Everything old is new again

There's a really great post on the Fast Company Blog about the power of picking up the phone. In this digital age actually talking to someone is honestly a way to stand out.

Creative Directors get bombarded on a daily basis with emails from employees, freelancers, service providers and students looking for internships. In a business where getting noticed is key, actually picking up the phone is going to be your easiest method.

Reach Out and Touch Someone

My speech booking partner had an interesting comment at lunch the other day. "It's getting to the point that people are going to be forced to get back on the phone or lose business."

My first thought was "Nooooo, I hate talking on the phone." That was immediately followed by the revelation that perhaps a personal phone call is starting to stand out like a hand written thank you note.Think about it, the sheer number of places you receive messages each day. Here's mine on any given day where someone usually expect an answer, reply or comment:

• Email--Business account, personal account, spam filter
• Facebook Personal Page--Wall posts, comments, friend, requests, messages
• Facebook Professional Page--Wall posts, comments
• Twitter--Mentions, direct messages and retweets
• LinkedIn - Inbox, comments, recommendations
• Text messages--This by the way increases exponentially if you own a teenager
• Google Voice--Transcript is emailed, texted and then there's the new iPhone notification
• Skype--Messages, requests

With most successful people getting this amount of input each and every day, you had better do something unusual to break through the noise.

A marching band below their window? A billboard they will see on their way to work? Leave a message on all the platforms mentioned above?

Or perhaps my partner was right, you just pick up the phone and call to say hello. Wow. What a concept.

Via Fast Company