Answering the Call
When you talk on the phone, be present. Don’t get distracted by someone else in the office, your family at your home office, or the project you were working on when the phone rang. If your project is that important, don’t answer the phone.
Most of us don’t work with life or death situations in our businesses, so letting a call go to voice mail rather than giving the caller less than 100% of your attention is preferable.
If I am making marketing calls, I do not answer the phone for any reason. I focus on what I need to accomplish to make my business function smoothly. Each interruption will cost a loss of fifteen minutes minimum.
Don’t hide behind voice mail. Unless you’re working on a project, answer calls as they come in. It’s a waste of everyone’s time if you use voice mail as a means to elude people. Confirm all your appointments the day before. It serves to remind your appointment and gives you the opportunity to clarify when and where you’ll be meeting. You’ll be surprised at how many times they will tell you how much they appreciate your thoughtfulness.