In his song, "best I ever had", Gavin Degraw says, “I’m lookin’ at the crowd and they’re staring at their cell phones.”
There is no better way to tell someone they don’t matter to you than to split your attention between them and your phone. If you do that while talking to a booker, you won’t get the gig. You can say, “I can multi-task. Really, I’m listening.” But the meeting will be over. Even while you’re still there, you’re done.
You have a real flesh and blood person in front of you who can give you money. The person on the phone might be important, or they could be wasting your time. Don’t let them interrupt. It’s like cold water in the face of the person you’re talking to. Even if they use their phone as a prop to seem important or busy, don’t do it back.
There was a time when a “mobile phone” was a big deal, but today homeless people have them. Get over yourself and show some self-control. You can read a text later, and a caller will leave a message. In a meeting, phones go on silent. Grown Folks is talking.
If you really want to stand out from your competition, search for articles on active listening techniques. The simple body posture of leaning toward the person you’re speaking to and tilting your head slightly makes them feel that you’re engaged and listening. When a person perceives that you’re actively listening, they like you more, and we all know we’d rather work with people we like. Likeability translates into cash in this industry.
Women especially hate it when you’re just waiting for your turn to talk. Show that you are listening and it sets you apart from the other bands, playing with their phones like a toddler on a road trip.