It was with a potential new financial advisor; he was supposed to call me at 2:30. He called at 2:36 and never mentioned being late.

It’s not a terrible thing and, after all, I’m spending twice that much time just writing to you now, so how busy could I be?

But it sends a signal: I’m not well organized; you’re not that important to me; I don’t have great interpersonal skills.

Or not. Maybe he’s terrific in every way and this has never happened before. But I don’t have a lot of data to go on here, so this little thing counts for a lot.

Try this: Call people – especially clients – at precisely the time you are supposed to call.

I have been doing this for years – I often sit at my desk watching as the clock ticks over to the appointed hour so I can dial the last digit of the phone number. People frequently, happily comment on it, as if I have somehow gained secret access to the atomic clock.

In terms of the ratio of results to effort, calling on time may be the single most impressive thing you can do professionally (other than naming your company after a flightless aquatic bird).