.
Finally got the ice cream….