I rarely discuss work on this blog, but I couldn't help myself this morning. Right now, we are in the early stages of a marketing effort targeted toward Chicago and Cook County. My company, a civil engineering and environmental firm, has developed strong relationships with municipalities, park districts, architects, churches, etc. through DuPage County and other "collar counties." Just over one year ago, we landed a huge contract with a government agency which could potential impact other areas. We want to take advantage of this opportunity.

Yesterday, I found some time to set aside my other projects and place calls to some of the prospects we targeted. Even though this has been a part of my job since my days working for the Elmhurst College Alumni Association, it still requires patience.

The moment of truth arrives. I started dialing and had a fairly well rehearsed speech prepared. Voicemail. I move down the list and took a deep breath. Voicemail again. As I continued down my contact list, "please leave a message after the beep," or "I am currently in the office, but am away from desk." Every single call made it to voicemail.