Over the past month or so I have had projects that have required me to speak on the phone to people. While this may seem a novel thing to do in this age of email, texting, IM’ing, LinkedIn and other social media, when it came to getting an honest direct answer to my questions:
It worked. Seriously.
When you have someone live, on the phone or in person, it is rare that they won’t answer a direct question. In my case, I was asking either for a reference or to recall a mailing or message.
With email most will ignore the message entirely. Same goes for voicemail messages. But when you get a real person, they have to react real time. So, you get one of several reactions:
- They engage you in polite conversation and then ring you off.
- They hang up.
- They really talk with you and answer your questions and respond to your requests.
It was this last reaction that took me by surprise. I guess the reason they stayed on the line with me was that it was refreshing was not be robocalled or be sold to. That last comment means I didn’t take the approach that I was selling anything–I was either volunteering information or asking for a answer to a simple set of questions.
And I ended up with the information or reaction I was looking for.
The point is to talk with people live. And when you do, do these things:
- Be polite.
- Make it about them.
- Avoid a sales pitch.
- Have a clear purpose before you call.
Nothing replaces live interaction. While social media has its place, remember that the object is to engage with a person, not just keep score.
Relentless
