In audience after audience, I am confronted by executives in all types of industries who cannot bear to be away from their mobile devices for any protracted period.

Their fear is the risk of missing a vital call or message that could lead to, say, a huge business contract.

Business executives, and nearly everybody I encounter, proceed as if they are constantly at risk of missing out on something by not being near their cell phone. Sadly, such individuals can’t consistently muster the concentration levels necessary to executive their tasks. Being immersed in a project with no possible distractions is seemingly out of the question. This mind set represents irrational thinking for many reasons.

Differentiate or Die

On most days, usually, no call is coming that is so critical that you have to be attuned to your communication devices around the clock. Even when a big opportunity could be forthcoming, if you position yourself correctly, you don’t need to be overly concerned with having to answer the phone call or the inquiry the moment it occurs.

Establishing notable differentiation in what you offer in your target niche increases the probability that callers and inquirers who are seeking your product or services will not jump ship merely because you weren’t available the first moment they made contact. Indeed, my entire career as a speaker has been based on this concept.

When someone calls my number to book me for a speaking engagement at their conference or convention, fortunately, they usually are calling because they want me in particular. I hold the registered trademark as The Work-life Balance Expert and have established this niche over the last few decades.

Typically inquirers are not seeking a “time management speaker” or a “stress management speaker,” although on occasion that does happen. My strategy has never been to be perceived as a “rank and file” time management or stress management speaker. Invariably the inquiries I receive are from people who seek something different and, in particular, want me.

Unique and/or Better

Likewise in your business or career, when you differentiate what makes you unique and/or better than the competition, the obsession with being available the moment anybody inquires diminishes.

What if you haven’t clearly differentiated your product or services? Even then, you don’t have to be totally attentive around the clock to mobile devices. You merely need to establish a trade-off between the times when it makes sense for you to concentrate on the task at hand, versus those times when you’re available to all inquiries.

You can offer automated or posted messages that tell inquirers the best times to reach you. Most people will understand and respect that. Yes, instances will occur when the inquirer proceeds to the next party on their list and you lose that opportunity. That, however, cannot be the rationale for your being a slave to communication technology around the clock.