Do you often make phone appointments with clients? I do so quite often.
Agents I’ve corresponded with via email and who are interested in a bio, web copy, or perhaps a brochure often want to get together and talk before making a commitment. Other times we need to get together to clarify some points while I’m working on their copy.
I always opt to do the calling. 
Most of my clients are real estate agents, which means their schedules are often interrupted. And, even though marketing their services is beyond important, taking care of a client who wants their attention has to take priority at a given moment.
- Sometimes they get busy and forget they were going to call.
- Sometimes a client is standing in front of them and they can’t make a call – even to let me know of a change in plans.
- Sometimes a showing turns into a lengthy session hammering out details while they write an offer.
After a few sessions of hanging out by the phone, not starting a project which could be interrupted any minute, and not making other phone calls while I waited for a call that wasn’t going to come… I decided that I’d be the one to place the call.
If something has interrupted the agent’s day I’ll get a message machine. If the interruption was a phone call, they’ll generally call back within a few minutes. If I don’t get that nearly immediate call back, I wait perhaps 10 minutes, then go on to something else.
If it was something that would prevent them from returning the call promptly, then I’m not wasting my time – and they know I didn’t forget them. Neither one of us has to feel cross.
Image courtesy of iosphere|freedigitalphotos.net
