For those who may be having trouble reaching certain providers, make sure to check their ads and see if they have any specific instructions about HOW to contact them. Some prefer texts over calls, some don't accept VOIP (Google voice, burner app, etc) numbers, etc. If someone texts them ignoring their instructions, they may not even bother responding. Some only work during certain hours and if you're only ever texting outside of those hours, you might never get a response. Also give some consideration to what you're saying in those opening texts. Something like "Hi XXXXX, my name is John and I'm interested in a 1 hr appointment, are you available around XXX time, and if not what times would work for you?" are a lot more likely to get a response than "Hey" or "Available?

Just seen a lot of examples in this business lately of guys failing at the basics right out of the gate, so hopefully this helps some of you have better experiences! Figured I'd try making one of these "user blog" posts as sort of a PSA, and maybe some other experienced clients can also share their advice here.