PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE CALLS!

You’ve checked your cell phone, you’ve looked for the email and you checked your land line….still the urgent response you have been seeking from a client, vendor or service provider has not come in. You can’t help but wonder; “what’s wrong with people?”

WELL, this is precisely how your client feels when you neglect to respond to her messages. NEVER ignore a client! You may be short on time, in the midst of a huge project or sick in bed with the flu, but use common courtesy and return the call.

These days you can send off a brief text on the cell phone. First apologize for not getting right back to her. Provide a specific time you can speak with her if you are leaving a message. STICK to that time even if you need to reschedule another task.

COMMON COURTESY

It may be a “lost art” for some, but not for a professional as yourself!

You probably receive numerous calls throughout the day. It is far easier to answer them immediately than to try to admit to yourself that you were “ignoring” her.

Considering you are a small business or a consultant, most likely there is no assistant to screen your calls or to take messages.

But keep in mind, it takes just one unhappy client to cause potential customers to consider taking their business elsewhere! Your ignored call may be regarding a simple question or concern your client is having. Or, it could be she wants to refer you to a colleague who is looking for your expertise. And then again, it could be she is so happy with your work that she wants to do another, larger project!

Just be sure to ask yourself why you want to ignore ANY client call? Has she been unhappy with some part of the project? Did she let you know, in a very ambiguous way, and it left you unsure of where you stand? Just make the call!!

If you have received 15 phone calls today you most likely have three times as many emails to weed through. This process can be much simpler by setting up filters directing specific emails to specific folders on your email setting. Take a few minutes to set them up and then BE SURE to check those folders each day!

Email is very much like text; you can respond quickly to a query with a few lines, helping a client to resolve an issue or set up a time to speak in person.

Personally, I set alarm reminders on my cell and on my laptop. Too often my day gets busy and I tend to push those handwritten notes to the side of the desk.

Post It Notes were made for me! They are in my kitchen, near my door and on dashboard of my car. Whatever it takes to get you into a habit of being responsive and attentive to your clients needs…JUST DO IT!