Poor Marketing

Recently I received an e-mail from a web designer telling me that they had created a draft re-design of my web site.  She invited me to go to her web site to view this wonderfully improved version she had created for me.

As far as I was concerned what she was telling me was:  “Your web site sucks”.

Is that really the opening impression you want to give to a prospect?  To start your presentation with an insult?  She had no idea how much or little I paid for that design, and here she is telling me that whatever I paid was a waste of money.  How insulting.

I got past the insults and decided to actually look at what she had created; who knows, maybe she actually did do a spectacular job.  In her message she said that all I needed to do was go to her web site, enter my name and my business name, and I would be directed to the sample web page she had so diligently created for me.

But once at her web site she wants more than just my name and company name, she required my complete mailing address, phone number, e-mail address, and website URL.

Not only has she insulted me by telling me that my website is horrific, but now she has lied to me.  She doesn’t want just my name and company name, she wants all my contact information.

Why would I want to do business with anyone who first insults me, and then lies to me?

I wouldn’t.

Since I am in marketing I thought the least I could do is send her an e-mail and point out the error of her ways.  And I did.

While my message was polite I also made it clear everything she had done to turn me against her.  I even offered suggestions on how to change her presentation so it would be less offensive.

Now the proper thing to do any time you get a letter or an e-mail from a disgruntled customer or prospect is to immediately respond.

You don’t have to agree with what the individual is saying, but you should at least acknowledge that you got their message and that you appreciate the fact that they took the time to comment.

Any time you are faced with an unhappy customer or prospect, it is an opportunity to turn that individual into a fan.  So always at least thank the writer for taking the time to write.

Her response:  Nothing.

Nope, never heard another word from her.  Have no idea if she ever read the message or not.   By not responding she has told me that she doesn’t care about me or my business.  Had she responded she might have (with time) overcome my objections and actually gotten some business from me.

Apparently, she would simply send out a mass mailing and hope to land a very small percentage as actual clients.  However, with some small and simple changes she could probably land a larger percentage of customers.

What would have been more impressive to me is to see some before and after pages.  What the client’s web site looked like before she re-worked it, and what it looked like after she re-worked it.  A side-by-side comparison.  This type of comparison would allow me to actually see what visual improvements she had made.  Also, a brief description of some of the key elements that she had changed and why.  This would allow me to better understand her thought processes, and would demonstrate her understanding of the customer’s needs.

I would have been much more impressed by this type of approach over the one she was utilizing. 

How she got any business by redesigning a web site without the owners permission, (plus the insults to my existing site, plus the lie), is beyond me.   You do not gain customers by being rude, insulting, or presumptive.  You gain customers by being honest, helpful, courteous, and polite.  Whenever possible you show the customer how you, or your product, or your service can help the customer.

While her style of in-your-face marketing can be effective if done correctly, it can also do more harm than good when simple mistakes are made.  Always test and evaluate your marketing; and when a prospect or customer tries to tell you something … listen. 

After all, that is your bread and butter talking, so pay attention.

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