E-mail vs. Phone: When to Use Them in Sales

We’re really quite fortunate to live and work in an age with so many ways to communicate with our colleagues. Can you imagine sales without the benefit and convenience of e-mail, or a phone, or e-mail on our phones?

Today, despite the variety of tools at our disposal, most people tend to rely on e-mail and phone communications for business. Let’s examine both methods and when to use one over the other, and share some tips for making the most from your next e-mail or phone call.

First, let’s consider the telephone call. There has been some misconception that the popularity of the phone has declined with the advent of e-mail. However, one need only look at the near ubiquity of the mobile phone to understand that’s not the case. Phone calls haven’t declined; they’ve just been supplemented by e-mail. As a result, rather than picking up the phone for every conversation, we’re more selective about who we need to speak with, how urgently, and for what purpose.

E-mail on the other hand tends to be used freely for everything from a brief reply to a lengthy, detail-saturated dispatch and myriad other types of correspondence. E-mail is a boon to business, allowing us to communicate at our convenience without inconveniencing others. It has also become a crutch or a catchall for tasks we would rather avoid or not work too hard to accomplish.

Whether you’re a die-hard talker or a committed e-mailer, there is a preferable method for every sales conversation. To ascertain which method best suits the task at hand, consider which will accomplish your goal in the shortest amount of time. If you still aren’t sure, this may lend some helpful insight.

When E-mail Is a Good Choice

• Keep a record of the communication: In instances when it will be beneficial to have a digital record of a specific conversation, delivery of a document, or e-mail agreement to a price or a project, e-mail is a very effective tool.
• Keep track of details: You know the old saying, “the devil is in the detail.” It’s an apt description for those pesky but often critically important parts of a transaction, project, plan, or contract. By capturing those details in an e-mail, you reduce the risk of overlooking something important and you create a record for others to reference.
• Follow up: This is probably the second best use of e-mail, especially after meeting or speaking with a new prospect or customer. This simple step allows you to continue the dialogue with your customer and communicate your enthusiasm, organizational capabilities, and project management skills.
• Provide status, updates, and minutes: E-mail makes it very simple to provide brief status updates on activities and projects, easily keeping colleagues, managers, and customers in the loop.

Of course, e-mail often tends to venture into those sensitive subjects better left to a phone call. In fact, e-mail has become a convenient replacement for difficult discussions. Why suffer through the anxiety of an uncomfortable conversation when you can send a chipper e-mail and hopefully avoid it altogether? That’s a brilliant plan, but it does you, your employee, or your customer a disservice. It’s in these and countless other situations when a phone call is the better option.

When the Phone Is a Good Choice

• Sensitive subjects or details: It’s tempting to rely on e-mail to avoid a difficult conversation, but often a personal touch and the ability to respond immediately to a complaint or concern is the best way to solve the problem.
• E-mail overload: When too much e-mail or too many details start flowing, it’s easy to lose track of a conversation. Sometimes a brief phone conversation is needed to cut through the inbox clutter.
• Tone: Sometimes you need to hear what the other person isn’t saying. Most of us have learned the hard way that sarcasm doesn’t always translate well via e-mail. There are times when it’s important to hear the voice inflections, pauses, or even silence that a phone call can reveal.
• First impression: When you’re introducing yourself, your company, or your proposal, and face-to-face interaction isn’t possible, a phone call is the next best way to make a good first impression. No matter how well-written or engaging your e-mail content, it simply cannot deliver the same experience.
• Clarity: When you need to review details or actions outlined in writing, the phone is a better choice. A few minutes by phone to walk through a document or plan allows both parties to provide additional detail or clarity on the subject.

As business communicators, we’ve become very adept at assigning certain tools to specific situations in order to maximize our time. E-mail allows more flexibility and is an excellent method for recording your communications. Phone conversations allow your personality to shine through and offer a sense of immediacy. Whether you prefer the personal touch of a phone call or the convenience of e-mail, the real challenge is to choose the best tool to convey the right message and influence the desired outcome. It’s your call (pun intended), but when in doubt, it’s probably best to pick up the phone.

Andrew Pearce is chief executive of Powwownow, which offers low-cost conference calling facilities with no booking or billing.