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(1) I have now tried on four different days at different times to reach someone titled as "Communications Officer" at one firm, finally giving up and deleting them as a possible contact. My daily job is to make contact with people, by definition, people with whom I make contact.

I don't feel bad about dropping a lead like that.

At the same time I ponder that someone charged with "communications" can be so inaccessible via the given phone number.

I can understand computer programmers hunched over their coding pads (or whatever they use nowadays) not wanting to take phone calls while they are deep in the creative process; I can understand artists-with-easels not wanting to get wet paint on the phone handset; I can understand Vice-Presidents being in a strategy meeting and not taking calls.

But I can't understand why someone responsible for external communications and press releases isn't carrying a cell phone and why that cell phone number isn't the one given out.

OK. Two cell phones – one for outside calls during 9am-5pm and another for internal corporate calls.

(2) It is tempting to pump the phone as quickly as possible and then batch the email work after business hours. I could squeeze many more calls in this way, but instead I choose to emit the emails as I receive permission to do so. This cuts my call rate to about one call per ten minutes.

Why this way?

Two reasons:

(a) When I postpone processing I'm tempted to leave it to the next day and start forgetting details, or else I just get confused.

(b) I figure that if someone gives me 60 seconds and says "Send me an email", getting that email too them while I am still fresh in their mind means the email is more likely to be read. As well I have our conversation fresh in my mind and can personalize the email before it is sent out.

(3) If I listen to the voice-mail in full (it take sonly ten seconds!) I build a better picture of the person with whom I will ultimately speak.

Bob's voice is warm, lively; he will be happy to engage in conversation for a few minutes. David's voice is stressed, and he may well be impatient.

Of course none of this takes effect once I make voice contact, for people's moods can vary from day to day, but the warm voices encourage me to keep on trying ….

(4) I am especially conscious of snagged text that includes "Direct Line" or a cell phone number.

Direct Line means that I might actually catch the person at their desk.

I am reluctant to call a cell number on the first call – that is, before I've established contact – but if all else fails it might be useful to ask for a Good Time To Call.

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

(5) The more I get into it the more I refine my practices.

This morning I began my maintenance of the old contacts database. I am now looking to make contact (preferably by phone) with 6 members and drop 6 members.

The first three stale records came up with people who I've met or established some form of personal contact; I don't drop them, but I don't want to spend time playing voice-mail tag.

I reason that a one-off email with someone with whom I've spoken will be acceptable.

Here's my trick for today: After I have composed the first email, I don't send it. I save it in the DRAFTS folder.

Sure enough, on the third contact I listen to the voice-mail and realize that I can craft a better email, so I do.

And now, because I haven't sent the first two, I can go back and enhance them!

I might even hang on to these drafts until first thing tomorrow morning, so that the contact will be "touched" by me today (voice mail) and tomorrow (email).

(6) The more I get into it the more my focus shifts.

I had modified my 'daily worksheet' to accommodate 6 Contacts made and 6 Contacts deleted.

But as time goes by and the "dead" contacts disappear my contact database is enriched. This morning I made seven phone calls, each one suitable for an email and voice mail message, without finding a single contact worth deleting!

This is a good sign and tells me that my pruning is working, because I am now comfortable with contacting a higher proportion of my contacts list.

Toronto and Mississauga, Sunday, December 05, 2010 9:11 PM