The sun's shining outside, it seems that everyone who is anyone is on holiday.. and you still have a quota to meet. Emails give you the automated "out of office" reply, you're tempted to spend far too much time reading your friends and established contacts via social media.. then there's the phone.

Think about it: If your preferred contact is away from the office, who else does it make sense for you to contact? Their PA? Their closest colleague? Chances are you already have the answer and you're making a big excuse of ONE persons absence? The excuse can cost you for many reasons!

1. The person you want to reach will eventually return.

2. Avoiding PA's and nearest colleagues is stupid: these people have a strong influence on your decision making contact. A good word about you from then can make a big difference.

3. If you want to sell your product/service to the decision maker, it will be helpful to have at least a base-level relationship with his or her closest colleagues. In a close call between you and your competition on every other aspect of the sale, it's the quality of the relationship that will win the day.

If you still believe tae calling contacts in August is a waste of your time, take a moment to consider the effect August has on life in your office: It's slowed down hasn't it? People seem a bit more relaxed. It'll be a similar story at your contacts offices.

Do you think they're likely to be in a more receptive mood when the pressure is off? Most definitely. Two people without pressure are more likely to be agreeable to get along with than when they are struggling with deadlines and under the weight of several colleagues requests. The only way to be certain of course is to start: Make 100 or 200 calls this week and record the results. They'll probably surprise you in the most pleasant way.

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photo credit: ukespresso