Rikki, Please Lose My Number

During our weekly project meetings at Roundpeg, we invariably have a conversation that goes something like this:

Employee: I’ve emailed Bob’s Rawhide Ranch three times this week to approve this project and no one is responding. I’ve tried so hard to get in touch.
Lorraine: Did you try calling Bob?
Employee: …..

That’s right, as a big group of Millennials, can you guess what we dislike? Talking on the phone. Now, it may not be true of all my coworkers, but it’s certainly true of me. I try to avoid talking on the phone until it’s absolutely necessary.

I’m old enough to remember rotary phones and calling 222-2222 to get the weather forecast every day. Late night landline calls were my primary mode of communication during my teen years. I didn’t get a cell phone until midway through my senior year of high school and I shared it with my sister. You’d think I would be used to talking on the phone, but you would be wrong.

So, now that you know how much I despise Alexander Graham Bell and his nuisance of an invention, how do you know if you are completely phone-allergic like me or maybe just phone-intolerant? Take this quiz to find out:

Question 1

A client calls you to discuss a small change to their design work. They want the green to look more….green. What do you do?

A. Pull out your Pantone book and scan the greens while dialing the phone to talk this over in detail.
B. Take a picture of a few greens and send them to the client through email, hoping they respond back in kind.
C. Fire the client through text message, on a burner phone.

Question 2

You’ve got a flashing light on your phone – oh no, it looks like a voicemail. What do you do?

A. Get out a notepad and a pen. This voicemail might contain important info!
B. Stare at the blinking light while chewing your fingernails. Tape a piece of paper to the blinking light, maybe that will buy you a few hours of time until you have to deal with it.
C. Gather a pile of leaves in a ditch. Throw your phone in the ditch. Light it on fire.

Question 3

Everyone’s out of the office and the phone rings. What do you do?

A. Answer it, it could be a lead or a client needing something important!
B. Fret for the first two rings, then pick it up and pretend to be a voicemail recording.
C. Disappear. Remove every instance of your name and likeness off of the internet. Change your nose and move states.

Bonus Round!

You are craving pizza and find a coupon for an unbeatable 3-for-1 deal from your favorite pizza place, but it’s only for phone-in orders. What do you do?

A. Put on your sweatpants, load up the Netflix and get ready to blow through your daily recommended sodium intake level. Take that, FDA!
B. Have your best friend call in the order, even if they sometimes “forget” to put on the pineapple topping you like.
C. Pizza, who needs it! Cry softly while attempting to make homemade pizza from stale bread, tomato slices and moldy cheese.

Scoring

Time to add up your answers. Find the letter you have the most of:

A’s – Derring-Do Dialer

You make regular use of your Bluetooth device and have all calls forwarded to the platform you’re on so you never miss a call. You’ve stopped referring to them as mere “phone calls” choosing instead “opportunities of a lifetime.” You were made to talk on the phone! Are you in sales?

B’s – Cautious Caller

You don’t like the phone, but you know it’s necessary for forming great relationships with clients. It may take you a second to get psyched for the phone, but once you’re on, you know it’s the easiest way to solve problems and work through misunderstandings.

C’s – Tepid Telephoner

Your voicemail box has been full since 2005. You have anxiety dreams about being a lifeline in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. The phone just isn’t your thing. Your only option is to wait until all the phone-loving Baby Boomers finally retire and find a job that lets you speak only in texts and semaphore flags.

Don’t Worry, I’ll Always Answer the Phone for You

Even though I fall squarely in the Tepid Telephoner category, I know how important the phone is to business. So, if you need to discuss your marketing, from strategy to web design to content, give Roundpeg a call – we always answer on the first ring.