Don't Panic - It's Just a Tactic!

I'm self-employed and have a small business entity. Because of this, and the writing and voice work that I do, I have a little presence online.

But from the deluge of phone calls and scam emails I get, you'd think I had a bankroll and thousands of employees. And because these calls and emails have been increasing in number and desperation (and I hear this from other small business friends and associates, as well), I figured it was time to address it in this column.

While I'm annoyed and frustrated at the calls - each time telling them to take me off their list (it only helps a bit, but it's worth doing, anyway) - I'm more surprised that any of the online tactics work.

First, let me back up and address the question of the many solicitations small businesses (so, doctors, lawyers, an single or small business practitioner, listen up) will get. They typically use a scare tactic, that usually goes something like this (either in an email, or over the phone): "I Googled your business, and I couldn't find it. You don't appear on the first page, and when I do find you, you have bad ratings. I can fix that."

Or, "Look at this! (Screen capture of your business on the first page of a Google search, with a link to a mass-produced video ad, inserting your company name/logo, gleaned from searching the internet for "doctors, city" - or whatever the target it.) See what we can do for you? Give me a call today, and we can talk about the ways I can help." (Then there is a link to a templated website with a smiling photo of the person who is supposedly rendering these "custom" videos and search results. I'm aware of all this, because since I do some video and web work, I am a prime target for the "warrior" ads offering the software to create these ads and videos and re-sell them on your own website and to your own mailing list.)

Or, "I see that you have a business doing (name of various things your small business does), but you have not claimed your business name. We can help you do that, and get started marketing your business to get excellent results." Claimed. As if it's a parcel of land that might contain gold, and if you don't "claim" it, someone else will!

Some of these people will call you three times a day, email you five times a week.

In a way, it brings out the Crusader Rabbit in me - not just from the standpoint of warning off the potential victim (the small business owner), but also because the idea of people stuck in a little cube with a headset on and a robodialer running through an endless list of phone numbers, hoping to connect with one, is more than a little pathetic.

However, the shadiness of the tactic outweighs my sympathy in the end.

In the final analysis, the emails are easier to spot and ignore.  Here's one I got today:
Subject line: "ScholarshipZone.com! Over USD300,000 (there one "tell") in Scholarships Awarded!"
Body copy: "Check out our pass (there's another "tell") winners and how they spent their winnings."

So, a legitimate US company won't bother with the USD, of course. And the site itself is simply a drawing site, which confirms that you are, in fact, nothing but a marketing target. If you sign up, you've given them your name, phone number, birthdate, and other pertinent information that if it won't be used illegally, will certainly be used to market to you. (And worse, you've given them "permission.")

Then, if the company can't even spell correctly, and can't be bothered to check the spelling/grammar on its emails, a red flag should be raised immediately. 

And, like those crazy headlines that take you to ad-laden websites ("The Most Ugly Celebrities EVER - See Shocking Photos!!") the subject lines on these emails are very likely dire warnings: "This is Your LAST Chance!" "I Can't Believe You Didn't Act - See Who Did!". We used to call this tactic "social engineering," but it's so common now that it doesn't even warrant any status.

The bottom line is this: if you have a small business, of course you're going to want to promote it, and of course you're going to want to show up reasonably well on search results (but don't be surprised if your business is changing tires that you're up against a lot of competition!). It is a good idea to register your business with Google (simply done by creating a Google account), to have a Facebook page, a decent website, and be sure that it's optimized as well as possible.

But you don't want to sign up to do business with someone who calls you twenty times, or won't take no for an answer, or wants you to sign a long-term contract. You don't want to be working with someone in "Idaho," (Idaho??) who has a foreign accent, or who uses your first name every third word.

Never panic when the emails or the phone calls try to incite panic. Think about it - find someone you can trust in your area, and treat your online presence as simply a current cost of doing business. I'm certain businesses around the turn of the century were annoyed at the cost of a telephone system that they had to install in order to serve their customers. Now it's Internet presence and services, too. But it needn't be overwhelming, and you don't have to fall for scams!