Once I had an assistant who obsessively saved every scrap of paper we produced. I recently found a notebook full of telephone call logs from 2002. Being a conservationist (i.e. cheap) I am using these old telephone logs as scrap paper, yet I am also fascinated reading the the messages I received back then. It’s like a quick trip back in time. These are a few observations.
1. I used to get a lot more phone calls before the eventual domination of email. On the day I am looking at I had over 30 calls.
2. I had a number of calls from a client that I did a lot of work for who eventually filed bankruptcy, leaving me with a large amount of unpaid fees.
3. I had several calls that day from a good friend who passed away shortly thereafter.
4. The international side of the music business used to be a lot more fun. A bunch of the calls that day dealt with a client’s record deal in England.
5. I am still unnerved when I see the message “needs to speak to you TODAY”.
6. At the time, I had several calls from a client who had discovered several unpublished photographs of Elvis Presley—that was fun.
7. I am gratified to see 7 or 8 names on that list of clients I still do work for today. I am grateful.
On the whole, I don’t know what’s more efficient, email or the phone. Getting a lot of phone calls and/or emails is evidence that your business is heading in the right direction but it can still be overwhelming and it can be a challenge to respond to everyone in a timely manner.
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