A not-so-warm introduction

Last evening, I received this email.

Mark Buckshon,

A colleague suggested I check out your website (constructionmarketingideas) with a view to buying advertising in one of your publications. I did so, even though I consider the one newspaper I have seen from your company to be a mess.

This is what I found on your website: Boring and banal, or stable and secure?

Let me answer that for you: Boring and banal.

The individual signed his note, and his email is from a yahoo address. But I had never heard of his name or company -- although he identified his city within our service area. I couldn't find any sign of his business either with a Google search, or within the major association directories. At least from what I can see, he is running an invisible business.

So I responded:

Maybe you are right. I can’t judge myself. A quick Google search didn’t provide any entries for “(Name of individual) Construction” in Toronto, so it is hard for me to draw any conclusions.

I don’t recommend anyone rush to buy advertising anywhere – including my own publications. The most important thing is to build and develop relationships (and we sell a lot of advertising to businesses wishing to do just that). Then we seek to ensure our advertisers get real value ongoing. That generates repeat business, and that is the way it should be. If colleagues are referring you (and others) to my site, then indeed our strategy is working. If you want us to help you find more business, we’ll be glad to work with you. And if you can suggest improvements in our methodologies, I’ll be happy to listen.

I’ll post your comment in my blog (obviously removing your identity unless you give permission.)

Mark Buckshon
President
Construction News and Report Group of Companies
1 Cleopatra Dr. Suite 202
Ottawa, Ontario K2G 3W9
888-432-3555 ext 224
buckshon@cnrgp.com
blog: http://www.constructionmarketingideas.blogspot.com/

Now, while I respect every one's right to their own opinion, this email leaves me wondering some things:

• Is it helpful, ever, to 'meet' someone new with such a warm and fuzzy introduction? Does it help to build relationships, attract new clients, or otherwise help your business grow?
  
• Maybe the sender has some really serious marketing issues -- if he is really in business, why can't I find him anywhere when I look using the simplest search techniques? Heck, putting some information on the signature line of the email doesn't take much effort, does it?


• If one of his colleagues referred him to me, then maybe this is actually a sign that our marketing is working the way it is supposed to work -- generating word-of-mouth communication. Maybe his colleague thought he could use some help in marketing, and saw this blog as a useful resource.

Of course, maybe he is right. In that case, I am glad I am not telemarketing or canvassing him -- if he responds this way by visiting my blog after a referral, imagine how he would feel if I intruded into his own space.

Your first impressions, then second and third

Have you ever encountered a situation when someone seems great at first impression, then lets you down? Or (presumably more rarely), you encounter someone who just doesn't seem right, but turns out to be wonderful and effective?

Is there a way around the problems of false assumptions and stereotypes -- so you hire the right people and, equally important, seek the correct prospects to work with and become your clients?

I believe first impressions are, indeed, important -- but you need to set the stage so you see the right, spontaneous first impression that measures the right thing. And then you need to validate your impressions, quickly.

Take, for example, your decision to hire an employee. Assuming the candidate is not someone you already know (perhaps from a freelance assignment or previous arrangement), do resumes and formal face-to-face interviews provide much useful information? Yes, but you know they are filtered -- both by the stereotyping of the function, and the fact they can be faked to some extent. (Resumes certainly can be dressed up.)

You still want a 'first impression' but is the resume what really matters? Our solution: A pre-employment questionnaire; designed to test certain job related skills, ask one or two screening interview/type questions, and describe the job. Obviously, the candidate's decision not to complete the questionnaire solves the 'first impression' question. And the actual responses, and the way they are presented (and whether they a re consistent with the design and writing style of the resume) provide us with plenty of additional information.

Then, there is the interview. A structured sit-down interview invites stilted questions and responses. A 'surprise' prequalification phone interview provides much better first impression validity. (Of course we are respectful that the call may not actually be convenient to the other person and will reschedule if appropriate -- again, the fact of the inconvenience, however, may be another first impression 'signal' -- is the person at another job, or trying to juggle some hidden problem around?)

These first impressions are vital to us -- without good results on the early going, there is no reason to take it further. But this still doesn't help with the people who know how (either deliberately or intuitively) to 'connect' right away.

We then seek to use objective measuring tools. This can be an online sales test (for salespeople), or (for most candidates) some brief work assignment, either hourly or freelance, that at least partly reflects the actual work. We want to see if the person actually can do the work.

Finally, there is the 'last impression' -- the reference checks and validity; usually at this stage, we've weeded out most problems, but it never hurts to have a final verification (and a clear employment contract).

In other words, sure, first impressions are important -- just be sure the first impressions you are 'counting' really are relevant to the work at hand -- and, whatever you do, validate your impressions before making any commitments.

See also this article by Michelle Sterling.