True story. I am now doing some stringing work for a newspaper and have been assigned a story. It's about a new business. Naturally, the phone number is not yet listed with National 411 Directory Assistance, but is listed - I think - on the company's Facebook page.
So I called. I got a personal message. "Hello. This is Michelle. Please leave a message. I will try and return your call." Oh dear. Just like the broken light pole, this message sounds like someone who needs classes on how to operate a small business - otherwise it is doomed for sure.
Sorry, but a personal message on a business phone doesn't cut it. A business of any kind - festival, event, non-profit, for-profit - needs a dedicated phone number to the business and should be answered in a professional manner. I found this same scenario with another article I was writing earlier this month, where the owner of the business keeps the cell phone with him all the time, but he's never in the store.
MARKETING TIP: If you want customers, be available by phone. Have a dedicated line to your company and call National 411 Directory Assistance to be included. Answer your phone in a professional manner with the name of your company or your full name and return calls. Otherwise, get a job working for someone else.
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