We’re pushed on a deadline, or another call has come in, or everything is happening at once and we’re on the phone. We’ve all said it. The automatic response – “I’ll call you right back. Give me five or ten minutes.” It is almost as automatic as asking “How are you?” when we run into someone in the hallway, at an event, or wherever, and we intend to keep on running. But keep in mind, in business the automatic “I’ll call you right back.” can have important implications to your business relationships. When you say that to a customer, a prospect, or other key relationship and don’t call them back quickly, there just may be a result you did not want.

I am a map person. Perhaps one day I’ll be a GPS person. Probably sooner rather than later. Especially given my most recent experience with directions downloaded from the internet. Whenever I am traveling I automatically go out to one of the popular internet sites to get directions from point A to point B to point C and beyond. I get the route going and coming. I rarely skip clicking on the option to expand from the single line of “turn right on Confusion Circle” after all I do want to have some idea of the twists, turns, and intricacies of the route ahead.