With e-verything “e” these days, chatting consists of opening an online dialog box or tweeting with tweeple. Gone are the days when one’s phone used to ring off the hook. Today, it seems everyone is off the hook when it comes to verbal communication.
Recently, I found myself explaining the wonderful world of Twitter (in less than 140 characters of course) to a friend and tenured marketing exec who tends to resist technology.
After fervently flapping about fail whales, becoming entangled in a web of widgets and deciding there wasn’t an app to further this discussion; I realized we should have met for drinks, not lunch.
So, I got back to basics to find our common ground—the telephone. For some reason, the age-old technique of picking up the phone for a real-life conversation is now overlooked.
Don’t get me wrong, e-mail is important and often convenient. However, sometimes it can be impersonal and the writer’s tone easily misunderstood. Likewise, some occasions just benefit from real-time, verbal dialogue.
At Canyon Communications, we have a few best practices when it comes to calling vs. e-mailing (principles apply to personal life too). We pick up the phone when e-mail:
- Becomes too verbose
- Contains an idea that could get lost in translation
- Necessitates more than two replies back and forth
Relationship building is a vital part of every business. Don’t forget that creating and maintaining those crucial relationships requires taking advantage of the entire communication spectrum.
What do you think? How often do you pick up the phone these days? What other best practices do you follow? Share your thoughts in the comments.
