A flurry of tech start-ups launched over the past decade or two have dramatically changed the way people do business. Sales reps are not always required to be on the move meeting customers anymore – a Skype call from your office would do. Weekly meetings are out – with online collaboration tools like Trello, your team can work together from anywhere in the world in real-time and there is no real need to provide a weekly status.
But in all this, new age businesses often forget that not all their customers prefer the modern way of transacting. A major chunk of the global workforce still prefers to do business the traditional way. If you have a diverse client-base from a range of industries and geographical locations, here are some things you must do in order to keep them happy.
Offer Phone Support
Investing in a telephone switchboard to handle hundreds of customer calls can be expensive. It is easier to restrict yourself to email support or live chat support. Not only are the investments here much less, but you also need fewer support reps since the same agent can handle multiple enquiries simultaneously through these electronic alternatives. But truth is that a lot of customers still prefer talking to a human about their requirements. This is not only because customers can be less tech-savvy, but also because oral communication can get the point across much faster than back-and-forth emails. While this is true that phone support can cost several thousand dollars extra every month, businesses need to realize that this money is worth every penny. Bad after-sales support is one of the major reasons why customers leave. Making sure that your customer gets to speak to a human being when required only ensures they remain happy and tied to your business.
Offer Physical Documents Whenever Requested
American companies are no longer legally required to maintain physical copies of their documents. Thanks to the E-Sign Act, electronic copies of agreements are considered legal. Consequently, few companies today use the equipment required to handle physical documents like fax machines and photocopiers. But electronic copies are not considered legal globally yet. Also, a lot of traditional businesses even in the United States do not have the tech infrastructure to ensure all their electronic documents are backed up and safe. There are online fax tools like Xmedius that help technology companies send fax messages over IP to recipients that need them. It is a good idea to offer this as an alternative to businesses that need them for their documentation purposes.
Enable Traditional Payment Methods
As more people get comfortable with the ease of making purchases online, this is definitely a less-worrying aspect of dealing with old-school businesses compared to the points above. But having said that, no amount of marketing and sales would help if the client does not want to pay through your online channels. Modern payment channels like Paypal and Stripe offer seamless recurring billing, one click payments and a host of other methods that makes it easy for customers to set-and-forget. But that is exactly what a lot of business customers like to avoid.
These business owners approach transactions the traditional way where a vendor provides them with a quote and once an agreement has been signed (physically), they are sent monthly invoices that are paid either by checks or drafts. They do not want to entertain modern payment channels that can often lead to paying for services that you no longer need. In addition to this, payment gateways are not always available universally. So depending on where your client resides, they may be unable to transact using the modern channels. It is extremely critical for businesses to have a traditional payment channel open when dealing with old-school businesses both domestic and international.
What other old-school practices do you think modern businesses should employ in their business? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
