I just came across a small blog post that made a big point. Kelley Robertson, a writer for the Sales & Marketing Management blog, posted the following:

“I recently received a cold call in my office and when I answered the telephone, the person on the other end was talking to someone else. I paused, waiting to see how long it would take him to realize that his call had been connected. A few seconds later he noticed and he started into his pitch, which by the way, was pretty bad.”

Robertson notes that even if the pitch had been good, the caller had not earned her respect. In times like these when budgets are getting cut, and spending is low, your agency can’t afford to drop the ball due to lack of attention. Whether making a cold call or leaving a voicemail for a client, make sure you’re giving it your full attention. Despite the increasing ease of multi-tasking (thanks to technology like Blackberries and Bluetooth), the battle for business is fierce and there’s often no opportunity for second chances.

Not all meetings take place in boardrooms. While the majority will likely be in a public space, there may be times when you meet a client or prospect at his or her own office. This can be a great time to learn more about the person—Maybe she has adorned her walls with hockey memorabilia or perhaps he’s tuned his computer to a classic radio station. All of these little observances can clue you in on what he or she is like as a person, not just a business partner, which can lead to forming a better relationship.

It’s no secret that client retention is important. Consulting company Bain & Company reports that just a five percent increase in customer retention can increase a company’s profitability by 75 percent. But did you know that your excellent work may cause clients to drop your agency? Dave Mosby and Michael Weissman deem this idea the “Paradox of Excellence.” According to Mosby and Weissman, when companies quietly provide efficient service, clients may begin to forget why they need such services in the first place.

In their recently published article, Sales Engineering Group principals Don Gray and Todd Hendries discuss the Paradox of Excellence and what companies can do to prevent client loss They list three steps that may prevent value from being forgotten:

• Know what clients value and expect—Never assume that you already know that they need.

• Keep track of feedback and gauge your agency’s performance against clients’ expectations.

• Address any unrealistic client expectations and work with the client to create more viable ones.

Gray and Hendries expand on these steps, and offer further client-retention tips, in their article “The Paradox of Excellence: Don’t Let Great Service Kill Your Business.”

Companies spend millions on sending out consumer surveys, conducting polls, and organizing focus groups. But, many are overlooking a free, and more personal, glimpse into consumers’ opinions.  The Internet is home to countless sites where consumers can give blatant feedback on everything from a recent stay at a hotel to a new shampoo.

In his article, “How to Hear the Voice of Your Customers: Hone First-Person Intelligence From All Forms of Feedback”, David Bean, Ph.D. writes that customers’ rants and raves online are “as close to mind reading as companies are likely to get.” He goes on to say that call-center notes, open note sections of surveys, emails, weblogs, chat rooms, online forums, and product reviews are great resources for tapping into “first-person feedback.”

According to Bean, first-person feedback is…

• Focused on the personal
• Constitutes the majority of input
• Contains rich descriptions
• Explores unexpected topics
• Details the “why” of an event or opinion
• Reveals opportunities
• Expects responses
• Provides early warnings
• Affects, most likely, other people
• Impacts revenue

This first-person feedback can help your agency better gauge how consumers feel about your clients (and perhaps you’ll even come across something written by your clients). Check out the article for the author’s take on how to most efficiently use this information, including what key questions can be answered with this type of feedback.