Read Time: 2:30
True story:
A professional association invited me to speak about sales.
With one condition:
Don’t mention using the telephone.
It was, they explained, beneath their profession.
Let that sink in.
The Great Irony
These professionals wanted to know:
How to get more clients
How to grow their business
How to increase their income
But don’t you dare suggest they pick up the phone.
The Professional Paradox
They were happy to:
- Send endless emails into the void
- Wait endlessly for the phone to ring (irony I know)
- Scroll LinkedIn
- Go to network events and never follow up
- Hope their dwindling client base might send a referral
But actually call someone?
How unprofessional!
The Reality Check
Know who uses the phone?
- $1,000/hour consultants
- Top-performing sales professionals
- Successful business owners
- People who actually close deals
Know who doesn’t?
People who think they’re too important to use it.
The Status Game
It’s fascinating:
A tool that actually works Is considered beneath us
Because… reasons.
Maybe we should stop:
- Writing emails (too common)
- Having meetings (too ordinary)
- Accepting payments (too commercial)
See how ridiculous that sounds?
The Real Professional
True professionals use what works.
They care about results.
Not about looking important.
They know:
The phone isn’t beneath them
But failing to serve clients is.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
When someone needs professional help:
- They want to talk to a human
- They want to hear your voice
- They want to know you’re real
No email does that.
No social post does that.
No AI tool does that.
The Choice
You can be:
- Professional and poor
- Or successful and “unprofessional”
You can:
- Protect your status
- Or grow your business
You can:
- Avoid the phone
- Or avoid growth
The Hidden Truth
The most “professional” thing you can do?
Whatever serves your clients best.
The least professional thing?
Letting your ego get in the way of helping people.
The Phone Principle
Here’s why the phone works:
- It’s immediate
- It’s human
- It’s real
- It gets answers
- It builds trust
But most importantly:
It shows you care enough to try.
The Status Quo
While you’re protecting your professional image:
Your competitors are making calls
Your prospects are taking those calls
Your potential clients are hiring them
But hey, at least you maintained your dignity.
The Real Question
What’s more professional:
Having no clients but maintaining your status
Or having a thriving practice because you actually reach out?
What’s more beneath your profession:
Using a phone?
Or failing your business?
The Next Step
Next time you think you’re too important to make calls:
Remember this story.
Remember this choice.
Remember what’s really at stake.
Because here’s the truth:
The phone isn’t beneath your profession.
But pretending you’re too important to use it might be beneath your potential.
Choose wisely.
