Can you remember the joke “The cheque’s in the mail”? (It never was . . .)

These days the joke is “I’ll call you back . . .” (They never do.)

Why don’t people call us back?

The clever repair strategies are in the next report. Click /tap here -  'Are you tired of people not calling you back? 12 fast fixes.'

1. Why don’t people call us back? What has caused this communication breakdown?

This problem of people not answering their phone is not new. Expecting people to be ‘true to their word’ has always been an issue, but it’s happening more now, than years ago.
Some of the reason is a ‘generational thing’.

People who grew up during ‘the war’ believed in ‘a fair days work for a fair days pay’. They were also the ones who believed that ‘a man’s word is his bond’. In other words, if you said you would do something – you could relied on to do it.

Part of this personal ethic has been lost when it comes to phone etiquette.

Answering your telephone calls. 12 strategies you can use to connect with people on the phone.

How are you to connect with companies and their staff if they don’t answer their phone?

The solution. 

Forget the idea that somebody will call you back. They won’t.

I covered all the reasons why people don’t call you back in this report here: ‘Why do people not call you back? 4 annoying reasons why.’

Here are some proven ideas that will keep you ‘front of mind’ without sounding pushy:

5 easy ways to fix it.

Best email subject lines get opened

Have you ever spoken to somebody face-to-face and they have ignored you?

It hurts doesn’t it?

“How rude” you think. “What have they got against me?”

We’ve all had this happen to us. Did you consider it may have been because the person didn’t hear you? (This is particularly pertinent to me as I and others in my family have a hearing impairment).

Have you ever tried to speak with somebody in a noisy environment? Trying to speak in an underground train station or while loud machinery is operating is hard?

The same can occur when you send somebody an email and they don’t respond. To you, it feels like they are deaf.

In noisy situations above we have to resort to other methods to get our message across. Often they are methods we are unfamiliar with, because we don’t use them every day.

Have you used hand signals and making sure the person you are speaking to is facing you when you speak? Yes, we use these methods in loud places.

The same can occur when we want people to respond to our emails.

What useful apps do you have on your phone?

Just in case you have forgotten - phones are a productivity tool.

Firstly, you can make or receive phone calls.

I know that sounds obvious but I called 5 self employed business people on Wednesday (during work hours) and none of them answered their phone. 

I know we all get busy and can't be interupted, but what if I was a brand new customer calling?

Enter the Smartphone! 

They are so smart they can literally save you hours of 'after hours' sweat.

You don't have to 'check your diary' and get back to people like we used to. You can put your caller on speaker and look up your calendar on-the-run.

People used to write a cheque (remember cheques?) hoping there would be enough money in the account to cover it. Now you can be adding another appointment to your schedule or ordering your client dinner and check your account while the drinks come. You can even pay the bill by waving your phone over the magic machine.

What other apps can save you time (and give you back your evenings)?

Windows 10 problems 2015

[If you don't understand any of this - you are probably better off than me]

Hi, let me shed some light, on Windows 10.

Aahh, now feeling all warm and fuzzy, you download wonderful apps from their app store.
BUT (I told you to expect a 'but') now all my documents think I have' been unfaithful' and open as 'read only'.
My account keeping software has divorced me, as I have (apparently) lost all my read/write privileges.

How do I search inside PDF's?

Is the info you get

sometimes attached to an email

as a PDF file?

The PDF document could be:

that last catalogue your supplier sent you;

an invoice you received for your online membership; or

maybe they are separate jobs that have progress notes you are making before you finally send the customer an invoice.

It may be a statement from your bank,

a form from your accountant or

an invoice from a supplier.

It could be a document with technical specifications for a piece of equipment you used in a job some time ago.

"I know I received that info; I need to refer to it again; I just can't find it"

I hear your frustration.

You remember it contained the word 'subclause' in it.

So you go to your search box in your email (like Outlook) and type 'subclause'.

Your search result says "No matches found for 'subclause'"

You huff and puff because you know the document with that exact word in an attachment, is definitely in an email you received.

Why can't you find it?

Why can't you search the contents of PDF's?

True story. It happened to me, this week.

Lying to an insurer.

Me - "Honey I've had a car accident. This lady didn't see me and hit me 'head-on'."

My wife - "are you OK?"

"I've got a sore neck and back - whiplash - yeah I'm ok, but the car's not. It's probably been written off.

If I can just prise the bent metal from pressing on the tyre, I might be able to drive home [I'm 40 minutes away].

The owners of the [at fault] car argued about who was supposed to have paid their insurance premium."

Malaysian Airlines MH370, the search continues.

Over 270 people were on board.
Satellite pictures have shown large objects in the southern Indian Ocean:

Why did the plane end up here (if it did)?

Could there be any survivors?
Are the fragments in the ocean, pieces of the wreckage? The search area is huge. It truly is like searching for 'a needle in a haystack'.

I hope buy the time you read this the mystery will be solved.

Malaysian Airlines MH370 - Where is it?

The feeling of helplessness is on so many people's faces.

I often feel that, when I talk to business people. Not a 'life-or-death' hopelessness, but a real discouragement about working so hard and having nothing to show for it.

"Show me the money!" they cry.

"I'm in business, because I thought I could make more money than being on wages, but it's all a smoke screen.

There are times I have plenty of money in the bank and other times I'm scratching to pay my bills."

Good business ideas are usually simple.

Over the last 5 years . . .

Have your fuel costs or electricity charges remained constant?

The 'red tape' compliance paperwork got any less time consuming?

Your wage bill got any lower?

When was the last time you had a pay rise?

Good business ideas come from the free small business assessments I do.

(Yes, it's free, if you haven't done one with me, click here to request one)

Most small business I do my assessment with, tell me they haven't increased their rates for 5 years!!

What else has stayed as cheap as it was 5 years ago?

I know you think that if you increase your prices you will lose clients or quotes. 

Here's a surprise for you - you won't.

Problem solving techniques for business.

Are you having trouble getting paid?

You are busy but you have nothing to show for it. You work long hours; you are up late preparing quotes; you
give excellent service and you are booked months in advance. Your wife is complaining about never having any time with her.

"SHOW ME THE MONEY!" you exclaim. Just like Tom Cruise in the movie Jerry Maguire.

Problem solving techniques, can be as simple as taking a long hard look at how you do business.

Are you so busy, that your invoicing is weeks behind?

If you don't ask to be paid - you ain't gonna be!

Why is your invoicing behind?