Don’t ghost your clients

Eric is an advertiser who has dealt with a number of media salespeople. “In all of my years of placing advertising, I have only one pet peeve,” he told me. “I don’t like it when salespeople ghost me.” 

Although “ghosting” is most frequently associated with personal relationships, it also occurs in business relationships. Eric is as cheerful as any advertiser you’ll meet, but it bothers him when a salesperson ignores him after an important appointment, after his store has featured a big sale, or after a new campaign starts. At those crucial times, he may need to discuss tweaks to the ad schedule or new offers to generate more interest. “I’m definitely not high-maintenance, but not promptly returning phone calls or not replying to emails and texts is wrong. That tells me they are disorganized, they are procrastinating or they are deliberately ignoring me.” 

Poet Maya Angelou famously wrote: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” 

How do you think Eric’s ghosters make him feel? Whether their inaction is intentional or not, he may feel that – after he becomes a regular advertiser – they don’t see him as worth their time any more. 

Is that the way you want your clients to see you? Your answer should be a resounding “no.” The solution is to make it a standard practice to follow up regularly with every single one of your advertisers. Eric has a few words of advice:

1. Use the right method. “Some people like emails, some like texts, some like phone calls. While it’s human nature to use the form of communication that we prefer, things are different in the world of sales. When you’re dealing with prospects and customers, think about their likes and dislikes. Reach out to each individual the way they want to be contacted. In fact, they’ll appreciate it if you ask about their preference.” 

2. When you say you’re going to do something, do it. “Nobody likes broken promises. If you tell me you’ll send a proposal or an ad proof by next Tuesday, please do it. If something unexpected happens and you can’t deliver on time, please let me know as soon as you find out. I understand that delays happen, and I’ll respect you more for keeping me informed. For goodness’ sakes, don’t avoid me and make me call to ask what’s taking so long.” 

3. Don’t always be in sales-mode. “If someone contacts me only when they want me to buy something, their calls become an annoyance. In my business, I work to build relationships with my customers, so I appreciate it when salespeople do the same thing with me. My best piece of advice is: Show your customers that you care about them and their businesses. When they know you care, they’ll be more likely to trust you and they’ll be more likely to invest in what you’re selling.” 

That advice is hard to ignore. 

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(c) Copyright 2024 by John Foust. All rights reserved.

 

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John Foust has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training DVDs to save time and get quick results from in-house training. Email for information: john@johnfoust.com