I had been told last year that Google ran a trial in Germany some time ago in which the company tried to use telephone sales reps to help set SMBs up with AdWords accounts. But there was a mismatch because after the sale/set-up there was no ongoing support.
Now, as David Mihm reports, Google has taken the leap and started selling Tags over the phone to US SMBs. Mihm transcribed a message left on his voicemail this morning:
Hi David, my name is Christopher Smith — I’m calling from Google and I’m calling regarding your existing business listings with us, and some important changes and features to the account that I need to speak to you about. We just launched a new product to enhance your listing — make you more visible, and make you seen all throughout Google searches — that includes Local searches and (unintelligible) searches.
It’s a new product, requires no contract whatsoever, and just a flat fee of 25 bucks a month.
At your convenience, please give me a call at 1-800-838-7970, and my direct extension is 23846.
And again, this is Christopher Smith calling from Google. I look forward to your call, David.
I called the number and talked to a rep (not Christopher Smith). My guy was “Norm.”
Impressively he was in the US and not a “kid.” He was a pretty seasoned sales guy as far as I could tell. I tried to pose as a SMB who had “heard about the program and wanted more information.”
He took me down a path asking me questions about my business and so on. I stumbled a bit wondering how much to lie about myself and what I did. In the meantime he grabbed my name off caller ID and “Googled me,” discovering my Internet2Go site.
Luckily he didn’t look too closely or my cover would have been blown. The conversation continued, he asked if I had Place Page, etc. I said no (I don’t). He told me to Google “Movers in Atlanta” and we talked about this page for some time:
I asked if buying Tags would improve my position on the “A to G” listing beside the map. He said it would not but the completeness of my Place Page would help. I asked about whether Google had any evidence that people clicked or called the listings with Tags more. He said there were testimonials showing some businesses saw as much as 33% more response.
I then asked: “What happens if everyone on this list has a yellow tag?” “Then, they’ll all be on equal footing,” he said moving on. I eventually got off the phone with him agreeing to send me more information. He also asked me to call him back directly next time.
Thoughts:
I’m sure this is an experiment but also more than an experiment too. I wonder if Google is using a contract sales force that has been trained to sell Tags or whether Google has hired people who site in a Google office somewhere internally. This guy was the real deal, not a recent trainee or recent college grad.
He sounded like a potential “peer” of many of the business owners he’d be talking to — over 40, experienced, etc. The curious angle is that the company is doing this for a product that is so inexpensive ($25 per month). However it also builds awareness of Places and the need to sign up for them. That’s a close secondary goal — or perhaps even primary goal — of the program I’m sure.
If this sales approach is something Google has committed to it marks a potential new phase in its effort to acquire SMB advertisers. It’s a smart and probably necessary move for Google if it seriously wants to capture more SMB ad dollars directly.
Other thoughts, stories?
October 18th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Comical that was the search he decided to use given the rampant business title spam that Google is trying to keep out of its index.
I wonder if Google’s filter is turned town for Tags advertisers (see result E)?
October 18th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
Interesting.
October 18th, 2010 at 5:04 pm
I was impressed (obviously) that my sales guy was older and seemed pretty experienced. Very unGoogly
October 19th, 2010 at 1:34 am
Greg: Your follow up on David’s story provides further insights. It certainly sounds like you spoke with an experienced sales person and not a rookie. That in itself is revealing.
I suspect this is a test at this time. But why not? If it works in growing revenues and customers….then they will expand it. If you are going to test it…they should be doing it with trained salespeople to in fact see if it works.
@David Mihm. Nice catch, David, with regard to result E., Google’s standards, and its process of currently filtering records as reported by Mike.
October 21st, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Had a similar experience with a sales rep. I think they they are contracted out or they are in another office.
I had tried to talk to them more about local map listings and ranking or showing. The sales rep did not know too much and I had tried to find out if there was someone I could talk to more about some of the issues that I had previously had with my listings.
Unfortunately he said that he could not give me a phone number or an e-mail and instead directed me to use the report a problem link as the best method to get an issue resolved which caused me some serious sadface.
October 23rd, 2010 at 3:35 pm
One of my clients was first contacted by an outsourced call center on April 5. The script and pitch were similar. My client thought it was a scam (since when does Google call guys like me, he asked?) I thought it was a scam and called Google, who later confirmed to me that they were testing in the Bay Area and (I think) Houston.
Since then, two other clients have reported calls.
It may be a broad test, but when Google calls 3 of my clients and offers them online marketing services, I consider them competing with me. My argument for six months has been that Google should exclude any accounts being managed by an agency or at least through an MCC with multiple companies.
October 23rd, 2010 at 4:26 pm
Yes . . . they should exclude businesses being serviced by others but how would that list be complied?
November 30th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
[...] has long been trying to crack the local and SMB ad market. It recently started selling tags with a telephone sales force. This is another step in that direction: Groupon could become a highly effective local [...]
December 1st, 2010 at 3:23 pm
[...] wrote not long ago about my experience talking to a telephone sales rep about Tags. This was a fascinating experience because it suggested to me that Google had moved off [...]
December 10th, 2010 at 1:12 am
[...] US markets apparently (but less than 30). Thus the SMB sales force and culture exists at Google (as we knew to some degree). Groupon would have added substantially to that saleforce of [...]
February 10th, 2012 at 3:31 pm
I just got the call (vmail) from a google rep. my places page feels like it is doing fine..and looks fine in the listing (top). would love to hear other’s stories about this. outcomes?