It’s easier! It’s faster! I did my job!

I rarely answer my phone unless the number is already saved in my contacts. I generally let unfamiliar calls go to voicemail. Sadly, there are too many scams, phishing ploys, and now AI, all designed to trick us in some way.

Because of this, I believe that most people are like me and understandably do not answer their phones if they don’t know who is calling. Then, there is the choice not to answer the phone because it is easier to let it go to voicemail than it is to actually talk to the person. The worst is a term I have heard called “ghosting,” and that is never responding to the person who calls until eventually that person understands that they are not wanted.

In business, however, we rely on and need to communicate with people. In design/sales especially, there are those design/salespeople who find it easier to send an email or a text — and that is one way to do their job. But often, they think that is the best way to do a good job. But is it?

You have a task or to-do on your calendar to follow up with a client and find out if the client has accepted your proposal, so you send an email or text rather than a phone call because it is easier and faster.

Certainly, all of us use email and texts for communication, but what I am trying to address is the concept of “hiding.” To me, that is thinking that you are doing your job by text and email, but really hoping that the person is busy, out of town, and won’t answer. Then it is on them (in your mind) to get back to you.

I believe “hiding” is predominantly about rejection. None of us wants to be told “No.” We take it personally; even though people say it is “just business” (which it usually is), it still hurts. So, sending an email or a text minimizes the rejection, but we can still say that we did our job and followed up.

Do you hide behind email and text? Do you want to change?

If so, read on. Over the years, the common theory in sales is that most people require “7 touches” to get a response. Seven times to reach out to ask for the appointment. Seven times to reach out to ask for the sale. I have heard this over and over, so my reaction was to keep track of the number of times I reached out and got to 10 times because I knew that I would eventually get an answer. In truth, sometimes a “no answer” is good for business because you no longer waste time following up on a dead end. It allows you to keep focused on the people who are still interested in your products and services.

I believe that, essentially, people have evolved so that the “7 touch” theory may no longer be relevant. There may not be any number of attempts that work because telling someone “No” can be tough, awkward, or downright impossible for some people.

Or sometimes “hiding” is just a matter of timing. I think many of us have experienced a customer where the appointment went well; we did a good design at a fair price, and we began to follow up, and follow up, and follow up until we just marked that client as “lost.” Then, a year later, we get a call, email, or text out of the blue with their approval!

You know if you are hiding or if your employees or co-workers are hiding, and a way to come out from hiding is to do four things:

Record each attempt with the date, time, and method, along with anything specific in your message. I would use abbreviations to make it easier, like LMTC (Left Message To Call).

Create a new date and time to follow up and try again.

The reason for knowing the time of day is to understand schedules; people have jobs, kids’ routines, pets, etc., and you want to call on different days of the week, at different times of day, to try to cover all potential schedule conflicts.

Be as sincere in your message as possible, whether it is by voicemail, text, or email.

In all of your messages, be sure to include the next date you will follow up. This does two things: it lets them know that if they do not return your message before that date, you will follow up, and if you do follow up when you said you would follow up, it demonstrates that you follow through on your promises.

You might consider using AI to create some fun texts and emails like “Hello from the other side,” or “Let’s break the silence and make magic happen!” Or maybe ask them to just let you know if they want you to continue to follow up or not, because you don’t want to intrude on their time.

I believe that a lot of people do listen to voicemail or read a text if it is from a real person, even if they choose not to respond. At the end of the day, we are all human beings who have feelings and emotions, and for me, trying to connect to people in a professional but authentic and genuine manner is the best way to communicate.

The trick is consistency. Years ago, consistency started with a 3-inch by 5-inch index card, but today, a CRM (Customer Relationship Manager) is essential for managing all of the details we have with each lead and client. However, a CRM is only as good as the information you enter, but when you use it every day, it helps you to narrow your focus only on the leads and clients that you want to target for the day, and helps you to avoid distractions.

Remember, the first step is awareness; if you feel that you have been hiding, take the steps mentioned above and make the choice to stop hiding. Accept that there is rejection in all areas of life, and know that as you practice personal communication, you will get better at it every day.