Is it Easy to Communicate via Email?
As I have said in the past, I enjoy communicating with freelance writing clients via email and telephone. On one side, email is great because it is fast and effective. But on the other side of things, when you use the telephone it is easier to get on the same page. Through my experience, and I think most of you will agree, it is easy to communicate via email. That being said, you need to realize that there are some things to avoid when using email to stay in touch with clients.
It is easy to communicate via email if you provide the right information. If you don’t, you are going to find yourself exchanging email after email for no reason at all. While email is a great tool, it can also be a huge time waster if you let it. To avoid this, use a relevant subject line, and then get to the point in the body of the email. In other words, make it easy for the recipient to understand what you are saying.
While you need to send enough information, you don’t want to go overboard. This can lead to information overload and a situation where the recipient does not understand what you are after. For instance, if you are sending a quote via email make sure you don’t go overboard with other information. This will make it easier on you as well as the recipient. More information is not always better when it comes to email communication.
Don’t say anything via email that you wouldn’t say over the phone or in person. It is easy to hide behind your computer and talk a big game. But if you are not willing to say it in person you should not write it in an email. An example of this would be somebody who has no problem sending angry emails, but would never speak a bad word on the phone with a client. Don’t be one of these people. Keep a friendly, respectful tone with each email you send.
It is easy to communicate via email if you offer the right information and keep an even tone. Do you use this communication tool to your advantage? If you are a freelancer of any kind your answer should be yes.
