Tips for Follow Up Calls

This morning I had to do the first set of follow up calls for our summer work with Rebecca Davis. Before I started calling all of the editors, I had to remind myself of some important things to do to ensure that it would go smoothly. Here is what I came up with:

• Make sure you have all of your information in front of you - Since you're calling to answer any remaining questions they have after the initial contact, it's important to know the answers to their questions.
• If they are not there, leave a message! - It seems like common sense, but sometimes it's easy to forget. If a secretary answers and doesn't ask you for your name and number, ask them if you could leave a short message with the person you're trying to get in contact with.
• Speak clearly - This is especially important when leaving voicemails. Remember to speak clearly and slowly, so that the person can understand your phone number and call you back!

Even though these seem like silly things to concentrate on, it's easy to forget them when you're trying to get in touch with a number of people. Remember that these follow up calls could determine if that media outlet covers your story or not!