Pick Up the Phone and Call! Don’t Email.

How is it that we are communicating more than ever, but talking less and creating more distance?

Rather than bridging distances, technology can actually hinder your relationships because one can only go so far in building a rapport when you all you have to represent yourself are letters on a screen. There’s so much context that is missed.

Digital communication is drastically changing how we develop and maintain relationships.  To pass a message along, we can use SMS, email, social media and instant messaging.  We are rarely picking up the phone.

Increasing the number of ways to communicate, does not increase your efficiency.  Just because you have the option to, doesn’t mean it’s the right way to conduct your business.

Why is it a problem?

  • Context, context, context. There are so many social cues; facial expressions, body language and the tone of your voice that are impossible to translate in an email. These are all important factors that shape your image and your message.  If you do not know the person, the “tone” of your email can easily be interpreted incorrectly.  Remember, you will never get a second chance to make a good first impression.  You will never get a second chance to make a good #FirstImpression! Click To Tweet
  • Emailing and texting serve additional purposes than just convenience. They can also be very impersonal, and dehumanizing. It’s so easy to dehumanize someone over an email and the anonymity of email makes it easier to be rude. Either you come across as rude, or you’re perceiving them as rude. Even missing common salutations and commonalities could rub someone the wrong way.We humans interpret email and text differently. we tend to come to the conclusions like they hate us because it was a one sentence reply with no salutation. Even, if they used a smiley face emoticon, we can perceive them as less competent and powerful. Crazy isn’t it? Could you imagine a phone call equivalent? Imagine if someone laughs over a phone call, and you automatically conclude they’re weak. Or if someone doesn’t greet you by your first name over the phone, you are automatically offended.
  • There are no substitute for the real thing.  Human connection that brings value and depth can only occur through voice (sound) and sight.  Texting and email can be a good choice, it’s safe. But if you want something more real and personal, call them.
    Think of your closest people in your life, would they mean as much to you if you only ever talked to them via email? Of course not!

When you call someone, the other person doesn’t have time to thoroughly think their thoughts through and edit them like they would be able to on email or text, their answers are much more authentic, honest, and importantly, human.

Calling them gets that deal closed sooner. Starts your relationship better, and increases the strength and quality of your social networks. So pick up that phone, and go talk more, talk to your mentor, talk to your boss, talk to that client. It’s a great skill to have.

Go talk!

Sources:

Boutelle, C. (n.d.). E-mail Smiley Faces Not Suitable for Most Business Correspondence. Retrieved May 01, 2017, from http://www.siop.org/Media/News/smiley.aspx

Klie, L. (2014, November 01). Business Voicemail Goes Unanswered. Retrieved April 28, 2017, from http://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/Columns-Departments/Insight/Business-Voicemail-Goes-Unanswered-100080.aspx

Krakovsky, M. (2004, March 01). The Pitfalls of E-mail. Retrieved May 01, 2017, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200403/the-pitfalls-e-mail

Tjan, A. K. (2014, July 23). Don’t Send That Email. Pick up the Phone! Retrieved May 01, 2017, from https://hbr.org/2011/11/dont-send-that-email-pick-up-t.html