Every business now shields its decision-makers from incoming information as if guarding against a cyberattack.
Names are guarded like state secrets.
Email addresses? Locked away and inaccessible to anyone.
Phone calls? Forget it. You’ve got to survive the “what’s the call about?” cross-examination before you even get to “hello.”
The receptionist has become judge, jury, and executioner — and it’s seen as a job well done if no one gets through.
And the safety net? You’re told to “send your info to info@company.com and if we’re interested, we’ll get back to you.”
Of course, that inbox is rarely checked by anyone who actually understands the business’s bigger picture. Respectfully, reception or admin teams aren’t the ones shaping growth or innovation — so unless you’re selling cheaper paperclips, your message doesn’t stand a chance.
No scope for introduction
The result? Companies shut themselves off from learning something new — from discovering a product, service, or idea that could make a real commercial difference. Most execs will find more innovation watching Dragons’ Den than in their own offices.
In protecting themselves from the noise, they’re also filtering out possibility — and with it, commercial advantage.
I see it firsthand. Many assume I sell “just another fire.” But our ultra-real flame ambient fires transform entire spaces — hotels, restaurants, care homes — adding warmth, calm, and atmosphere. They lift mood, improve guest experience, and yes, drive sales and revenue.
But can a receptionist be expected to hear all that in a phone call? When asked “what’s the call about?” I say “fires,” and suddenly alarms go off — “IT’S A SALES CALL!” The shutters come down. Conversation over.
Selling is almost impossible today
Trying to introduce, sell, inform, or create has become like charging the front line at Gettysburg — solid, formidable, and fatal to momentum. All in the name of “saving time.”
But if no one ever opens the email, no one ever sees what’s possible.
And so potential customers have to rely on bumping into us at a trade show — right next to the same exhibitors they saw last year. That’s the new definition of discovery.
Business is tougher than ever. Sure, not every call or email will be gold. Some are rubbish. But if you block everything, how do you ever find the nuggets that matter? In mining, it’s called pay dirt — you have to sift through the mud to get to the gold.
Building business walls too high
What really drives me mad is this: the same companies that won’t take my call are the ones calling me to sell their thing. They’re just as guilty.
I made an enquiry about a care home for my 90-year-old father — and that same care home group now calls, emails, and posts letters to me weekly.
So the message is simple: if your own business depends on reaching people… don’t build walls so high that no one can reach you.
