Helloooooo, anybody there?

Last week I got angry…this week I am not mad, just disappointed.

I called, and emailed, and messaged on Facebook at least three professional face painters, with clear requests for availability, FOR GIGS, and have yet to hear back BY PHONE from any of them. Despite leaving my number, and the best time to reach me.

At the first artist, I was just perturbed. Then, when it happened with a second artist I became annoyed. Then, exasperated, as I contacted the third painter who had an answering machine that said how much they “valued my call.”

They clearly didn’t, as I am still waiting to hear from them…by phone, which I said is my preferred method of contact. What is it with small business owners who don’t want to connect with potential clients? How can they possibly be successful?

Several years ago, I answered the phone at 9:30 a.m. on a weekday, in my dining room: “Hello, this is Diane Spadola of Bella Faccia Painting, how can I help you?” The handsome voice on the other end was shocked and said “oh my gosh, a live person!” I wanted to ask “Would you prefer a dead one?” But, I realized that that was a little snarky. So, instead I said “Yes, I am alive, and I am anxious to hear what I can do for you.”

We had a conversation about services, timing and a date. We discussed quotes and availability for a grand opening of a retail store. He said that I was the fifth painter he had called and the ONLY one who picked up the phone. I was thrilled that on THAT day…I had not let it go to voicemail. He hired Bella Faccia, promised several more grand openings in the future, and we had a nice conversation about what types of entertainment might work for his stores.

{SIDEBAR: You know how customers always promise more work in a goal to get a discount in exchange for “the promise” of future bookings? I know you do. But then it is all seems very vague (no dates or times or locations are discussed) and although you are excited for all this future work, you have been led down this garden path before, with nothing to show for it. I was positive this was another one of those times.}

Nonetheless, at the end of the conversation when he suggested that future grand openings would not be in New Jersey, I quipped, “Rest assured Sir, I have a large network of face painters from my face and body art guild and conventions that I have attended. When you are ready to go NATIONAL…I am THE ONE TO CALL to staff ALL of your events.” I kind of giggled, since I knew he had 20-30 outlets so far, all in the tristate area. I was acting like a big nationally-based entertainment company, just for the comic effect. My customer laughed as well.

That was four years ago. We have now done over 28 Grand Openings for a company with “over 500 bright, clean, fully equipped service centers…in 13 states.” It is likely that we will be doing 10-12 more before the winter sets in. Who knows what 2019 will bring?

These are not little one or two hour parties either. No ma’am, these are four hour events with full pay and a travel fee. We often get to eat and drink as well, and can generate smaller parties from the community members that attend. Sounds good doesn’t it? Plus, he was my ideal client: fun, enthusiastic, grateful for my effort and appreciative of the fine artists we sent each and every time. WIN WIN WIN for all parties.

So why am I disappointed? Because in the midst of all this good JUJU going around, I ran into artists that by all appearances looked serious about their businesses (nice website, current Facebook posts, professional outgoing message on their voicemail), but did not value my time, nor want the work.

But, wait, who says they don’t want the work? Because they weren’t home when I called? Nope. All artists are busy, especially in the summer.

Because they sent me a reply on Facebook Messenger instead? Nope, that is a good way of communicating, IF you can’t talk on the job, and you are on the job.

Because they asked me to fill out a contact form on their web site in order to get a call back? Nope. I have “contact us” on my web site also, which walks prospects through a form about their event so that I can check availability before we talk (if they give me a phone number) or email (if they don’t give me a phone number). Nope, I wasn’t even mad about that.

I was upset, because after all of that: phone messages, emails if I had their emails, contact forms filled out, etc., I still have yet to get a return call. Who the heck are they? The White House?

It is not a good thing to start off a relationship by making your clients and potential clients jump through hoops to reach you. Especially to GIVE YOU WORK!!! Work = Money, people! Let’s not make it hard for them to part with it. If they are using the phone to reach out, then don’t shove them aside with an email response.

Answer the phone, return your calls on the same day, or email them and tell them when you will return their call. Change your voicemail message to say when and how you will return their call instead of making empty promises about how sorry you are that you missed them! Integrity is all that you have with a person who has not hired you yet.

Facebook Messenger is not the best way to communicate, but if you have to use it, then ask for their phone number in a Message and then USE THAT!

Are we really so busy that we don’t have time to connect with our customers on the phone? Do we have so many jobs, that we can’t take one more client that wants to give us their money? If this is the case, you don’t need my help and you can feel free to UNSUBSCRIBE right now from this monthly newsletter.

But if you want to gain more clients, and keep the ones you have, charge more for your services and get better gigs…make every person that contacts you feel like they are the ONE! The One and Only customer who can make your dreams as a small business owner come true. Flatter them, (they are super smart for reaching out to you) inform them of how they made the right decision in giving you the opportunity to impress them, and then thank them profusely for calling/writing/reaching out.

They could have easily gone somewhere else.

Anger and frustration are emotions we should be eliminating for our party planning clients. Be the solution, not the problem.

If you want to learn more about how to avoid the Habits of Unprofitable Face Painters, Join me for a FREE webinar on Wednesday August 30, 2018 at 2 p.m. eastern. Sign up here.