I've got some good news for you. And some bad news. 

We're all more connected than ever before with multiple ways to reach out, connect, and communicate with our customers wherever they are.

The bad news is instead of that making it easier to get in touch with our customers, it's actually harder to engage them.

Today's guest is Steve Roessler from DriveCentric. Steve says it's harder to actually reach customers, first and foremost, because the world has sped up. Everyone is busier than ever before, and time is more precious than ever before. 

The brutal truth is, you're just not important enough to your customers for them to stop what they're doing and put their life on hold to answer your call or return your 17th voicemail.

Secondly the proliferation of communication methods has brought with it a tidal wave of crap we don't want to read in our email inbasket and crap we don't want to hear on the other end of our phone. 

SPAM is stopping you from doing your job. Up to 70% of all phone dials are spam robocalls and as much as 90% of all emails are guaranteed weight loss, get rich quick, male enhancement spam.

If your boss is demanding that you send 100 emails a day or dial the phone 100 times a day to stay in touch with your customers, then they probably don't understand the way human communication has changed over the last 5 to 10 years.

1) You have to change your communication mindset from interruptions to appointments. 

Work toward scheduling even short 5 minute phone calls so that you're communicating with your customers at the best time for them instead of the best time for you.

And quit asking your customers to call you back. They're not going to anyway. I know it. You know it. They know it. Even your boss who told you to make 100 dials today knows it.

Instead, ask your customers when the best time to CALL THEM is.

Value their time so you can make the time they give you more valuable for you.

2) Quit forcing your customers to communicate the way you want them to and start using their preferred communication method.

And it's not phone calls and email.

Steve says one of the first questions he asks customers is "Are you a Texter?"

Most people are, and if they tell you they're not, it's a pretty good sign that you haven't earned their trust. They don't trust you to text them.

But if they do trust you, you can use short texts whenever possible. And schedule longer, more valuable phone calls when only a phone call will do.

3) Use video messaging to relay the full spectrum of communication - words, tone, humor, facial expression etc.

Video is the next best thing to being belly to belly, eyeball to eyeball. Eye contact and big smile will work miracles for building customer rapport.

And I don't care how great you are at composing email, you'll never get eye contact and a big smile through a written email.

#GetYaSome

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