Networking at the Speed of Light – by Ron Bates

How hard is it to connect with people by phone? In this day and age, it's pretty darn hard. Saying nothing about gate keepers, and the fact that many executives don't even answer the phone if it isn't a scheduled call, many executives simply have too many contact coordinates:

Business Phone

Mobile Phone

Home Phone

Blackberry

Multiple Email Accounts

What is the easiest medium of communication to respond to?

With out a doubt, it is email.

Why?

Because people can respond to email even when they are having a conversation with another person on the phone. They also don't have to risk getting sucked into a 15-30 minute conversation when communicating via email.

Many people don't even return voicemail messages anymore. Why? Because they can't afford to get sucked into a 15-30 minute conversation - or worse - the black hole of voicemail tag when they return a voicemail.

This doesn't mean never communicate with people outside of email. It means really understand how easy or difficult you are making it for someone to respond to you when you chose a medium of communication to reach out to someone.

Want a faster response when you reach out to people? Make sure whatever medium you choose to reach out to people with, you crisply and succinctly state:

Who you are.

Why you are reaching out to them specifically.

What specifically you need/want from the recipient.

How they can reach you via email.

Specifically -when- they can reach you via phone if that's even an option.

This might seem obvious to some, but I'm constantly amazed at the number of voice and email messages people leave where they only state their name and phone number - that's it.

Happy Networking!

Ron Bates
Managing Principal
Executive Advantage Group
rbates@executive-advantage.com

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