Strictly Business: Effective Call Screening

When you’re new in business you lap up every call. You’re hungry for work — no job is too small, too far away, or too exotic. A friend of mine, who was starting out in business, got a call during the holiday season asking if he built stars. “Stars?” my eager friend replied. “Sure…uh… yeah, I do stars,” he continued with growing confidence. “Now…uh…let’s see, you have your standard five-pointer, your star of Bethlehem, star of David…uh…just what kind of star were you interested in?” Well, my friend built that star — a five-pointer, I believe — and hung it up on the peak of the client’s house, fully trimmed with festive lights. But, eventually, he concluded