I love email. I use it dozens of times a day to send messages. And I know I am not alone, as I also receive dozens of emails each day.
But every now and again I like to pick up the telephone and actually talk to a person.
What is strange, is when I do, I often get a puzzled response. It seems that for some people the computer hasn’t augmented how we communicate with one another, it has replaced it.
The best thing about email, in my opinion, is the ability to send documents, photographs, videos and web links. It is a miracle of technology that when working on a client project, we can instantly send the client a graphic layout for approval even if that client is on the other side of the world.
In the pre-internet world, it would take days to get artwork or even photographs to a client. Then it would take days to get it back with comments. Today, it is all done in the blink of an eye.
However, back to my point, while email has that ability, it has gradually replaced basic conversation. And it shouldn’t.
There is no reason to send an email when a phone call will achieve the same result. Yes, there are situations when people travel and using email is easier than playing phone tag. But more often than not people use email to avoid speaking to one another.
That’s why in our marketing firm we make a point of picking up the phone and talking to our clients at least a couple times a week (as well as meeting when it makes sense). There is something about hearing a client’s voice that an email can’t replace.
And I’m happy to report that we practice what we preach. We also encourage clients to pick their phones and call us even if it is just to say hello.