Too Much in Awe to Make That Call?
Maybe it was a beautiful girl, a handsome man, your boss’s boss, or perhaps an important decision maker with the power of changing your life by awarding a contract and making you exceed your Sales quota.
No matter the category of the person you want to talk to, when you are “in awe” you don’t think twice but ten times or more before dialing. Sometimes, you don’t even make that call and regret it for a long time.
You keep rehearsing what you should say and you feel like owning it; then, the moment comes, you look at the contact in your phone wondering whether it’s an appropriate moment to bother her.
To tap (call) or not to tap?
If you tap you feel you are taking a big risk.
What if she is not in a good mood and will perceive you as a nuisance?
What if you pick the wrong time and waste the only shot you have at making a first positive impression, thus failing miserably?
If the fear is too much and you don’t tap, then you feel dumb for missing an opportunity, especially when someone else obtains the result you were seeking.
The traditional way of solving the issue
If you have at least a pinch of soft skills, you will certainly know that de-risking that call involves collecting precious intelligence about the high rank person you want to talk to.
Friends, coworkers, partners are great sources of information able to provide you with insights on the receiver: habits, best times to call, best apps/numbers to use, whether or not leaving a voicemail message, etc.
How much does all of that preliminary homework cost in terms of time spent collecting information?
Too much. You can’t always do it and it will never scale.
Plus, despite the apparently vital information you have collected, there is still the chance the person you want to call is busy doing something, and your attempt may still be flagged as a nuisance.
In the end, is the preliminary investigative work worth the effort?
I believe it boils down to the individual perception of value. When the perceived value of the interaction is higher than the cost of gathering the relevant intelligence, then it’s time well spent, I guess…
Sometimes, you can limit the effort by developing habits based on popular wisdom; for example, calling is always less risky and more fruitful when the receiver has a full stomach and, therefore, a better mood. Still, these tactics aren’t guaranteed to work, at all.
The new way of solving the issue
In a present and a future where communications become more vital than ever, there is a clear opportunity for innovative technology companies to solve the problem of being too much in awe to make a call.
Imagine you need to talk to Carla, the SVP of your division, and you need 5 minutes of her time. You have critical information that will enrich the conversation she is having tomorrow with the CEO of PartnerX, a fast growing Series B startup with a synergistic complementary technology.
You open your artificial intelligence (AI) app and make a wish to talk to your SVP: “I need 5 minutes of Carla’s time to talk about CustomerX technology synergies”. The AI knows you have never talked to Carla, therefore, it will send a notification to her, asking whether or not she is willing to talk to you about the proposed topic. Clearly, your intention is perfectly timed, given the upcoming meeting with CustomerX, so she accepts to talk to you.
At that point, neither you nor Carla have to worry about logistics. In fact, at the right moment for both, the AI will connect you through the best possible app. Suppose you are based in Raleigh NC and Carla is currently in Germany, where CustomerX is located; the AI knows it and chooses WhatsApp as the best channel to get you connected internationally, thus saving money.
Very simple but very powerful, isn’t it?
Not only it saves you a ton of time spent coordinating with Carla’s Executive Assistant, it also solves your awe problem, avoiding you to spend hours collecting people’s insights and best-guessing when to call. A neutral third party - an AI that did the homework for you - will surface your need to talk to the SVP and will seek acceptance, if needed; e.g., only if you don’t talk to Carla often or you are not part of her circle.
All your concerns about bothering Carla will disappear: in fact, you’ll know if she wants to talk to you and your connection will happen in a natural positive serendipitous way, thanks to the accuracy of the right moment prediction.
Still feeling butterflies in your stomach when making a wish to the AI to talk to Carla?
No worries, chamomile will do wonders!
