When should you answer your phone and when should you let it forward to voicemail?

Trivial question? Yes.

Critical to your business? Absolutely!

Some of you might read this and roll your eyes, others will read it and say...BUSTED!

Example 1: I was playing telephone tag with a magazine representative on my way to a client meeting. She left me a voicemail with a return phone number so I called her back. She answered with a very winded "Hello?" as if I was interrupting something. I told her who I was and the reason for my call. She replied that she was running into a meeting, but would be out in about a half hour. Sounds reasonable, right?

Not so much. The other mall shoppers were making so much noise in the background, I could barely hear her.

Example 2: This past summer, I followed up with an insurance adjuster for a client who's in the legal profession. She answered the phone professionally, and proceeded to ask if it would be alright if she called me back the following day to discuss as she was "working" from home. Sounds reasonable, right?


Not so much. The kids splashing in the pool yelling "Marco Polo" gave her away immediately!


Moral: Many of us, including myself, use our cell phones for business calls. Our natural instinct is to pick it up as soon as it rings, without considering where we are. When the phone rings, it's okay to let it ring a few times. Check the phone number of the incoming call BEFORE you pick up the phone. If it's a number you don't recognize, or one of a client, you're much better off letting it go into voicemail than picking it up, expecially if you plan to tell them it's a bad time and you will have to call them back.