Recently, Mark Sherwin spoke with Liz Frieson, Owner and Operations Manager of Southside Plumbing, about what to do when your business phone is not ringing.

Here is the video of their live podcast, but if you’re in a rush, you can check out the tips in text form below.

What Do I Do When My Phones Aren’t Ringing?

Before you take any other action, start by testing your equipment. Make sure your phone system and website forms are working correctly and check that any call tracking numbers are functioning as expected.

This basic step can help you rule out technical issues that might be stopping customers from reaching you.

How To Use Existing Resources To Generate Business

Look back through estimates from the last 30-60 days.

Don’t be shy! A friendly follow-up call can remind them of your service and help answer any lingering questions. It can even turn a “maybe” into a “yes.” Learn how Marketing Automation emails can help.

Make an offer to your customers as a way to get back into the house.

Mark shares how Brad from LBA approaches this. “They have an offer where, if you donate an item to the local foodbank, LBA will come to your house to get it. And, by the way, while we’re here, we’ll do a free inspection of their HVAC system.”

This idea works with any local charity. It reminds people that you’re focused on helping the community and not just taking people’s money. Text messages are a great way to get this info out.

Call your current clients with a packaged offer.

This could be a savings on a luxury item or a discount for one thing with another service. These offers can make potential clients feel that now is the right time to act.

This is also a good time to remind the people in your referral program about the incentives you offer for referrals. Mark and Liz both agree that changes to search are going to make referrals more and more important.

Liz even has a saying on this topic: “A referral from every customer and a customer from every referral.”

Get active in your community.

If you have time on your hands, use it! Go somewhere public where people can see you care about your service area.

Be fun and get creative.

Grab a camera! This is the perfect time to make some video content.

Showcase your personality, expertise, and experience. Mark says, “People talk about things like fully stocked trucks. Why not show someone what that actually looks like? How will it help them with their problem?”

The videos don’t have to be a masterpieces. Liz grabbed her camera and made this when she learned something she knew other people would react to. That is the key!

3 Bonus Tips For When Your Phone Is Not Ringing

Training your phone people is essential.

Make sure that the customer’s first point of contact is successful by having people on the phone who know how to overcome objections and make callers feel reassured. Remember, a lot of times people are calling you in a panic. Showing them that YOU can help is imperative.

Listen back to the calls you’ve had.

Can they be improved? Use your downtime to make your company stronger so you can better handle the work that will eventually start coming in again.

Brainstorm.

Create a list of offers you can turn around quickly in the future the next time business is slow. These should be low-cost-of-entry offers that will create a desire for services.

When Should I Call My Marketing Company?

Once you have tried the suggestions above, then it’s time to reach out. Mark recommends taking those steps first because most marketing companies will offer this kind of guidance for a lack of calls.

Now, you can share what you’ve learned so your marketing company can help refine your strategy. Waiting until after you’ve gathered some data ensures your discussion is focused on improving what already matters.

Contact us to talk about reasons why your phones are not ringing. LeadsNearby is happy to help you get the marketing guidance and tools that you need to be found, selected, and remembered.

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