Email vs. IM vs. telephone
Web designer and blogger extraordinaire Dawud Miracle has an interesting guest post up at eMoms at Home about picking up the phone vs. relying overly on email as a way to communicate.
I'm wholly guilty of using email as a way to hide—er...communicate, and generally go to the phone as a last resort.
But today, dealing with a complex job request from a friend, I moved from email to telephone and even instant messaging to do the trick: email was good for forwarding a lot of text and links; IM did the trick to check in with the designer I wanted to refer my friend to; and telephone was great for...well, for when my fingers got tired.
Plus, it was really nice to hear my friend's voice!
How do you handle your communications? Do you find yourself relying on one or two methods? Or are you good at mixing it up, situation-dependent?
And if so, pleeeeeease share your secrets for staying aware in the comments!
Ok, you got me...I'm guilty.
I'm not a Gen Y'er, I'm not a Gen X'er...I'm not a boomer, and I'm not a "whatever-you-call-the-other-group." I'm somewhere in the middle.
I wrote my reports in high school using the "card catalog" in the library, and I wrote my papers in college using "The Internet."
So, to communicate I use anything I can. In the past month, just thinking of one of my closest friends in Ojai (California) I have:
called his house
called his mobile phone
sent a post card to his POBox
e-mailed him
talked to him over dinner
gone on a bike ride from Ojai to Ventura and back
In my business venture, picking client at random, I have:
left a voicemail after hours
sent a copy of a "favorite book" with a card in the mail
written a letter, including an article I thought she'd enjoy
e-mailed a link to a website
and talked voice-to-voice both at work and on her mobile
Here's my rule of thumb, the second time I'm about to e-mail someone about the "same thing," I call them just to see if we can handle it over the phone...
Posted by: Jason W. Womack, MEd, MA | September 07, 2007 at 05:57 PM
Here's my rule of thumb, the second time I'm about to e-mail someone about the "same thing," I call them just to see if we can handle it over the phone...
Bingo! That's the secret trick! Thanks, Jason, for the insights. Knowing you as I do, I'm not surprised you're such a great multi-media-tasker. (Hey...did I just coin a new term?)
Posted by: Colleen Wainwright | September 07, 2007 at 06:52 PM
The telephone can work wonders. One thing I like to do from time to time is to pick up the phone and call one of my customers, randomly, just to say "Hi" and see how the product is working for them.
Just someone who's bought a book, or joined my membership site. It's nice to make the connection, I hear surprising feedback sometimes, and it helps to build the web of intimacy.
The funny thing is- my phone almost never rings. I get a LOT of email, but most people don't just pick up the phone. I think it's a great thing to do, myself.
Although, as someone who works at home, and hasn't had to deal with a corporate or office environment in nearly 20 years, I loathe the coming wave of video phoning that no doubt will become the norm in the next 5 years or so... :)
Posted by: Mark Silver | September 08, 2007 at 12:14 PM
Video phoning!?! Horrors heaped upon horrors!
I don't mind the occasional iChat with The BF's kids, but video is a novelty item for me. Especially since I gave up TV :-)
Posted by: Colleen Wainwright | September 08, 2007 at 12:52 PM
You know, I've noticed lately that my phone barely rings anymore either, and my cell phone rings a bit more often than my landline. I was starting to think it was me....
Also, as we've been selling my new book directly, some people have been calling to buy it rather than order it on the web site and they seem very surprised when I answer the phone, so I'm going to keep answering.
One more thing: I recently had an exchange with an editor who was considering one of my articles and had asked for a couple changes. But we'd gone back and forth so much that I was confused about what we'd decided. So I picked up the phone to work it out and we had a lovely chat. Turns out he appreciates making that connection voice-to-voice too. It really puts a damper on the fantasizing that goes on when all you have with someone is an email exchange and there's tons of room to imagine all sorts of crazy stuff.
Posted by: Ilise Benun | September 08, 2007 at 08:58 PM
Definitely guilty of e-mail hiding here. Then I learned how to set limits on the phone, and phone became the quicker medium. "I'm about to jump on another call right now, but I have a few minutes...how can I help you?" Or just, "What's up?" After getting my shyness card laminated in Kindergarten 1981, I had to learn how to make small talk. But in business some people appreciate when you just get to the point. Turns out it's so much easier to connect by phone, and you end up saving time because there are fewer miscommunications. I still have to remind myself daily to call at least 2 people, just so I don't fall back into the habit of relying on e-mail for everything. Yes, there is a cure for shyness. It is called using the telephone, even when you don't particularly want to. I've actually come to like it.
Posted by: Kelly Parkinson | September 10, 2007 at 07:37 PM
Also, as we've been selling my new book directly, some people have been calling to buy it rather than order it on the web site
Weird. Did you guys put on a late-night TV ad with an 800 number? ;-)
Kelly - I may try your excellent ploys. I think part of my hatred of the phone is too much yakking.
Posted by: Colleen Wainwright | September 10, 2007 at 08:15 PM
The problem with relying upon one medium or another is that what your prefered medium is, may not be the preferred method of your client or prospect. I have many people that don't use email at all and just as many that hate taking time on the phone unless they have to.
Find what works best for your contact and use it to the extent you can. Otherwise mix it up.
Posted by: Nicole Bandes | September 12, 2007 at 12:18 AM