When most people think of marketing, that is, if they think of marketing, they probably envision something that takes place outside your office: seminars, advertising, press releases, speaking engagements, and the like. You might be surprised to know that some of the most important and effective marketing activities take place right in your place of business.

Most of us view our company almost exclusively in terms of its administrative function. This is where the work gets done--where we shuffle paper and joke with our coworkers. What's not well recognized is that from the point of view of your clients, or potential clients, your entire business is an experience.

In their book, The Experience Economy (Harvard Business School Press), B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore make the point that work is theater and every business a stage. So, what does your client experience when he enters on your stage right?

Imagine an office where you had to walk down a corridor to reach the reception area. In the process, you passed two empty offices. Your impression by the time you're seated in the conference room might be: "Things aren't going too well here. Better start looking around."

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One of the key concepts of marketing is "points of contact." A point of contact is any interaction your firm has with the public, whether in person, on the telephone, or in written communications.

Every point of contact is an opportunity to form, or not form, a relationship. At The Upgrade Co. we recognize that your relationship with potential clients begins with your first contact.

A friend told me the following story: 

Not long ago I was in a restaurant in Minneapolis with a colleague. We were in town on business and went to the restaurant because it was close to the hotel. The table at which we were seated was not a very good one. It was in the middle of the floor, close to the swinging door of the kitchen. Also, the restaurant looked a bit too trendy for my taste. As we sat there trying to make up our minds whether to stay or leave, our waitress approached.

"Good evening, have you ever been to Cafe Chic* before?" she asked.

"No, this is our first time," I answered.

"You're going to love it," she said enthusiastically.

"It's a great restaurant. The food is terrific."

Okay, I'm staying. That kind of endorsement from an employee convinced me that I was in for a great experience.

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In his book Marketing Your Services : A Step-by-Step Guide for Small Businesses and Professionals (John Wiley), Anthony O. Putman states that each company has both an internal and an external mission. He stresses that your internal mission has to be in alignment with your external mission.

That means three things: First, every person in your company has to be aware of, and work at, the marketing component of his/her job. Second, each person has to know how his job contributes to the external mission. And third, she has to be empowered to further that mission.

In other words, your employees have to know not only the "what" but also the "why" of the company's mission --and they have to be able to do something about it.

Do the staff people at your firm understand what the mission is and how their jobs contribute to that mission? Do they understand that marketing is not a department? Do you?

What happens when a person calls your business? Let me tell you, the experience of calling most businesses is horrifying.

I bet you've been here: An automated voice answers a phone call and tells you that this is the Smith Firm, and says that if you know your party's extension, you should enter it now. If you don't know it, you should consult the directory. Or you can hold the line, and someone will help you. So you hold the line, and the next thing you hear is, "You have reached Amy, the receptionist. I'm away from my desk right now, so please leave a message."

Well, you don't want to leave a message for Amy; so you hang up and call back. This time you consult the directory and punch in the number for the adviser. He or she never answers. You leave a voice mail message. The end result: you're tired and frustrated, and you've made two long-distance calls. If you were a potential client trying to make an appointment, you might just give up.

If the goal of your marketing is to establish a relationship with potential clients (and it should be), what sort of message are you delivering to your callers? How much of a relationship do you expect them to form with an answering machine?

Maybe you have a live receptionist. Does the following conversation ever occur?

"Wallace Flooring." (Note: no greeting, no welcome, no smile in the voice, no "How can I help you?")

"Is John Jones available?"

"I'll check. Who's calling, please?"

"Mr. Potential Client"

"And what is this in reference to, Mr. Client?"

"It's about how I'm trying to give him my business."

"Well, I'm sorry. Mr. Jones is in a meeting right now. Would you like his voice mail?"

Sometimes I just want to bang my head against the wall. Does your receptionist/hostess/employee know enough to offer her own help, or to schedule an immediate appointment, or even to interrupt you? Is every employee capable of making a sales pitch for you, just in case?

I can make a good case that the employee contact each customer meets is one of the most important persons in your business for that customer. In fact, for many people who deal with your business, she is the company at that time. The employee's voice is the first one potential clients hear; her face, the first one they see. She's either helpful or she's not. That reflects on you.

He has a smile in his voice and on his face or he doesn't. He's empowered to help customers, or he's simply a robot doing what he is specifically told.

Your employees can only excel, however, if you set the right tone. It all comes down from the top. You have to demonstrate a friendly, welcoming, helpful attitude. You have to make such an attitude part of your company culture. If your attitude is that the clients and other callers are a pain in the neck, everyone in your company will reflect that attitude, I promise you.

So it's up to you to select and/or train your personnel accordingly. If you hire a receptionist based on filing skills and pay  $20,000 a year, you're going to get what you pay for: a $20,000-a-year file clerk.

* Restaurant name changed, because I can't remember it - it was several years ago...