As a business owner, one of the things that you might wonder is when should you use email and when should you use the phone. Are there times when you should use email vs phone and vice versa? Since this is a common conundrum, we thought that it would be a helpful topic to cover in one of our posts. So, let’s look at a quick and easy guide.
When to Use Email vs Phone
Below are some of the times when it’s best to use email rather than calling the person:
- When you have a quick question that is a lot faster to write than call and ask.
- A follow-up when you don’t want to look like you’re too pushy or aggressive. It allows a prospect to answer at his or her convenience.
- Anytime you need to have your own written correspondence record.
- When you are discussing very complex and detailed steps that are important for someone to refer back to. These could be things like software instructions or new procedures.
When to Use the Phone Instead of Email
As you can see, most of the above, with the exception of the last one, are quick and easy things. Now, let’s look at the times when you should use the phone.
When You’re Finding Out Any Information – A lot of people find it easier to talk than to write. Many times more information is provided while talking than when writing an email or letter.
Therefore, when you in need of information, you want to get it over the phone. You are going to get a lot more details doing this. Some details often will be left out in the emails.
When You’re Conveying Anything Sensitive or Negative – It’s easy to read emails time and again. They also can poorly conduct sympathy and empathy.
When it’s necessary to give someone critical feedback, let someone know they didn’t get the job or promotion or talk about a hard topic that could lead to heat-filled exchanges or conflict, it’s important to call.
Email’s most definitely easier during these cases. However, it’s not professional appropriate when it comes to sensitive topics.
Here are some other advantages of using a phone call over email:
- Breeds authenticity and trust. It shows you’re genuine. It also shows that you’re trying to convey a message that isn’t spamming them.
- It’s a lot more personal.
- It helps to build a more solid relationship.
- You lower the risk of the person misunderstanding you. You can’t convey your voice’s tone, emotion, and clear pauses in an email. This can make the recipient to take your message in the wrong way.
As you can see, there are times when you should use your email vs phone. But there are also times when you want to call someone. If you want your message to be clear and there’s any chance of a misunderstanding, a phone call is always best.
