Call Me Mr. Pickens

I remember the first client I ever upset over the phone:

I said, "OK, great. We'll have the temporary receptionist there Monday at 9am , and who should she ask for? You, Bill?"

"Mr. Anderson, yes!" He snapped back.

When the temp got there Monday morning, he sent her home after an hour and a half, supposedly because she couldn't handle their complex phone system. He paid the 4-hour minimum and we'll probably never speak again.

Seems trifling and silly, but I'm convinced I lost that potentially lucrative account because I called the wrong guy by his first name. It all depends on office culture. At most non-profit organizations, everybody including the CEO is addressed by his or her first name . The same may be true for a big corporation. But we always have to be conscious of the clues that tell us how formal to be. If they start a letter to me with my first name or use it in an email or voice message, I'm pretty much in the clear to use theirs.

The culture at First Source, for example, encourages the friendly, first name feel, and that helps us in terms of recruitment and placement. When making a first impression, I actually stress everyone's last name as much as possible and let people do what makes them most comfortable, which is usually the first name, anyway. Still, there are people who prefer to be addressed by their last name. Who am I to argue with such a simple wish? If there's the slightest hint of doubt, I go with the last name. As a rule, being overdressed is more easily forgiven than being under dressed.