Is it Just Me?
I know that I am getting old. I can tell because I can still fog a mirror, and I have a pulse. Yet I continue to be frustrated by people who have poor manners when it comes to telephone etiquette. Or maybe my standards are too high.
The other day I called a potential client, a financial planner. I met him at a networking event. He told me to call. When I called his office, he answered the telephone. He then told me that he was busy, and I would have to call back. I often wonder why people, if they are busy or in a meeting, just don’t let voice mail pick up the call. Or are they waiting for that “million dollar” call that will change their lives forever? I wonder what the important call is that they are waiting for. Now this is not the first time this has happened to me. I bet it has happened to you. What do you do? (I really would like your thoughts on this!)
What I did, knowing from experience that people like this will keep you in “telephone tag heaven,” is send him an email to schedule telephone time. We agreed on a set time and day. On the set time and day I called. Guess what? He was not available for the telephone call. It went to his voice mail. He called back 20 minutes later. He was in a meeting that was moved back one half-hour. Now I am supposed to reschedule my day for him. Some will say that I am inflexible. I say the potential client is rude. One of the pillars of INTEGRITY (see www.integritysd.com) is doing business with people of the highest morals, values and ethics. He and I will not do business. I will never refer him to people I know and love! I want to only refer people who respect everyone’s time, not only their time.
Now I wonder why does someone like this need to hire someone to help him attract the right prospects and generate more referrals? If he would just do what he says he is going to do he would probably have all the business he wants. I think this guy repeatedly does this to clients and potential clients. That is why he needs to hire someone to help him attract the right prospects and generate more referrals.
Speaking about telephone appointments and missing them, how about the executive that has a special person to schedule her appointments? Now here is a gal who has the scheduler schedule a pre-appointment by telephone to then schedule the telephone interview for the Internet radio show. Guess what? She did not call at the assigned time for the pre-appointment interview.
Again, maybe my standards are too high. If you think so you might want to stop reading here. If you are interested in changing time wasting behaviors here is some advice. Practice doing business with people who honor your values and value your time. Spending time with people who practice the virtue of high value, reinforce high value behavior.
You will get a reputation in the business community that this is the way you conduct business. For some this is acceptable. Being known as someone who wastes others time will affect the quality of business you do and will ultimately affect your bottom line in a negative way. As with the financial planner and the female executive, they will attract “like unto themselves.” Their business will be low quality. Do you think this financial planner or female executive will be able to attract high-end clients, those who earn in the top four percent of the income earners in the United State? Do you want to attract the top income earners to your business? People who are earning in excess of a million dollars per year will not allow people to serve them this way. It is your choice. How do you choose?
Gerry Rose runs INTEGRITY Networking Solutions in Oceanside, CA. He works with people in business who want to attract the right prospects and generate more referrals. More than 10,000 businesses have been presented the INTEGRITY Networking Solutions system in San Diego, Riverside, and Orange Counties.
Gerry’s stimulating presentation Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals is ideally suited for small business owners, home-based businesses, and independent professionals who want clearer direction and want to attract more prospects, develop dynamic systems, and strengthen their companies’ accountability. Gerry does one on one consulting, conducts a range of keynote speeches from thirty minutes to full-day education workshops.
His book series, Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals, are available on the website, www.integritysd.com.
Gerry has more than 20 years’ experience directing business owners how to grow their businesses. He is a networking dynamo. Those who know him will assure you that he does a great job of bringing people together—which is why he started IntegritY.
Involved with networking organizations since 1984, Gerry is a Distinguished Toastmaster, a member of Toastmaster International, and has chaired numerous chambers of commerce and non-profit organizations.
Are you truly committed to attracting the right prospects and generate more referrals? If so then contact INTEGRITY Networking Solutions for availability and information. You can contact Gerry by mail at 1610 Quiet Hills Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056. Direct dial (760) 439-4623; e-mail to gerry@integritysd.com. For more information, go to www.integritysd.com
