Are Phone Meetings as Important as Face-to-Face Meetings?
By Roberta Rosenberg on Nov 5, 2007 in Occasional Rantings
Judging from the past several weeks, I’m thinking the answer is no.
One of my clients has had me handling their case study program for a few months now. They send over the list of likely prospects and I contact them to arrange a phone interview. Of course, not everyone responds to the email and/or phone call.
Okay, that’s just how it is today. I get that. I don’t like it, but I get it.
Today’s rant, however, concerns those who do accept the invitation to be interviewed. The date is set. Perhaps my client sits in. I do all the logistics of making sure the conference call/recording duties are handled. I keep my own calendar clear of other commitments. Then I don my headphones, dial-in, and wait for my interview to arrive.
And wait. And wait. Then wait a little more. After 15 minutes of listening to some Kenny G light jazz trash, I realize I’ve been stood up … again.
I’m thinking this is happening with greater frequency. That keeping a phone meeting commitment not only isn’t important, it’s not even important enough to merit a quick email asking for a reschedule.
I’m not talking about the occasional brain fart where 10 minutes into something else you remember you had a previous appointment. We’ve all done that. I know I have. No, I’m talking about the next day email which goes something like “Gee, sorry, I know I blew you off but I had other things to do. Can we reschedule for another time so I can blow you off again?”
And yes, sometimes they indeed blow me off … again.
In the olden days (let’s say pre-1990s), we did business in person. We shook hands, eyed each other’s taste in clothing, and addressed each other face to face. It was time-consuming but it built relationships in a very different way than today’s social networking. I mean, I have clients today with whom I’ve never shared a cup of coffee because well, who has time for that? We could walk by each other in the street without a glimmer of recognition.
Sometimes, not often, but sometimes I do miss the olden days. (I also miss being able to order my hamburgers rare, but that’s a rant for a different post.)
I’m thinking for all the efficiencies and convenience we gain doing business by phone/fax/email/IM and texting – and with 3 kids to manage, I’m all for efficiency and convenience – we lose yet a little more of our civility and humanity in the process.
Damn shame, too.
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[tags] phone meetings, business courtesy [/tags]
Pat | Nov 6, 2007 | Reply
Roberta, my guess is anyone who knowingly stands up somebody because they’ve got ‘other things to do’ is lacking in civility every bit as much today as they would have been 20 years ago:-)
Dean Rieck @ Direct Creative Blog | Nov 6, 2007 | Reply
My advice: Charge for the time. You can charge flat fees for parts of projects you can control, but for things you can’t control, charge hourly. It won’t change the behavior of rude people, but at least you won’t be throwing your time away. Therefore, it may not be so annoying. And I’m sure your client will understand.
David Leland | Nov 6, 2007 | Reply
Roberta:
Short of not doing business with them, there’s not a whole lot you can do when someone is rude…
On a grander scale, there’s nothing more sacred than face time. When I worked for Seagate they sent me all over the world to interview companies for case studies…
The metric-driven folks couldn’t understand it. Where’s the ROI?
The value is in the relationship building personal history is vacant from vapid phone calls….sometimes it’s the best you can do, but it never replaces sitting in the same room with your subject.
David
Tom Chandler/Copywriter Underground | Nov 7, 2007 | Reply
“I’m thinking this is happening with greater frequency.”
It is.
Unfortunately, penalizing your client for the sloppy behavior of one of their customers can be a tough sell.
There’s no doubt I enjoy stronger relationships with my “face-to-face” clients. One of the reasons the “value-added copywriter” makes sense to me is you’ve got to strengthen the relationship where you can, and since the personal angle is fading a bit, it’s a logical way to compensate.
Perhaps. I may also be insane (but not insane enough to order a rare burger).
Roberta Rosenberg | Nov 7, 2007 | Reply
I should add here that I’m on retainer for this particular client so my time is actually compensated, so I’m not being pissy on the financial angle. But my time is valuable and I hate to have it wasted.
Now if my clients want to send me half way around the globe to write a 2-page case study, I’ll be happy to renew my passport on a rush basis
Elana | Nov 11, 2007 | Reply
Good morning Roberta!
This hits home for me. I have done the whole wait around kind of thing. Sometimes I make the mistake of getting up and grabbing extra coffee or even going to the restroom — and it is then that I miss their call! The funny thing is though, they stop trying after the one teeny effort. Of course, there are contacts who are prompt and never let me down, but it takes work to build that relationship. I do believe that once the relationship is built, it is rare that I am ever left hanging.
I do wish that I could meet a lot of my contacts in person, but the fact is, everyone is everywhere throughout the world. So considering that the convenience of meeting a person for a quick in-person appointment is impossible, the least a PROFESSIONAL can do is return a call, stay on schedule with an interview, and/or e-mail (or text!) if they can’t follow through with their word.