Don't Leave Me a Voice Mail!

4-5-09 Apex, NC... Things have changed so much since I sported that neat looking gadget on my belt back in 1999. I had the coolest pager on the planet. I could not wait for it to buzz my belt. I would pull over and run to a pay phone, or wait until I could get to a free one to call the number back; "You paged me?"

I loved it... Then I got this HUGE cell phone for my belt. It was so big that I almost had to put it on a two wheel cart to carry the dang thing. I merged to a weather proof one, then a "state of the art one", then one that I was "always over on my minutes", but it had a very neat number pad.

I upgraded again to what was called a BlackBerry.. It was the size of a table calculator. But my boss payed for it so I really loved it... No bill!

I learned to communicate in e-mails to get things done. It was much faster than any phone call. Times being the way they are, last summer, the boss giveth and the boss can taketh away. I had to get a newer nicer BlackBerry on my dime, the Curve.

And now as a small business owner, I now have the right communications' tool.

Now I SMS people, BB messenger people, e-mail and tweet...

If you want me you text me. I react very quickly to this medium. I communicate with my two kids almost 100% in the SMS mode...

I react to e-mails quickly too.

But if you call me at the home office, or leave a message on my Crack, er, BlackBerry, I might not respond for 24 hours.

I tell people, especially my new contacts to "drop me a text first"...

I am knee-deep in the social business networks. If someone in one of those networks needs me, they send me a message from that site. I get it on my BlackBerry, and return the message that way.

My BlackBerry has killed the business telephone.

It has crushed voice mail.

I am deluged with messages. I spent awhile cleaning out the Curve yesterday and I still have 329 messages.

Do not take this wrong; I will return your call. I am in sales for gosh sake... but even my Mother who is 76 knows that texting is the way to go...

See ya voice mail... you are on the way out!!!

Happy selling...

And Happy Palm Sunday, may you stay on HIS good side...