Back in the 1980s, I worked for Ma Bell, better known as AT&T or Western Electric. It was the only game in town and a total monopoly. In 1984, it was broken up with AT&T owning the long-distance game and the Baby Bells owning local service. Those nine new companies lacked the resources to upgrade the infrastructure to help high-speed internet develop. It was not until many of those companies started to merge that they started to see the value in internet as a service.

The concept of local and long-distance phone calling evolved but eventually disappeared when the cell phone industry was born. Local phone lines were delivering AOL dial-up internet. It wasn't long before DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) and cable soon overtook phone-line-based internet. Since the early 2000s, fiberoptic has been the best possible connectivity option, but today, more people access the internet through their wireless phones (64% to 36%) than anything else.

Now, phone numbers move with people and their technology.

Reach Out and Touch Someone

In 1979, AT&T employed a marketing campaign aimed to soften AT&T’s image and promote long-distance calling as an essential part of everyday American life. It focused on “selling emotion” by emphasizing the human desire to connect with others. Phone numbers were designated to a person, an address, and even a desk when PBX systems were implemented at companies.

Fast-forward a bit, and the internet changed the need for a direct line to a direct phone and number. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) gradually became the norm in the mid-2010s. It allowed the number to move with the person. This became especially valuable during the pandemic. Companies could have someone work from home yet access their VOIP number and services.

With the advent of computers and now AI, talking to a human is damn near impossible, especially if they don't have your number in their contact system in their phone or VOIP system. Companies have found that they could save money by making you wade through voice prompt hell, hoping you will access their automated chatbot online rather than actually work through the gatekeeper to talk with a human. It can take minutes to hours on hold and we all know in business that time is money. And people usually cost more than technology in the long run.

Even if the person knows you, you probably will only get their voicemail so they can call you back when it's convenient for them.

What has been lost in all of this transition to technology is the “Art of the Phone Call.”

Back to the Future

The days of calling someone and having them pick up the phone on the first try are long gone. More importantly, knowing where they are residing is even harder. Yet an old technology is becoming more valuable than ever. It's your digital Rolodex.

Social media messaging and email are some of the best ways to let people know you are calling. You can set up a date and time for a Zoom call, phone call, or Facetime.

That's assuming that you have their correct email and/or you are connected with them on social media. That is important information (along with their phone number and mailing address) to keep in your CRM or phone contacts list.

Once you actually have that call or meeting, it's always good to revisit that record and ask if anything has changed. It would be best if you also asked what their preferred method of contact is.

That makes every connection on social media and every conversation a valuable asset in your business arsenal. As I said before, it costs more to have human-to-human contact, but that is something that no internet form, chatbot, or automated voice tree hell will ever give you.

10-10-10

Now is the best time of year to reach out and touch someone. People tend to be in a more laidback and festive mood. With that being said, you may also have a tougher time connecting because people tend to take evaporating vacation time. But I have a solution that you can not only use now, but all year long.

My 10-10-10 system is something I have been using for years. I will admit it's not easy to maintain, but it's easy to add as a habit to your morning routine. It goes like this:

• 10 Minutes
• 10 People
• 10 Words

If you reach out to 10 people per day, it should only take you a minute apiece. Then, send them a message or email with 10 words: “How are you doing? Let's connect to chat” (or “Can we set up a call?”).

I can tell you that on average, around three people will actually respond, and one will set up a call. But if you do this every day, five days a week, you will reach 50 people a week or around 200 per month. If you get three responses and one call set up per day, that means you have connected with almost 100 people and set up 20 chats per month.

Imagine what that can do for your business. Even if you don't set up a call you have started a chat where you can ask to confirm and update current contact information. Those chats and calls can not only lead to enhanced business relationships but increased sales as well.

Keep The Main Thing, The Main Thing

As I said in the previous post, this is part of a multi-part series. The main thing is to find a way to get people to share information. You want to make sure you start focusing on them and let them feel it's worth their time. That's why asking, “How are you doing, and how can I help?” is key. Then, extracting the most current contact information is up to you.

You will want to find a non-pressuring way to get them to share their mailing address location. You may have their office information, but they may be resistant to sharing their home address. What if they work from home and rarely go into the office? This will be important information if you need to mail something and have it seen.

Also, this is an opportunity to get a cell phone number for texting if they prefer that method. This will be expanded upon in our next posts.

Closing Thought

Reaching out and touching someone in person could lead to trouble, but doing it digitally has become more complicated and time-consuming than it has been in the past. This is why the 10-10-10 method is so effective. People who want to chat will do so, while others may be too busy or ignore you.

That's why repetition and consistency is the name of the game. If someone ignores you, try a different method. If that doesn't work, remove their name from the rotation.

Keeping information updated will be worth its weight in gold and is an investment that can pay huge dividends. If it seems like a lot of work, I can assure you it's not, but the payback can make a difference in this coming year in ways you could only imagine.

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Comment below and share your thoughts, ideas, or questions about business-to-business sales and marketing today! Do you have a sales or marketing communications strategy that works for you? What tips or techniques can you share that work for you and your business?

To learn more about this and other topics on B2b Sales & Marketing, visit our podcast website at The Bacon Podcast.