You’d think with how widely used and accepted cell phones are…plus most people’s access to multiple phone lines, you wouldn’t have long waits on return phone calls. After all, business and personal associates could get a hold of you at any time of day or night. And if calling won’t work, text messaging is another option, albeit a lazy one.
That knowledge under advisement, it’s amazing how many people are not very good at returning calls in a timely manner. We’re not talking within an hour, or even 24 hours. But what about within the same week you’ve received a call? I take all calls coming in as opportunities to make a friend, lose a friend, gain some business, or lose some business. So if you don’t even return the call, how can you control these four big outcomes? I tend to be someone who doesn’t place calls in the first place unless I judge the subject matter to be important to my call-ee, me, or both of us.
I’ve even bumped into a couple business acquaintances who look me in the eye and tell me they owe me a phone call. Alas, you’d think I’d hear from them within the week. Nope.
So my wish for all successful and respectable people in 2007 is to be more aware of the message you’re sending when you don’t pick up whatever device is most handy and just call ‘em back!