Comments on: Dealing with Unreturned Phone Calls http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2007/04/02/dealing-with-unreturned-phone-calls/ Mimi Spangler's Blog on Rainmaking and Business Development Sat, 17 Dec 2011 22:48:43 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Ford Harding http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2007/04/02/dealing-with-unreturned-phone-calls/comment-page-1/#comment-18573 Ford Harding Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:54:59 +0000 http://208.112.40.244/blog/2007/04/02/dealing-with-unreturned-phone-calls/#comment-18573 Tom Good story! Thanks for reinforcing the point. Ford Harding Tom

Good story! Thanks for reinforcing the point.

Ford Harding

]]> By: Tom Kelly http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2007/04/02/dealing-with-unreturned-phone-calls/comment-page-1/#comment-18551 Tom Kelly Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:47:34 +0000 http://208.112.40.244/blog/2007/04/02/dealing-with-unreturned-phone-calls/#comment-18551 I couldn't agree more concerning persistence in making contact even when the customer doesn't return calls or emails. Sometimes the combination of being busy and being unable to connect your product/service with their current needs translates into a lack of urgency in responding. But, they'll remember you when they do need you. I was on the other side of this situation -- I've an open door policy and vendors had the ability to drop in unannounced. I'd give them a few minutes but not much more than that. This one vendor called on me every month for a year, in person, and I kept saying that there were no needs for his product -- I was very satisfied with his competitor. Until the day that I had an emergency and my regular supplier couldn't deliver. I gave the other vendor a call with a challenge -- help me out and you'll win a substantial percent of my business for this product. He did, so I did. Persistence kept him "top of mind". His readiness to think creatively and deliver won him the business. I couldn’t agree more concerning persistence in making contact even when the customer doesn’t return calls or emails. Sometimes the combination of being busy and being unable to connect your product/service with their current needs translates into a lack of urgency in responding. But, they’ll remember you when they do need you.

I was on the other side of this situation — I’ve an open door policy and vendors had the ability to drop in unannounced. I’d give them a few minutes but not much more than that. This one vendor called on me every month for a year, in person, and I kept saying that there were no needs for his product — I was very satisfied with his competitor.

Until the day that I had an emergency and my regular supplier couldn’t deliver. I gave the other vendor a call with a challenge — help me out and you’ll win a substantial percent of my business for this product. He did, so I did.

Persistence kept him “top of mind”. His readiness to think creatively and deliver won him the business.

]]> By: Ford Harding http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2007/04/02/dealing-with-unreturned-phone-calls/comment-page-1/#comment-18006 Ford Harding Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:27:06 +0000 http://208.112.40.244/blog/2007/04/02/dealing-with-unreturned-phone-calls/#comment-18006 Anne Well put, though it takes a while for most of us to learn this. It is imporntant that remind out cleints that we are still alive and interested in working with them, and sometime, even to remind them of what we do. Your personal shopper obviously does this for you, and I suspect that you appreciate the attention, even when you don't return her calls. And, from the sound of it, I bet you do the same for your clients. Ford Harding Anne

Well put, though it takes a while for most of us to learn this. It is imporntant that remind out cleints that we are still alive and interested in working with them, and sometime, even to remind them of what we do. Your personal shopper obviously does this for you, and I suspect that you appreciate the attention, even when you don’t return her calls. And, from the sound of it, I bet you do the same for your clients.

Ford Harding

]]> By: Anne Simmons http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2007/04/02/dealing-with-unreturned-phone-calls/comment-page-1/#comment-18003 Anne Simmons Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:58:29 +0000 http://208.112.40.244/blog/2007/04/02/dealing-with-unreturned-phone-calls/#comment-18003 This series of blogs reminds me of an experience with a large client. It was when I was working for a large consultancy. One of the senior partners on an account (arguably a rainmaker) seemed to be making a pain out of herself at a very large client. I asked a very senior and seasoned partner why the client would let this happen, and he reminded me that we are a means to an end. Some of the noise in the middle is to be expected. We sometimes call clients friends when I think we are merely friendly. As such, when they don't call us back, it is because they don't need anything from us at the time. Not that they don't like us, respect us, or want us to help them do what they need to get done. It's like when your personal shopper calls to tell you that your favorite designer has a new line out. If you don't need anything, you don't call her back just to say thanks for the call. This series of blogs reminds me of an experience with a large client. It was when I was working for a large consultancy. One of the senior partners on an account (arguably a rainmaker) seemed to be making a pain out of herself at a very large client. I asked a very senior and seasoned partner why the client would let this happen, and he reminded me that we are a means to an end. Some of the noise in the middle is to be expected. We sometimes call clients friends when I think we are merely friendly. As such, when they don’t call us back, it is because they don’t need anything from us at the time. Not that they don’t like us, respect us, or want us to help them do what they need to get done. It’s like when your personal shopper calls to tell you that your favorite designer has a new line out. If you don’t need anything, you don’t call her back just to say thanks for the call.

]]> By: Hardingco Blog » Blog Archive » Seeing Events through a Rainmaker’s Eyes, Part 1 http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2007/04/02/dealing-with-unreturned-phone-calls/comment-page-1/#comment-17936 Hardingco Blog » Blog Archive » Seeing Events through a Rainmaker’s Eyes, Part 1 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:19:11 +0000 http://208.112.40.244/blog/2007/04/02/dealing-with-unreturned-phone-calls/#comment-17936 [...] In earlier posts (Dealing with Unreturned Phone Calls, A Lesson from Joe) I described how easy it is to misinterpret a lack of response from a prospective client. This is but one example of a broader tendency for rainmakers to see things differently from the rest of us.  Here are two more examples: [...] [...] In earlier posts (Dealing with Unreturned Phone Calls, A Lesson from Joe) I described how easy it is to misinterpret a lack of response from a prospective client. This is but one example of a broader tendency for rainmakers to see things differently from the rest of us.  Here are two more examples: [...]

]]> By: David Maister http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2007/04/02/dealing-with-unreturned-phone-calls/comment-page-1/#comment-9 David Maister Thu, 05 Apr 2007 15:56:46 +0000 http://208.112.40.244/blog/2007/04/02/dealing-with-unreturned-phone-calls/#comment-9 Great blogposts so far, Ford! We'll all look forward to more. I think you're onto something very important here. Great blogposts so far, Ford! We’ll all look forward to more.

I think you’re onto something very important here.

]]> By: Ford Harding http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2007/04/02/dealing-with-unreturned-phone-calls/comment-page-1/#comment-8 Ford Harding Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:58:40 +0000 http://208.112.40.244/blog/2007/04/02/dealing-with-unreturned-phone-calls/#comment-8 I have reflected on why I (like most people) think that other people think about me more than they do. Why should that be? Becaue I think about myself quite often, and so assume others do, too. And why do I think about myself so much? Probably because I spend so much time with myself. I am with myself practically every day, so of course I am led to think about me. Clients, who spend much less time with me naturally think of me less often. Am I on to something here, Charlie? I have reflected on why I (like most people) think that other people think about me more than they do. Why should that be? Becaue I think about myself quite often, and so assume others do, too. And why do I think about myself so much? Probably because I spend so much time with myself. I am with myself practically every day, so of course I am led to think about me. Clients, who spend much less time with me naturally think of me less often. Am I on to something here, Charlie?

]]> By: Charles H. Green http://www.hardingco.com/blog/2007/04/02/dealing-with-unreturned-phone-calls/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Charles H. Green Thu, 05 Apr 2007 02:33:52 +0000 http://208.112.40.244/blog/2007/04/02/dealing-with-unreturned-phone-calls/#comment-7 Ford, welcome to the blogosphere! It is good to have your voice--and your experience, and lessons. One thing I like about this posting is the powerful reminder that we are never quite as much at the center of everyone else's universe as we might think we are. We're generally not as good as we think we are, nor as bad as we think we are. What we can be sure of is that others just don't think of us at all as much as we think they do! And as you point out, there is freedom in that. Freedom to just pick up the phone and dial and find out the truth, whatever it may be. Ford, welcome to the blogosphere! It is good to have your voice–and your experience, and lessons.

One thing I like about this posting is the powerful reminder that we are never quite as much at the center of everyone else’s universe as we might think we are.

We’re generally not as good as we think we are, nor as bad as we think we are. What we can be sure of is that others just don’t think of us at all as much as we think they do! And as you point out, there is freedom in that. Freedom to just pick up the phone and dial and find out the truth, whatever it may be.

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