Follow Up: Is the telephone my enemy?

    A businessowner I recently met expressed that she has been feeling like the telephone is NOT her friend and appears to a big obstacle in her reaching her goals.  I reassured her that the device that many businessowners cannot live without is not there to harm her but instead, to assist in the process of gaining much more confidence for getting sales.

After having this conversation, it dawned on me how many people in business really struggle with follow up and view the telephone as their "enemy" or as I have collectively dubbed it "the green-eyed monster."   So, with a little more thought put into the follow up process, something began to register in my mind:   As humans, if we DO NOT have a telephone, we feel cut off from the world.   Pre-teens and teens alike beg their parents for a phone so that they may keep in contact with their friends.   I also recall, a fellow co-worker who did not own a cell phone as he felt if somebody really wanted to find him, they would leave a message for him on his answering machine at his home.   As a human race, we need our telephones to conduct our personal business, i.e. schedule appointments, keep in contact with friends and family, follow up on upcoming events, etc.

So, why is such a challenge for business owners to follow up when it comes to putting appointments on their OWN books in order to gain more success?    Simple, there are two sides to this coin.   (1) As your average everyday person, if there are things that need to be tended to then, placing the phone call is no small feat.  It must be done.  Scheduling that doctor's appointment, calling the child's school, keeping in touch with your spouse during the course of the day...those things come as a second nature to humans.  That is not viewed as "follow up"  (2) As a businessowner, if there are opportunities to be met, that will possibly connect you to somebody who will help you get to the top..............then there is a feeling of immediate fear that overcomes you.   To pick up the phone, dial those numbers and form the words to initiate that conversation makes people just want faint.    We tend to allow a tremendous amount of focus to be placed on thoughts that are pre-conceived and pre-meditated which in turn leads to feelings of self doubt. Here is a little insight for those who are challenged in this area, the person that you are wanting to reach out to, has a thousand other things going on in their minds as well, and possibly could be experiencing these same feelings.   

Just remember, when you are making phone calls in your everyday life, you are FOLLOWING UP!