Your Front Line's Verbal Image

What is your "front line", the first people to talk to a prospective client or vendor, saying, and HOW are they saying it?

Research shows that 93% of the first impression is non-verbal, but based on factors such as tone of voice, rate of speaking, dress, facial expressions, etc. Only 7% of the first impression is based on words alone.

Today I spoke to a member of the "front line" of a multi-million dollar company, about working for them as a vendor. She answered the phone at 10 AM sounding bored and uncaring. A few minutes later, she said of the staff member to whom she referred me, "I think he does stuff like that." Her information about the staff member's responsibilities was very inaccurate, but her language was worse - it was appropriate for a first grader, not for someone who should have had some college background!

If you work in marketing or public relations, are your efforts being undercut by poor communication skills of your "front liners"?