FBO: Always React to Viewers Immediately

Saturday, October 25th 2008 by Shanel Yang

[For “FBO: Promote Your Blog’s Points of Difference,” click here.]

This part of the “FBO” or “For Bloggers Only” series is actually NOT JUST for bloggers, but FOR ALL entrepreneurs, employees, and nonprofit organizations seeking to raise funds to support their goals.

If you want millions of viewers, readers, customers, clients, members, etc., then you’ll want to follow along as we go through, one by one, the rainmaking secrets provided by Jeffrey J. Fox in his book How to Become a Rainmaker: The Rules for Getting and Keeping Customers and Clients.

ALWAYS REACT TO VIEWERS IMMEDIATELY

A. FOX’S TIP NO. 19 FOR ALL RAINMAKERS

Fox’s Tip No. 19 for how to become a great salesperson, or rainmaker, is the often heard, yet rarely followed: “Always return every call every day.” As he explains:

Returning phone calls is a basic courtesy. But not many people do it. Rainmakers return all calls every day. They return everyone’s calls—customers, prospects, suppliers, job-seekers, parents. Rainmakers are not too big, too important, too busy for anyone.

Fast return of phone calls is a point of difference.

When you return a person’s phone call, that person feels respected, important, listened to. When you don’t return a call, the caller fells you don’t care, gets agitate, is less positive toward you.

There is no excuse for not returning phone calls. There are now voice mail, e-mail, car phones, cell phones, airplane phones. It is nearly always acceptable to leave a voice-mail message if the person whose call you are returning is unavailable.

Rainmakers love leaving voice-mail messages on weekends and before and after business hours. This shows that the Rainmaker is thinking about the customer and working for him or her all the time. It also allows the Rainmaker extra time to better prepare for the upcoming two-way conversation.

Voice-mail machines record the time and date of a all. Calls made at 6:15 A.M. and 11:10 P.M. are notable. Your customer will take note and remember.

B. APPLYING FOX’S TIP NO. 19 TO BLOGGERS

If you want to become an A-list blogger, apply Fox’s Tip No. 19 above to your blogging business by always reacting to—though not always replying to—your viewer’s emails, comments, and other communications immediately.

“React” means review it, decide what to do with it, and then do that. Sometimes the outcome of this reaction is a decision to do nothing. Not every viewer requires or even wants an immediate reply or any reply at all. Inappropriate, too much, or too quick attention can make your viewers feel uncomfortable, and, hence, would violate another blogging tip, always try to “minimize your viewers’ discomfort.”

You have to use your best judgment in these matters. When in doubt, reply. And, always do your best if you do reply. But, as soon as you know it’s a waste of time for you, or annoying for them, let it go and move on to something productive.

CONCLUSION

This rule is a subset of the awesome blogging tip to “always treat your viewers like your best friend.” Not even your best friend always wants or needs a quick response. But, if you do make quick replies a point of difference of your blog business, then make sure you “keep your promises—no excuses, no exceptions.”

If you would like your own copy of Rainmaker someday, here’s what it looks like.

[For “FBO: Blogging Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint,” click here.]

[For entire “FBO” or “For Bloggers Only” series, click here.]

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