Marketing only works if you’re able to properly capture and handle the leads it generates. Otherwise it has been a pointless exercise. Sounds obvious? It’s actually frequently overlooked by brands.


On average, SMEs will spend around £24,000 per year on their marketing, as estimated by The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). That’s on average. Some will spend more, others will spend less. But regardless of the total figure, every pound spent is critical to driving growth.


But those new leads and enquiries are only valuable if they actually reach the people for whom the marketing activity was undertaken in the first place. There is a very short window of time and opportunity to answer to interested parties before they go somewhere else.


This is dangerous for any business. If a marketing campaign has gathered a person’s interest and they want to talk business, but aren’t able to at that crucial moment, they will look up a competitor. Meaning the campaign was successful – it has generated interest – but the business wasn’t ready to handle the enquiries it generated. A conversion-disconnect.


Being unavailable makes marketing moot


It is incredibly frustrating to see this happen so regularly, but happen it does. Moneypenny research revealed that a third of small businesses let their phone calls ring out or go to voicemail. Even after spending money on advertising to make the phone ring, they won’t spare a thought to letting an opportunity slip away by ignoring it. What’s more illuminating is that 69% of these people being transferred to voicemail will hang up at the sound of a voicemail greeting.


Really though, who can blame them? They answered the business’s call for enquiries, the very least they expect is to have their phone call answered too.


What really makes a marketing consultant stand out is their suggestions on how to handle all of the enquiries their activity will produce. The confidence of a marketer saying ‘this campaign will make the phone ring, be prepared to answer it’ speaks volumes.
And as many marketers are measured and their reputations developed on the interest their work delivers, it makes good sense for them to consider enquiries to their clients. When opportunity knocks, or calls, be ready to answer.


By Jess Edwards, Commercial Channel Manager at Moneypenny.

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