We’re more connected than ever before.
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube… MySpace?… that’s still a thing, right?
At our fingertips is a connection to nearly every person on the planet from the United States to the far reaches of Siberia. We have the power to follow influencers in Peru, while studying cooking videos made by folks in Taiwan and going over marketing guide drafts with our team in India. It’s crazy how normal this has become in our day-to-day lives.
The one thing that seems to be slipping further and further from our grasp is how and when to put the apps away and pick up the damn phone.
A previous supervisor of mine use to scream it from the rafters any time a sales executive would whine about not billing enough business, “How many phone calls are you making each day?”
Usually, that number was low. The response was always the same, “You need to pick up the phone more. At least 100 calls per day.”
Remember “the phone?” Calling people used to be the main reason you purchased a phone. And now, especially with Millennials and the younger generation, it seems to be such a foreign concept for people to connect through voice.
You may be surprised how many young(er) hires I have that refuse to pick up the phone to speak with anyone. Not just their friends or family. Anyone.
A young sports reporter that use to hang around the office only corresponded with people through email or text, never phone calls. He would send public relations folks, coaches, general managers… everyone… to voicemail, then follow up with a text or email. Needless to say, he couldn’t seem to make contacts. He didn’t last too long in this business either. All that money on a degree when he should’ve doubled-down on real life communication.
It’s becoming more and more foreign for us to dial numbers and let our voices be heard, but we need to understand that it’s still a fundamental truth in sales, marketing, advertising, sports, or whatever… you need to make genuine contact with people. They need to hear the sincerity, passion and trust in your voice.
Yes, it’s intimidating. Yes, when you’re new at something, it can be downright daunting. Yes, email and text make it incredibly easy to stay connected.
But sales, and careers, aren’t found in the “easy.”
Sometimes, you’ve got to pick up the damn phone.
Tags: business, career, life, work