Dear Barb:
Many of my IT clients and candidates call me after hours just to avoid a conversation. Then they complain that it’s too difficult to leave me a message. Do you believe in giving out your cell phone to both clients and candidates?
George W.
Victor, NY
Dear George:
I do believe in giving out my cell phone to clients. It is a personal decision if you give out your cell phone to candidates. This decision is impacted by the level of person you represent as well as your niche. It can be very difficult contacting IT top talent. If that was my niche, I would share my cell phone with them. In return, I would request their cell phone number. Text messages are the fastest way to get someone to respond.
I now want to address their complaints about trying to reach you after hours. Have you ever called your office after hours? Imagine for a moment that you don’t have a specific name or know how to spell your name. It is amazing how often you cannot leave a message. Some prompts ask you to spell the name of the party you’re calling while others tell you to enter an extension number. Most of these prompts are not easy to follow. Many messages end up in a general mail box and are not often retrieved. Calling you must be a simple process, which is why providing your cell phone number could be your solution.
Barbara J. Bruno, CPC, CTS