Just called a printing company to get a quote. Their response? "Send us an email."
That's it. No questions about the project. No contact info collected. No attempt to understand what I needed. Nothing.
Let that sink in. A potential customer literally called asking to give them money, and they couldn't be bothered to take basic information.
Let's Talk About Money Left on the Table
I run multiple businesses. I know exactly how much a lead is worth. Do you?
Here's the math:
- I'm calling about a print job worth thousands
- I'm a business owner who could bring repeat business
- I'm actively looking to spend money RIGHT NOW
- I might even switch printers completely if you impress me
Instead, they turned a hot lead into a cold email. Brilliant.
This Isn't About Printing
This is about your business. Right now.
You're probably doing the same thing:
- Making it hard for customers to give you money
- Throwing away leads you already paid to get
- Losing business to competitors who just pick up the phone
- Training your team to create obstacles instead of removing them
The Real Cost
Want to know the best part? I'm still going to need printing. But now:
- I'm annoyed before we even start
- I'm actively looking at other printers
- I'm writing this post about how not to run a business
- I'm definitely not recommending them to anyone
One interaction. That's all it takes to lose business forever.
The Fix Is Simple (But You Won't Do It)
Here's what should have happened:
- Answer phone professionally
- Ask about my project
- Collect my information
- Give rough estimate if possible
- Schedule follow-up
- Send email confirming conversation
Basic stuff. But apparently rocket science for most businesses.
Why This Matters
You're probably thinking "my business is different." It's not.
Every day, customers are trying to give you money. They're calling, clicking, submitting forms. And you're probably finding new and creative ways to stop them.
The Wake-Up Call
Look at your business right now:
- How many hoops do customers jump through to buy?
- What unnecessary steps have you added to your process?
- How many leads are you losing to bad systems?
- How much money are you leaving on the table?
Fix it.