What Giving Out Your Cell Phone Number Reveals About YOU

Posted by Laura Bergells

January 21, 2008

I stopped giving out my cell phone number years ago. Instead, I transfer my office phone to my mobile phone when I leave the office. Here’s why:

Giving clients ONE number shows you’re thinking about their convenience.
Giving clients a BUNCH of numbers reveals a lack of customer focus.

cell phone one number

Why Giving More is Giving Less. In the past month, I received a business card with a cell phone number hastily scrawled on the back.

“Just in case I’m not in the office,” explained the vendor.

“Why not just transfer your phone when you leave the office?” I asked.

“Oh,” she said. “I’d forget. I’d never remember to transfer. Too hard. This is easier for me.”

And with that one explanation, she lost my business. She demonstrated that her focus was all about making life easier for herself, not her customers.

Having a bunch of contact numbers doesn’t make it easier for customers to reach you. Instead, it demonstrates lack of focus.

It’s not that hard to transfer numbers. Takes about 20 seconds, tops. A small price to pay to show courtesy to your customers.

But here in the Midwest, I’ve found a small glitch to not giving out my cell phone number. Here’s my problem:

My customers and prospects continue to ask for my cell number!

It seems that most people have been conditioned to the cell phone / voice mail run-around! So when I explain that all they need is one number, they usually express delight.

But before the delight, there’s that odd moment when I have to sound rude when I begin, “I don’t give out my cell phone number. My office number follows me around wherever I go!”

It certainly attracts attention when I say that! And it gives me an opportunity to talk about my commitment to customers.

But still. There has to be a better way to communicate why I only give out ONE number!

How do you tell your customers to contact you?