In Small Business Marketing, Receptionists Are on the Front Line
Receptionist positions are often considered entry-level with high turnover. Small businesses don’t spend much time training the receptionist, sometimes just giving her an admonition to be friendly and punctual.
But from your customer’s perspective, your receptionist just might be your small business’s most important employee! An effective receptionist:
- Is a customer’s first impression of your company
- Develops meaningful customer relationships
- Keeps customers happy
- Is a key source of business intelligence
Everytime the phone rings or someone walks through the door, your receptionist is the spokesperson for your business. Customers will evaluate your business based on their interactions with the receptionist. More often than anyone else, she is in a position to execute your marketing strategies.
Receptionists are also in a position to uncover important business intelligence that should inform your small business marketing strategies. They talk to customers all day long. Through skillful conversation, they can identify how customers learned about you, what competitors they evaluated and problem areas in your products or services.
Does your receptionist know how important she is to your small business? Help her understand her professional role, and you’ll welcome a new, valuable member to your marketing team.
