We have more communication choices that ever before. We have tools to help us. We also suspect many people are lazy, thinking "liking a post" on social media counts as keeping in touch. Some people respond quickly. Others almost never. Some of these might sound familiar.
These issues often pertain to friends, but they can happen with clients too.
Here's how I approach 10 different messaging frustration situations, based on my experiences.
1. People who respond quickly.
If this was school, these are the students who always have their hand up. I thank them in my return message. I compliment them saying, "I enjoy getting your messages."
2. People who always respond, but not quickly.
I thank them too. There was a reason they weren't quick. I make the assumption they were busy, often saying, "I realize there are other issues you need to address. Thanks for getting back to me."
3. People who send a prepopulated response.
I send birthday greetings on LinkedIn. I wish them a happy birthday and ask: "How are you celebrating?" Sometimes I get back, "Thanks," which didn't answer my question. I give them credit for making an effort. I write, "Thanks for taking time to send a message back."
4. People who respond sometimes.
I have about 360+ LinkedIn connections in Asia. Every Tuesday morning, I send each a message with a link to an article I wrote about prospecting. About 10% send a message back. Here's the interesting part: "It's often a different 10%." I send a personal message back within 24 hours saying, "Thanks for writing back. I hope you found some ideas in my article to share." Sometimes it gets a conversation going.
5. People who respond very late.
You must have these connections too. You send a message, and they reply six weeks later. They are often apologetic saying, "I don't go onto LinkedIn too often." At least they made the effort. My message usually wasn't time-sensitive, so I explain that's not a problem, it's good to hear from them and try continuing the conversation.
