Dave Kurlan is a top-rated speaker, best-selling author, sales thought leader and highly regarded sales development expert.
One of the many ways in which selling has changed is that we no longer have to go see a prospect or client. In many scenarios, we can conduct business over the phone and/or internet. But a more profound change has been enabled by the cell phone which allows us to conduct follow up conversations, prospecting calls, conference calls and even resolve problems from anywhere at anytime. This enables us to be so much more productive, no longer forcing us to be tethered to our desks, captive in our offices. And this in turn, allows us to get out and see more customers!
Today, AT&T announced that it was getting out of the pay phone business, the way road warriors used to do the above from the road. Younger readers don't remember the days when we would be on the road and forced to stop at a hotel, restaurant or worse, roadside payphone in the middle of a storm with a pocket of dimes to make calls. Thank God for the cell phone.
But what happens when your cell phone craps out in the middle of the day? You're cut-off from civilization, can't make your follow up calls, can't keep your phone appointments and your customers and clients think you blew them off. So you head to the nearest Verizon, Sprint, AT &T, or TMobile store and replace your phone. In my case, my fourth Palm Treo died yesterday but I feel pretty wonderful since I got a whole 7 months out of that one, which replaced the Palm that died on the way to Philadelphia one morning last spring. Fortunately, the Palm store at Logan Airport gladly took my $699 to replace it at retail. Aren't they wonderful people, saving me from having to make a trip without contact to the real-world?
I finally broke down and purchased a Blackberry which, after 12 hours, has still not received a single email. Phone? Fine. Service? Sucks.
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