Why the Desire to Talk to a Real Person Remains Strong in the Digital Age
People find comfort talking with other people. It’s human nature. Social distancing and the COVID-19 crisis has driven this point home. Prospects prefer speaking with a real person more now, than ever before.
In today’s digital marketplace, there have never been more ways to communicate with customers and prospects. These ways include – but are by no means limited to – video chat, email and text. From mom-and-pop shops to international companies, communicating by voice seems to be a lost art. While it’s true that the digital experience is critical to the success of a business, the fact remains that communicating by voice is in many cases quicker, simpler and more effective than typing messages back and forth.
Consider this fact: Humans speak approximately 150 words every minute and can listen to three times that number in the same amount of time. Conversely, the average person can type only about 40 words per minute. Therefore, while it might make sense to order a pizza online or decide what time to meet a friend for coffee with a text, buying a car or making any other important purchase requires something more.
Research shows that more than 60% of people – even those using a cell phone – will call a business when it is time to get serious about buying. Another study found that a majority of people want to talk to a real person when they are looking for quick answers or to make a major purchase.
While artificial intelligence is becoming more popular, a conversation with a human being remains the preferred way people make decisions having to do with a large amount of money or that involve emotions.
When businesses fail to give customers and prospects the chance to talk to a real person, they are missing out on sales conversions. Further, three out of four people surveyed state that poor phone support or the inability to easily reach a real person has caused them to choose another brand when looking for the same product or service.
The ability to speak one-on-one with someone is especially important in categories such as banking, healthcare and insurance. These are the categories in which consumers will typically decide to reach out to over the phone after doing online research. To put it another way, when these individuals pick up the phone, they are ready to buy. When they can’t reach someone, it means a missed sale.
No matter how impressive your digital capabilities are, unless there is a straightforward way for your customers to talk to someone over the phone, lost revenue will be the result.
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For help dealing with gatekeepers and making sales calls, contact Tactical Telesolutions at (800) 700-7422 or visit us at https://www.ttstechnique.com.
