ASAP. How long do you think that is? Soon…how long is that? Later…does that mean the same day or later in the week?
When you’re waiting for other people to get back to you, and their response is necessary before you can take the next step, move in a different direction or make other plans, even ASAP can seem like a long time. Any of these qualifiers can vary depending on the information under consideration. ASAP, when someone is reading a 375 page novel, will be much longer than if she’d simply promised to get back with a date for lunch.
When is follow up appropriate? Is ‘no news’ really ‘good news,’ like they say?
It’s not like I’m sitting by the phone (well, except when I’m at my desk because the phone is on it), doing nothing but waiting with bated breath. But let’s say I have an audition, and know the shoot date is a week from Wednesday. I know they won’t call unless I get the part, but I never know when they WILL call if I do. So booking another commitment for that day might not be a good idea. Just in case.
What if a friend asks for several good dates for lunch, then she doesn’t choose one? If another opportunity comes up, do I schedule that, or keep those dates open? Should the answer be different if the opportunity is a paying acting job or lunch with a different friend?
Maybe instead of telling someone ASAP, soon, or later, we should consider being more specific in the first place.
