Monday, April 2, 2018

March Newsletter

Beware the "expert."

The expansion of the Internet has given rise to a multitude of people who present themselves as experts. Many aren’t, and doing business with them can be very costly.

No matter how slick their marketing or how cool their website is, I strongly suggest that you request a half-dozen referrals. Take the time to contact these referrals and ask questions about their experience with the company. Ask questions about price, delivery, and the quality of the work performed.

I once made the mistake of not doing my homework on a company offering expert website development. We discussed all the elements and functionality required for the website. I was assured that it was a "piece of cake" to get me everything I needed. I was told the job would take about three weeks.

After many phone calls and meetings which seemed pointless, it slowly dawned on me that I was not dealing with experts, but rather a company that held itself out as expert.

After eight weeks, I called the CEO and held his feet to the fire. He promised to complete the site within 10 days. It was completed; however, it took an additional three weeks, and the site never did function correctly. I had to spend more money troubleshooting and correcting the problems.

The company’s initial low price was not a bargain, considering the lost time and what I had to do to get the site up and running.

I later learned that the delays were caused because the company was sending the work offshore, and it was having difficulty managing the relationship with the foreign company.

See More

If you want more free (you can't beat that!) sales and marketing advice delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to subscribe here