Okay, okay, you’ve heard it before…stop
emailing. We live in a society where we are too quick to text someone versus
calling them. I’ve been laughing at my son recently as an example. He met a new
girl that he is very interested in. They’ve been communicating over social
medial and texting a lot. But, finally, he had to call her. He even Facetime’s
her. He’s found out what I’ve been preaching to him for some time, communication
is much stronger when you actually talk to someone. You must hear their voice.
You need to look someone in the eyes. Communication is better done live.
In business, as in our personal lives,
there comes a time when email just won’t cut it. Too often people don’t
proofread their emails before they hit send. Spellcheck is not entirely
reliable. And so one’s message may not be entirely clear or convey the
overarching meaning they want to deliver.
Believe it or not, while people are busy,
they want to talk. They want to be heard. They want their message to come across
clear without confusion. And, no amount of emailing can convey the same message
as someone’s live voice. Stop emailing and pick up the telephone.
Long before email existed the telephone
was a primary tool for a sales person. You could have a conversation, hear
objections, answer questions, discuss concerns, and ultimately use your own voice
to convince someone to buy. Email cannot replace your voice. Tonality and how you
say something is as important as what you’re saying. Now, don’t get me wrong, I
believe email has its place, but so does the telephone.
Unfortunately, we also live in a society
that has learned to hit delete very quickly. We get spam email. We get jokes
from our neighbor. We get solicitations and newsletters. We hit delete, delete,
delete. And, because of the nature of email today, we also have become conditioned
to skim versus read. The true meaning of the message is not being digested as
it should be. But, a telephone call can overcome these issues.
Try it before you dismiss it. Pick up
the telephone today and call your clients. Talk to them. Ask them how they are
doing both personally and professionally. Let them hear the sincerity in your voice.
Make them believe in you and your company. Do what email cannot do…tell the
story of why they should be doing business with you.