Don’t Let Long Distance Deter You: Use Skype to Personally Connect with Clients and Suppliers

In the fall of 2004 I randomly selected a distributor as the guinea pig for an e-newsletter service we were developing for distributors. Tommy lived in Georgia and I lived in Chicago. We talked regularly at first – initially we prepared biweekly newsletters so we had a lot to discuss – and it wasn’t long before I learned all about his family and personal interests. We enjoyed working together. On occasion we said we hoped we’d get a chance to meet some day.

Of course, if Skype had been in widespread use back then (it was first released in August 2003 and took a few years before it gained significant ground) Tommy and I would have connected face-to-face, albeit across the internet. Would that have helped our business relationship? Probably. I always found that when I met clients and prospects at trade shows it dramatically increased the comfort level between us.

Today Skype is part of Microsoft and used by millions to bridge the long-distance gap with family and friends. You can use it to stay in touch, make free internet calls, send instant messages, and chat by video cam. But if you’ve got clients, prospects, and suppliers in faraway places, why not Skype with them, too? As a software application, Skype can be accessed on just about any device with an internet connection – from your mobile phone, tablet and PC to Skype-ready televisions.

Here are a few ways you can use Skype to enhance your business activities:

Demonstrate what you have to offer. We can all only be so lively via email, PDFs, and the phone. If it isn’t logistically feasible to meet a prospect or client in person, meeting online gives you a chance to show and sell your ideas with almost as much enthusiasm as you can offer in person. You can send files and share screens as well.

Communicating using Skype also enables you to read a buyer’s reaction when you pitch ideas, which may help you expedite the sales process. This can be especially effective if you are presenting to a group of buyers in a conference call.

Reduce telephone costs. If much of the creative/planning/production work you do is conducted over the phone, you probably have a monthly telephone package based on minutes. Conducting client meetings online and resolving questions with vendors via Skype will help control your telephone costs and easily monitor this expense. It’s free to download Skype and all Skype-to-Skype calls are free. (There are also various paid plans for landline and mobile calls, ranging from $2.99/month unlimited in the US and Canada to purchasing Skype Credit at reduced rates. Learn more about rates.)

Train effectively. Let’s say you are implementing a company store program for a client whose managers are located in multiple cities. You could use Skype for the training sessions. It’s a simpler and less expensive way of interfacing with a group than a subscription-based service like GoToWebinar.

Reduce travel costs. You may find that business trips you’ve taken in the past can be reduced or eliminated thanks to Skype, enabling you to increase profitability or allocate those dollars to other activities. With more time in the office your productivity will increase, too.

Even if it takes a little effort to entice prospects or clients to meet with you online, once they get comfortable with the idea chances are they’ll love the personal touch.

Cathy Cain-Blank of CC Marketing creates custom email communications and online resources for promotional products distributors and other small/midsize companies. She is a periodic contributor to the Maple Ridge Farms blog.