I sent you an e-mail a week ago.

You responded just now.

That’s normal for lawyers.

It’s not normal for anyone else.

A client who sends you an e-mail right now is looking for a response—soon. Her physician responds. Her accountant responds. Even her cable TV provider responds.

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe you’ve convinced her to wait a week. Maybe you set her expectations so she’s not waiting on a quick response. Maybe she’s unusually patient. I doubt it.

She’s waiting. She’s glancing at her phone frequently.

She knows you got the e-mail because she sees how distracted you are when you’re focusing on your iPhone during meetings with her at $400 a hour. She knows you read it.

If her frustration peaks, she’ll fire you and hire someone new. If it doesn’t, then she’ll just tell people she wasn’t impressed when they ask her to suggest a lawyer.

It’s not about you. It’s not about your workload. It’s not about the thing you’re in the middle of right now. All of that matters to you—not to her.

What is it about? It’s about what she’s going to tell her friends, family, and colleagues about you.