To have a conversation, it needs to be a two-way street, and today the number of channels is unprecedented – there are endless ways to communicate, from text, email, face-to-face, telephone or messaging services.

Somehow, the more methods of communication we create, the less we are actually communicating.

The thing with more modern forms of communication is that we often think they don’t warrant a response because the guilt of leaving someone waiting for a reply has no personal implications (or so it can seem); we limit ourselves by not engaging in conversation – these sales emails, texts or messages may start out with people wanting something from you but very well be something of great value. You never know where a conversation is going to lead. So the key is: how do you filter the good from the bad?

There are many reasons why phone calls, emails and messages are ignored, but there is always a way to fit a phone call into your day.

To qualify whether a phone call is worth your time, qualify the conversation based on what they say within the first minute.  If, after a minute, you’ve established the phone call is not worth your time – end it. Often, it’s faster to take the call and qualify out than to keep being called by persistent time wasters.

Not responding takes little effort, less effort than it would to reply; however, think of all the missed opportunities, contacts and relationships you could build just by engaging in a 2 – 5-minute conversation over a platform that’s as easy as a call or email.

Next time you receive a call, message, or text, take the time to engage, as you never know what opportunities may arise.

As head-hunters, we have lots of experience of people ignoring calls, messages and emails; however, taking a 2-5-minute call could have meant they were presented with an opportunity to potentially earn double their salary or greatly further their career at a company with great current and future potential.

You never know who might be on the end of the phone or how they can benefit you.