Pick Up the Phone

I know.  Nobody wants to pick up their phone. I get it. But you’re missing out.

A lot of people are.  Investing a dime has never been more out-of-style.  The kids make fun of it.  Marketing guys joke about it in national TV campaigns. It’s true, too, 9 out of 10 times a text will do.

We’re talking about public relations and getting the job done, though. 

Whether it’s client relationships or working with the press, to get results, there’s nothing more important than connection.  

Picking up the phone means connection. Hear me out here.

Actually speaking to another living human being is good for your brain and it fosters relationships in ways that more disposable forms of communication never will.  That also means results.

Have a press event tomorrow? Call your favorite reporter and ask about his or her availability.   

Have a big client meeting on the horizon? Dial up your point of contact to actually verbally talk through what’s most helpful that afternoon. (You can be the star of the retreat.)

Have a friend you haven’t heard from in a while? Pick up the phone.

Literally speaking with folks helps us get results, avoid confusion and feel better, too.  It also helps us cut through the clutter.

If you’re like me, you’re resolving to have Inbox-Zero in the New Year.  If you’re like me, you’re also destined to fail.  Surveys say the average American has 1,602 unread emails and 47 unread texts.  There’s just too much clutter.

We’re still not sure if it’s worse being left on read or unread.

Actual conversations with living, breathing human beings avoid that conundrum entirely.

Then there’s the trouble with tone and context. We can lose both so easily over text.

Over the phone, it’s much easier to convey the right emotional and contextual messages.

Life is about connection. Our line of work is, too. Talk to you soon.