Professionalism

It's pure hubris to not respond immediately or ASAP to a call to your business. Don't leave a potential client in the cold. In lean times, you might be glad you did call them back. When you are too busy to take on new work, you can turn inquiries you can't take on into future opportunities.

• Don't brush them off and never talk to them again. You are never too busy to respond to a potential client..
  
• Build business development response times into your work practices
  
• Get back to them immediately
  
• Talk to them
• Check back with them in the future to see how they are doing
  

This is great marketing. They may in all likelihood come back to you when a new need arises having had that great initial contact with you.

You choose. You can be perceived as 'the responsive company who is helpful' or 'the rude one that does not get back to me'. Which one do you think will get future work? People remember an experience that delights as well as bad experiences.