One of the ways we would like to do this is to have a database set-up between us, specific to our department. We both did a little research on our own and then came back together to discuss the available options and how we were going to make it work. One particular CRM stood out as a leader among our various choices. We both signed up on the website, thinking it would be good to each speak independently with a representative, then come back together to review the functionalities available.

Sure enough we were both contacted by email, first by an automatic responder and then later by a live rep. Here is how my second email started:

"Dear Rayanne-
I noticed your acidity on our...."

"I noticed your acidity on our website and wanted..."

This time, I read it out loud to see if I had read it right and then I realized that the writer had meant to say:

"I noticed your activity on our website..."

But the damage had already been done. I no longer wished to speak with this representative nor anyone else from the company. A simple error, a simple malfunction in spell check and a potential customer had been lost. My "acidity" turned into my disinterest in their product. It's not as if this were a cheap or economical resource for us either, it would have cost about $17,000 the first year alone. One would think that with that type of customer investment, a little re-read of the email before sending would have been called for.

It is imperative that you impress your leads, even on the second or third occasion.  I had reviewed the website several times, read reviews and testimonials, completed a tutorial, and submitted a request for contact. The automated response failed to turn me on and the secondary response turned me off. My colleague and I have already moved on to other options. In a rush, it is easy to misspell a word or hit send before a thorough review. Displaying pride in your product (high price) should spill over into pride in your work; unfortunately, it doesn't always work that way.

© by rayannethorn