True or False: No one uses the phone anymore?

This week, I got a message from a colleague asking why I put my phone number in the "From" line of my email messages.

I explained that I do it because I want people to call me -- and it works. In fact, I get comments on it all the time, mostly people thanking me for making it so easy to find my number.

He replied that someone told him "everyone uses e-mail and no one ever calls."

Now, I'm not a big fan of sweeping generalizations, but I also disagree vehemently with this one. Email is not appropriate in all situations (I can think of a few recent incidents when email caused big-time miscommunication). But it seems to me that people are in robot mode when it comes to communication. We respond via email because it's easy, not because it's the best mode of communication for the situation. Email is frivolous, a throw-away. Anyone can send it. It only takes a second and we are overwhelmed by it.

Picking up the phone requires more (relative) effort. More and more, I am advising my clients to call -- and practicing what I preach as well because, not only does it provide the possibility of a dialogue; by calling you also send the "message" that what you have to say is serious, especially if you call twice!

What do you think? Are you in robot mode? Do you use the phone? Do people call you?

Comments

[TurtleBlueBird]

Hi, Ilise - I use the phone all the time, and have found that most people get so few phone calls now (and so many emails!) that many are actually happy to talk instead of type.

Also, I appreciate how you have encouraged me to pick up the phone and call when I otherwise would have "hidden" behind an email. I have had very good results with that advice.

[Bob Dunn]

Yes, the phone is still alive and well in our office. I'm sure we use email more, but it's still nice to have the personal "voice" connection.

And we usually find that clients are more comfortable with one or the other.

It's funny, at times I can be emailing back and forth so much on a particular subject, that often we decide at some point to just pick up the phone -- which makes it easier!

[Allison]

The phone is alive in our office as well, except when it comes to one client in particular. She prefers to use the phone to talk over edits/designs, but can't organize her thoughts at all. So inevitably we end up spending more than half the budget on phone calls with her that last 45 minutes to well over an hour, when she could have collected her thoughts via email in 15 minutes. We've tried to politely get her to make her point, all to no avail. So that's one example where I wish the client use email.

[Amada Lopez]

Telephone is still alive.

It helps a lot to get in touch with my clients in a more personal, warm and effective way. It is much faster to get things done or arranged when we just pick up the phone and make the call.

Email is good too if you want to keep record of your communications, but most of the times it is slower to write an email and then just wait for the client's response. Telephone is faster and effective.

Greetings from Monterrey, NL. Mexico. :)

Amada

[Dani Nordin]

I've been loving the phone, personally - although sometimes it's hard to get "in the mood" for it. Once I get on a roll, though, I actually prefer it to e-mail; it's too easy to just ignore an e-mail, but if you can actually speak to a person it's amazing what can happen.

Just today, in fact, I did a round of cold calls and, while most of them were voicemails, I finally ended up getting one guy on the phone who just HAPPENED to need a bunch of materials for his upcoming tradeshow - score!

So yeah, digging the calls again.

[Jason]

I got some some trade show projects last week too! Only mine came directly from an email "cold" call. Boom!

I think phone is definitely a good thing and has it's place, but not sure it's good for cold calling. No one wants to be bothered with phone calls -- especially when they don't know you. An email is so much less bothersom. It allows the person to respond at HIS convenience.

Phone calls are good once you've met the person, but I'm a big believer in not bothering people... mainly, because I hate to be bothered! Just my opinion. :)