Get them to call you back

Over the last two months, as I’ve been learning to run my own freelancing business, I’ve struggled with some of the non-writing aspects of the job: conferences calls, social niceties, corporate etiquette.

More specifically, I have trouble getting people to call me back. I leave messages. I write emails. I set up meeting times. But no matter what, I end up waiting for important phone calls when I should be working. Days of wasted time go by as clients who don’t realize I can’t work on their project until I talk to them about it on the phone - and much of the time I just need a one-word answer to a simple question like, do you want this in first person?

Today, though, I think I figured it out once and for all. And it is so, so, simple. Ready? About one minute before you want to an important client to get back to you about an issue, pour a big bowl of cereal. And not a hearty twigs-and-nuts cereal that takes a good seven minutes to absorb milk - I’m talking about your Rice Crispies or Cheerios. The cereals that are ticking time bombs of sogginess.

Your phone will ring as soon as you finish pouring the milk. You won’t get the first bite in before you’re deep in conversation: “Hi Sarah - sorry not to get back to you sooner, but I was engaged in some time-sensitive activities. Now, however, I have quite a chunk of information I’d like to walk you though regarding the ebook. It shouldn’t take too long - I would guess it will only take as long as it takes for a single serving of Reese’s Peanut Butter Puffs in milk to deteriorate into a thick glue.”

And you can’t say, “Sorry, but even though it’s 3 p.m. I’ve got some Cookie Crunch to attend to,” or, “Sorry, but Count Chocula is on the other line.”

But even though you waste a bowl of cereal, but they call every time. What first seemed like an inconvenience is a blessing in disguise.

I’m pretty sure this can also be applied to other aspects of life, too. Waiting to hear back from that job interview? Try drawing yourself a hot bath filled with time-sensitive bubbles. Waiting for a boy to call about a second date after three days of torture? Try mixing a fresh batch of cement. He’ll want to talk about his feelings for hours.