Just called a printing company to get a quote. Their response? "Send us an email."
No questions about the project. No contact info collected. Nothing.
A potential customer called asking to give them money, and they couldn't be bothered to take basic information.
The Math You're Missing
I build operational software for restaurants and distributors. I know exactly how much a lead is worth.
Here's what they missed:
- A print job worth thousands
- A business owner who could bring repeat business
- Someone actively looking to spend money RIGHT NOW
- A potential account switch if they impressed me
They turned a hot lead into a cold email.
You're Doing This Too
Right now, you're probably:
- Making it hard for customers to give you money
- Throwing away leads you paid to get
- Losing business to competitors who just pick up the phone
- Training your team to create obstacles instead of removing them
The Real Cost
I still need printing. But now:
- I'm annoyed before we even start
- I'm actively looking at other printers
- I'm writing this post about how not to run a business
- I'm not recommending them to anyone
One interaction. That's all it takes.
The Fix
What should have happened:
- Answer phone professionally
- Ask about the project
- Collect information
- Give rough estimate if possible
- Schedule follow-up
- Send email confirming conversation
Basic stuff. Apparently rocket science for most businesses.
The Reality
Every day, customers try to give you money. They're calling, clicking, submitting forms.
And you're finding new ways to stop them.
Look at your business:
- How many hoops do customers jump through to buy?
- What unnecessary steps have you added?
- How many leads are you losing to bad systems?
Fix it.