Friday, April 23, 2010

entertainment industry coach Question 415: What do I do if a person keeps rescheduling me? Do I just give up on him?

INT. JESSICA'S OFFICE - DAY

We see the back of Jessica's head. The camera pushes in as she slowly turns and looks directly at you.
JESSICA
Never, ever give up!

Okay that's me being dramatic, but the message is still clear. If the person is rescheduling, he hasn't said that he doesn't want to meet with you. I imagine he's giving you reasons why he has to reschedule. If he's doing it last minute, then it's up to you to decide how valuable this relationships is because you're setting aside time that could be spent doing something else.

I have seen this scenario from both sides, and in most (not all) cases, the person is genuinely busy. If he is someone who can help advance your career why would you give up? However, if you're at the point that you're tired of scheduling out your time only to be let down, there's only so much you can take.

My periodontist's office has been calling me and sending me letters on a semi-regular basis (they clearly have a structured follow-up system in place). I was ready to call my regular dentist for a cleaning this week when I got the "final notice" letter from my periodontist. It was very nice, but basically said that because I haven't responded to their calls and letters, that they're assuming I'm not going to follow through with their care, but should I ever wish to come back, their door was open.

Good follow up! I called and made an appointment for next week. I don't want to be fired by my periodontist, even if his cleanings are more expensive than my regular dentist.

Why do you care about my gums? Because it's the same psychology. When you're at the point where you're sick of being cancelled on, you can simply send a lighthearted email or leave a kind voicemail, saying, "After having to reschedule 6 times, and knowing how busy you are, I certainly don't want to be causing you any inconvenience. While it would be lovely to meet you for coffee for an hour, if this is time prohibitive to you, I completely understand. At this time, I won't ask to reschedule. Should you find in the future that your schedule opens up and you have time to reconnect, please give me a call."

Or as Donald Trump would say, "You're fired!"

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

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