Benefits of Phone Communication
Many members of my freelance writing course ask about how they should be communicating with clients. Obviously, email is common right now and probably always will be. It is simple and efficient to send and receive emails. But remember, this is far from your only option. You must also consider the benefits of phone communication. I know that some of you guys and gals probably think I am crazy. Even though you may not enjoy speaking with clients on the phone, many of you will fall in love with it soon enough.
Here are three benefits of phone communication:
1. Quicker than email. This may be hard to believe, but it is true. In one phone call you can cover a lot of ground. This is much more efficient than sending a large quantity of emails back and forth. Most of my client phone calls don’t last for more than five to ten minutes. Upon completion of the conversation we are on the same page and probably won’t need to speak again for a few days.
2. It breaks up the boredom of working alone day after day. I love speaking with clients on the phone because it allows me to hear a live voice instead of simply reading emails and instant messages.
3. You can easily gauge your customer’s satisfaction and overall tone. Let’s face it; this is not always easy to do via email. When you speak on the phone it is easy to determine what the client is feeling, good or bad. In turn, you know for sure if you are making the right moves or need to change things as you continue your relationship.
This does not mean that email and other forms of communication are bad for you, but you should be comfortable using the phone to communicate with clients. This is especially true if they stress a desire to do so.Â
