It’s official; I have a new Twitter crush. Our beliefs and values seem to be divinely aligned and we share a strong passion for engagement, marketing and content – a match made in heaven! Since first ‘meeting’ Firebrand Talent on Twitter I’ve been more than impressed time and time again by the quality, tone and consistency of their blog and online communications. It’s safe to say they are doing a good job of wooing me in the world of all things marcomms and engagement (plus recruitment – my other great professional love).
One of the posts I recently enjoyed was around the delicate (and seemingly declining) topic of professional courtesy. When you contact a potential or existing client to share a ground breaking idea or some relevant news that you firmly feel will help their business, only to never hear back from them again. Irrespective of whether you’re a sales professional with something they don’t want or they have a lack of budget to use your services, if you’ve previously had some level of communication between you it seems only polite that they could spend the minimal investment it would take to call you back and give it to you straight.
As a self-confessed date-aholic I couldn’t help but compare it to the early stages of two people dating each other. Guy meets girl, guy dates girl, guy or girl doesn’t really like what the other has to offer and so doesn’t feel the need to keep investing energy into something that’s not there – which typically means a break in communication. I’m very lucky to say that I haven’t had my calls ignored after I’ve started seeing someone nor have I done that to another person - simply because it’s just plain rude. But it seems to happen, and happen it does a lot. In the harsh reality of the dating world, all courtesies aside, it usually just means they’re not into you. Move on, stop investing your time into someone who doesn’t appreciate it and give it to someone who does.
The way I see it, the same applies in the professional world. Yes, it’s rude. Yes, it’s unprofessional. But if a client, candidate, supplier, the Easter Bunny, are not returning your calls cut your losses, realise they are never going to call you back and move on because they don’t see value in what you are offering. The good news is there are bigger, better things out there for you that do.
Yours,
Little Miss Melbourne xoxo