Prompt Replies Can Promote Business Growth
There are many ways to leave clients frustrated, but one of the most disturbing – and easiest to remedy – is prompt response. Whether it’s via email, voice mail or a 20-second text message, many professionals have learned attentiveness and responsiveness to messages are sound business practices.
Most people agree that the in-box can be difficult to manage. An article in 2022 reported that 126.7 trillion emails are sent every year, and 35 percent of those emails will require a response. 23 percent will require immediate attention.
How Response Time Affects Trust and Client Expectations
Why is response time important? Perhaps most importantly – especially for advertising and marketing professionals – is that it fosters a sense of trust between the sender and recipient. Delays in answering emails can be interpreted many different ways – uncaring, untrustworthy, flaky, inattentive are some adjectives that come to mind. The bottom line is that it can cost you clients in the long run.
Furthermore, there are still many professionals who expect an answer to emails in less than one hour. Clients, especially, have expectations of swift response time. Eleven percent of clients expect an answer in 15 minutes to messages filed during normal working hours, and 19 percent expect it in an hour. 14 percent expect a response in four hours or less.
The risks of a slow response (or worse, no response) can cause irreparable harm. Delayed email responses can damage business relationships, something no agency can afford. It can indicate disengagement, a lack of focus, and is a negative non-verbal cue to the sender that can have lasting implications. “Communication speed is generally associated with efficiency and professionalism in fast-paced businesses,’’ one executive wrote on LinkedIn. “Responding to emails late can frustrate, undermine confidence, and inhibit collaboration.
Setting Expectations and BCM Media’s Commitment to Responsiveness
Some other factors must also be considered. Think about the urgency of the message, industry conventions, and company expectations when setting an email response time. Some situations require a same-day response, while others allow 24–48 hours.
It’s also intelligent to convey to team members the importance of response time. Professionals can demonstrate a commitment to effective communication by prioritizing quick responses and aligning them with industry and organization expectations.
One other important point: appropriate and swift response demonstrates accountability. That’s especially critical in the advertising world. It is a fast-paced environment with deadlines, costs, and a lot of moving parts that have to be analyzed carefully. A delayed response could result in a missed opportunity to get your message out. It could also result in an advertiser paying more to deliver the message to their audience.
At BCM Media, we have a history of responsiveness and attentiveness. It is ingrained into our DNA, and is a process that we have worked at developing and maintaining. With more than 50 years of combined experience in the industry by our leadership, we strive to answer our clients’ questions quickly and efficiently. Whether it’s an email or a phone call, we hold ourselves accountable in our messaging. We make it a priority, and our success as an agency shows our clients appreciate our attentiveness.
