Do not pick up that phone
Everyone has been ahead of me this week on organizational ideas. No doubt everyone is already incorporating this little time-saver idea into their working hours (it also works well for personal time) but I thought I would mention it just in case.
-
Allow your message service to take ALL your calls (unless you are expecting a call at a specific time and/or are to be on a conference call).
-
Then choose two or three times a day in a defined timeframe to pickup messages and return the calls.
-
Prioritize the calls before doing any.
-
Keep your callbacks short, to-the-point and on schedule.
-
When your timeframe is up, do not call anyone else. Wait for the next call back timeframe.
-
Repeat the sequence.
-
Return all calls within a 12 hour window – it is bad business etiquette to take longer than that.
I know it’s difficult in the beginning and it takes practice but once you catch on to it, you’ll be surprised how much more efficient you become.
To your success…
Sue Crutcher, Life Empowerment Mentor and Success Coach
Comments
This has been a HUGE time saver for me. Almost everyone I deal with hates that I do this but it works out so much better for me. It's amazing how when you are in a thinking state and have to deal with others input you are so drawn away from what you were doing.
Plus it's been proven that the person who is doing the calling is considered to have the dominant side of the conversation
Focus your energy
Matthew Shields
I am just like Matt. I've been doing this for a couple of years, my cell phone and landlines all go to voicemail unless I have a call scheduled. I am always amazed at how many people have this compulsive need to answer every single phone call. I do the same with reading/answering emails - 3 specific slots a day.
Many people are surprised when you don't let *their* (so-called) emergencies alter *your* schedule. But they quickly get used to it and very quickly come to respect your time.
Excellent advice Sue.
Yann
Personal Development & Success Coach
Sue you are addressing an issue I have been struggling with for quite some time. I consistently try to be proactive in my business but frequent phone calls force me to be reactive. I am pretty good when I sit down to write, because I turn the phone off, but when I am working I find they just pile up if I do not respond to them in a timely manner.Some days I get up to 25 - 40 calls. Assuming 5-10 minutes average on the call back it cannot be done.
I guess I need to add more staff.
Steve Chambers
Of course, on a date, I usually DON't look and will turn it off. Then my phone is MY tool. Bless their hearts, most men are like that as well on dates. Some will take a short call, but they are polite about it. Ask first at least and keep it brief. Why? because I'm the pretty one and in demand. Someone else will get that slot if you don't treat me really, really well to win me.
All the best,
April BraswellRomance Coach, Online Dating Coach
DrPeter
Because your business is based on emergency, panicky situations, Lisa, it is true you may not be able to do this. In your case you need to be as efficient as possible getting information required, scheduling and then hanging up -- not getting caught up in their situation and letting them rope you into talking about it for 30 minutes or more.
Sue
Scott A Bell
I am The Road Warrior
I love this advice...it's a whole different way of thinking for me, though. I don't have a service, so I rely on my answering machine.
Wardrobe Planning Expert
Aaron
Jenn -- your answering machine is your 'answering service' and it makes it sound like your company is much larger when you use that term. See comment below as well for help.
Aaron -- as with Lisa, some professions do not allow the luxury of letting the answering machine take the calls. In your case, on the waste of time calls you would work on keeping them as short as possible. I have one person who calls me (her goal is to waste other people's time because she is desperately lonely) and even if I say 'I have to go to the bathroom badly', she would say, 'go ahead. I'll wait.' Even if I take that literally, go and flush the toilet, it doesn't phase her. Sad, isn't it. I've learned to simply tell her, right at the beginning of a conversation that I have x amount of time. Then I follow through on it. It's hard to do and sometimes there are hurted feelings but I've learned that this is a passive control behaviour on her part and to not get caught in the guilty emotion that is supposed to attach to it. Hope that offers useful guidance.
Sue
sue
simple rule here at the house.
if you pick up the phone, you are required to talk to the person calling and can't hand off the phone.
:-)
no more stimulus response creatures here....
www.kevinhogan.com
Sue, after spending WAY too much of my life looking for my keys, I hung a basket by the front door and saved myself TONS of time and stress. But your other ideas are new to me and are KEEPERS!!!!!! Thank you for sharing them!!!!
I like how you thinK!!!
Sonya Lenzo
www.sonyamlenzo.com
Aaron