My house needs windows. There's no denying it. They are pretty and awfully inefficient. Leaded glass that keep the house good and hot in the summer and frosty cold in the winter... just like a window should not do. So I'm in the window market. There are some compelling offers out there and it's a competitive market.
So here I am... a consumer entering the window market and who shows up a guy at my door setting appointments for estimates. Sure, I'll listen to a pitch. I don't let him know I've been shopping, I just say OK to have someone call to set the appointment. I've given this company the lead in my window shopping race.
So I'm on my way home and my phone rings.
"Hello?"
"Yes, this is _______ from XYZ Windows. You said you'd like to have an estimate on window replacement."
"Yes, I did."
"When is a good time to have our estimator come out?"
"I'll be off work a week from Tuesday. Mornings would be better."
"Tuesday at 10?"
"Works for me."
"Will your wife be there?"
"I don't know."
"Would you like to find out before I confirm the appointment."
"No... I cannot guarantee she will be there and she doesn't need to be there."
"The installers like to have both home owners available."
"I own the house... they can deal with me."
"It's a rule, sir."
"A rule?"
"The installers have a rule that both husband and wife must be available."
"Then I am no longer interested."
"You'd like another appointment time."
"No, I'm no longer interested in doing business with your company. I've given you an opportunity to sell me your product. I'm in the market for your product, but you're more interested in your rules than selling windows. You've lost a sale. Goodbye."
That company went through a fair amount of work and cost to find me at just the right time only to waste the chance to sell me several thousand dollars of windows. I have no way to measure the cost of the lead, but the cost per sale was infinite... since they didn't sell me anything. That's how much their rule cost.
My point is when you advertise a product or service you better be ready to sell the customer anyway the customer wants to be sold. No amount of lead generation can overcome a sales process that ignores the customer. As a customer, I have so many choices that your hard work and cultivation can just end up building your competitor's business if you have a barrier to closing the sale.
