Advertising Opinion South Africa

What's your number?

I once heard a marketing consultant advise a moaning supermarket owner, who felt he just had to cut costs dramatically. He said: “Turn your lights off – that will reduce your overheads by a massive percentage. Of course, you'll have no customers, but that's the (very) short-term solution.”

It's much the same when advertisers decide to cut their advertising budget. The instant gratification is that you'll see an immediate drop in expenses (and a short-term rise in profitability). However, over the longer term you'll start haemorrhaging money.

It's simple, really. You have to trade (with lights on) and you have to tell your customers about your products.

In exactly the same way I'm often stunned and completely bewildered, by business “executives” who hide themselves so well that it's impossible to reach them.

I mean, if you hold any title that's important (from PR manager to CEO), then anyone should be able to contact you – and I don't mean what some companies do and say: “We'd love to hear from you so write to us at info@xyz.co,” because you know full well that the message is highly unlikely to reach the person you desperately want to talk to – right now.

Gajus © –
Gajus © – 123RF.com

I admit that the very worst culprits are those who run small enterprises and I think they get a sudden rush of blood to the head with the euphoria that they're suddenly “important”. So they refuse to let anyone know their cell phone number or email address. They just trust the receptionist to take messages.

But it happens with big companies, too. Not quite as much, but it does happen. (I suspect for the same reasons that they “don't want to be bothered with probable trivia”.) Well, I'm sure your customers would be thrilled to hear that they are considered to be ‘trivial’.

I once worked for a man who was the president of a multi-million dollar business division employing many thousands of people. He mainly lived on airplanes as he travelled the world – handing out business cards wherever he went.

This is the information he had printed on his cards:

The name of the company and his title (note there was no attempt at advertising the business).

Then he listed his email address, the office number in New York, his direct number to his desk in his office, his mobile number and, get this, his home number. Yes, his home number.

I asked him how many wasted calls he received either directly in his office or, perhaps worse, at home.

His answer was: “Over the past five years I've been doing this (handing out thousands of cards) I can only recall two or three – but the point is that when the president of General Motors or a worker in our Alice Springs office wants to reach me then I'm always available...”

With an attitude like that it's no wonder he scaled the dizzy heights of huge US corporate business.

And he's not alone.

My all-time favourite was Raymond Ackerman. He made his office number available to all and, whenever I called him (and he was in), nine times out of ten he'd take the call. That's how he achieved such huge press coverage.

Over the years I've spoken to many captains of industry over the phone, like Sir Martin Sorrell (who took me to breakfast when he was in Cape Town) – and also some celebrities like Muhammad Ali, Telly Savalas, Diana Dors, Joanna Lumley (sigh, what a voice!) and many others, including Springbok captains, who've slipped my mind. The point is that they had no problem with people calling them because they never knew until they answered whether it may have a huge impact on their business or careers.

On the other hand, there are companies whose executives will only give you their office number (and good luck with trying that!) There's one major media owner whose sales staff will only give out their general office number. The mind boggles.

The point is that you simply have to make yourself available. Otherwise you might as well turn off the lights and go home.

*Note that Bizcommunity staff and management do not necessarily share the views of its contributors – the opinions and statements expressed herein are solely those of the author.*

About Chris Brewer

Having joined the ad industry in London, Chris Brewer spent most of his career in media analysis and planning - but has performed just about every advertising task from Creative to Research. He's an honorary lifetime member of the Advertising Media Association and regularly advises agencies and clients regarding their media plan costs and strategies. He is also often asked to talk at industry functions. Email: az.oc.srewerb@sirhc. Twitter: @brewersapps. Read his blog: www.brewersdroop.co.za
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