Get the cell off the phone!

By Craig Price

In this technologically advancing world, the electronic leash we call a cell phone has become vital for many businesses. Many people can’t live without their cell phone. But with the new tools of business come new dangers as well. Most salespeople would rather cut off an arm than give up their cell phone. Contact with customers is life!

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to answer a cell phone every time it rings — particularly when in the car. (What? And lose a sale!?) Here are a few things to remember when driving and using a cell phone:

1. If you have to take a call, be brief. Use the conversation to schedule a time when you can give them your full attention. Remember, cell phones do not have nearly the same sound quality as land lines do and nothing is more annoying than having someone on the other end sound like they’re shouting at you from inside a wind tunnel. If the call is truly so important that you can’t miss it, then it’s important enough for you to ensure you don’t sound like a raving loon.
   
2. The car is not a conference room. Every day I see drivers scribbling notes with one hand, rifling through their briefcase with another, with the phone crammed between their chin and shoulder as they drive with their knee. Don’t think that going hands-free is better. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found no significant decrease in accidents for people using hands-free devices. Sure, these people look like they’re working real hard — working hard to smash into a bus full of nuns.
   
3. This last item to remember is important whether you are in or out of the car: Anytime you are talking with a client (on the phone or in your office) and another call comes in, DO NOT ANSWER! Nothing tells clients they are unappreciated more than putting them on hold. By doing so, you communicate that the person on the other line, no matter who it is, is much more important than your current client will ever be. You won’t impress people with how busy you are or how many people are clamoring for your attention; taking that call just makes you look bad and makes the client feel worse.

Driving while on the cell phone is dangerous. Recent studies have shown that a person talking on a phone is four times more likely to get into an accident than someone who’s not on the phone. Believe me, nothing will make a customer choose a competitor more quickly than listening as a salesperson crashes on the other end of a phone call. If you can’t look after yourself, how can you look after clients or their business?

©Craig Price 2006

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