Hold On: Temper Your Cell Phone Use
A caricature of a person from the years 2010 to 2014 would be incomplete without a cell phone glued to an ear. Most people think that they can't live without this piece of technology – in classrooms, restaurants, theaters, etc. Air travel is the one area in which people are actively fighting back – and it is from this controversy that lawyers should learn a lesson.
In 2013, the Federal Communications Commission voted to lift an almost quarter-century ban on cell phones on planes because the phones were no longer considered a threat to the technical operation of a plane. There was immediate dissension: the Department of Transportation and some members of Congress oppose lifting the ban as do most of the 1,200 people who contributed public comments on the issue. People have finally decided that enough is enough, and they are challenging the intrusion of people speaking constantly and loudly on cell phones in public spaces.
Lawyers should take note.
Although cell phones are indispensable technology tools for conducting business and staying in touch with clients, people today value personal attention more than ever – and personal attention means not being distracted by a cell phone.
Seminars, luncheons, bar association functions, community events, and golf dates are all good places to meet potential clients and colleagues who might refer clients to you. If you use your cell phone at such rainmaking gatherings, you will miss out on opportunities that such face-to-face meetings can provide.
Meetings with clients and potential clients are no place for cell phone use. Give 100 percent of your attention to the people in the room with you, and you will earn their loyalty – and business.
There is a time and a place to be with a cell phone and a time and a place to be without a cell phone. Make sure that you understand the difference.
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