Does this make it likelier that they'll want to duplicate your system? Probably not.

Yes, I know that we could just let an answering machine take the calls and return them all during a period we choose. This doesn't work for me. Leaving a message on an answering machine is probably at least as offputting as leaving an email, and in these days of wide-ranging business activity, the time zones become problematic. Playing "telephone tag" is no fun, either. Perhaps your customer is also setting times when she will answer calls. If this isn't the same time you're answering, you can go for days just trading messages to respond.

Getting back to that Psychology Today article, probably making at least one telephone personal contact to start a business relationship will improve that relationship. You can make this call to your customer without necessarily inviting any calls coming in from her by giving her only your email address. Encourage her to stay in touch with you through this email contact. This is less likely to offend if you make it clear that you check your email many times a day and can give her a fast response every time she contacts you. (Of course then you'll have to actually do it!)

Eliminating telephone contact may cost you some very lonely business associates, but these needy folks are unlikely to be your best producers, anyway. Sticking with email for routine interactions may be the best way to go. Even (or maybe especially) with your sister.

So if Alex questions "the best way to handle business communications," I'd answer "what is email?!" Don't call me; I'm giving my ear a break.

Charlie McCoy markets the best line of health products in the world at http://www.boostmyimmunesystem.com. He can be reached at creativecompute@att.net. His telephone is out of order.

editor@health-ebiz.com