It takes a special kind of person to ignore a phone call from someone who was referred by a good friend. He appears to be part of a growing movement of senior level people who figure that they do not need to return phone calls unless the individual who left the message is important, significant, or could create problems if left uncalled.
If you really want to do business with this individual, you have nothing to lose by being persistent. You should definitely call your friend and let her know what is going on. Perhaps there is an explanation for the lack of response, or perhaps she may be willing to call him again and give a little nudge in your favor.
You should also try calling at different times of the day. If you leave a message, don't just say that your friend told you to call. Try to make your message enticing and let this individual see how he can gain by calling you back.
As for whether you should "forget the whole thing," that is your personal decision. When you are ready to make it, the answer will be extremely obvious.
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