The call you couldn't take from the ladder

You're up a ladder with both hands busy when your phone buzzes in your pocket. By the time you're down, it's a missed call from a number you don't know.

Maybe it was a sales call. Maybe it was a new customer with a real problem today.

What the caller does next

Some people leave a voicemail. Some text. And some just go back to their search and call the next name on the list. You'll never know which ones did, because they don't call back to tell you.

Here's the turn

You don't have to answer every call. That's not possible when you're the one doing the work. What matters is how fast the caller hears from you. A quick "Sorry we missed you, how can we help?" gives them a reason to wait instead of dialing someone else.

For example: say you miss 4 calls a week, and you'd have booked half of them. That's 2 jobs a week going to someone else. That's just an example. Your own number is in your phone.

Try this week (free)

• Count them. Open your phone's Recents and count last week's missed calls from numbers you don't know. That's your real number.
• Set two call-back times. Pick two times a day, like lunch and the end of the day, and return every missed call. Put them on your calendar so they actually happen.
• Save one text. Write a one-line text in your own words and save it on your phone so it's ready to go: "Sorry I missed you. This is [your business]. How can I help? You can reply here." When you can't call back yet, send it.

When you're ready to stop doing it by hand

A digital helper can send that text for you the moment a call is missed, even when you're up the ladder. See how it works on Missed-Call Text-Back.

Not sure if calls are your biggest gap? Take the free Business Check-Up. It shows where your week goes by hand.