Dazt49, good post.But don't underestimate the benefits of...

Dazt49, good post.

But don't underestimate the benefits of talking over the phone once you get past the poor receptionist, who in this case used to be shared between several companies. The tone of the conversation can save you a fortune. I used to speak to John H in Utah as well. He started out chatty and informative (without compromising confidentiality, which was never my expectation) but later the "body language" of the calls turned negative.

I don't think e-mails or letters work nearly as well. Too much time to calculate the response. Face to face best, phone call second best. As you say, if you've got a $40k or $400k at stake, what's stopping you?