What's best, email or call someone ? Glad you asked :)
Also read the bottom to find out how YOU can win a 3 day HOLIDAY !
3 bonus holidays every year, dead easy, and no luck involved !
Below are 5 reasons when Calling can be better,
and 15 reasons when Emailing can be better for you.
The main philosophy and reason why I'm all for EMAILing or SMSing and not CALLing is that it saves a lot of TIME & is ASYNCHRONOUS:
CALLING interupts ! Its synchronous.
Ie. BOTH at the same time, so it usually interupts one side. Like your TV broadcasts, when they, the TV network wants to, NOT when YOU want it.
EMAILING or SMSING is convenient for BOTH sides ! Its asynchronous. BOTH sides can choose to read/reply when it suits. Kind of like what JOOST.com did for TV. (See my TV lifestyle post).
When CALLING is better than emailing:
1- when it saves time & hassle BACK&FORTH emails (but it can cause back&forth phone tagging anyway)
2- when there's sensitive DETAIL to be covered that cant be properly explained in email
3- when you dont have ACCESS to email (but even then SMS is more convenient)
4- great when its PRE-ARRANGED so suits BOTH, and not pot-luck & hope you're not interupting
5- when you loath for more HUMAN interaction before you meet, emotions 'n fluffy stuff :)
I personally prefer to spend quality time face2face, and not over the phone, unless we both want a nice long chat (pre-arranged ideally)
When EMAILING is better than calling:
1- It's far QUICKER & easier ! (1 email can be written & sent in 5-15sec ! A call takes 1-3min+ !)
2- I/you dont lose TIME on silly phone TAGGING or staying on-hold ! No dead time.
3- I/you may not be able to PICKUP the phone (meeting, toilet, enjoying a bath, driving, working,on another call,...). (prevent phone tagging !)
4- I/you may not have your CALENDAR handy (so you can fix a date anyway)
5- I/you may have 10's of others online in short MEETINGS via skype text-chat, videochat, etc.
6- I/you may not want to suddenly STOP all you're working on or thinking on just to take a random call
7- I/you may be enjoying a relaxing delicious DINNER (and dont want to be interupted)
8- I/you may not be in the MOOD to talk
9- I/you may be focused on a major PROJECT (and cant be interupted)
10- I/you may have your MIND elsewhere, thinking of something completely different
11- I/you can SMS faster than calling if short/straight-forward, & your mind can keep thinking on other topics/issues
12- Your email/discussion may DEPEND on another email you're waiting on
13- Its free so SAVES you time & money !
14- I/you may be COOKING or washing dishes
15- I/you may be having SEX ! :)
I never understood why in films they always answer the phone during ... !? Hmm, it wouldnt be a "film" otherwise huh.
Bottomline:
if you spend time calling instead of emailing 8x/day x 5min = 40min/day x 5 days = 3hrs/week or 9 awake days/year! Now lets say you're interupted only HALF this time, that's still almost 1 full work-WEEK lost! Be smart, Use email smartly, and enjoy your BONUS WEEK HOLIDAY ! :)
Let me enlighten you with another 3x3x3 tip and make you a BONUS 3 days/year - your 3 day HOLIDAY! Instead of spending 3min on calls just 3x/day, just email. That's it! EASY!
This will magically make you an extra 1hr/week or 3 days/year you can spend lying on the beach, go camping, go diving, or anything else you LOVE doing !
Now you wont have to say "I'm too busy" or "I dont have time" anymore ! :)
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