Converting Phone Calls to Emails

Robby

If you ever hear someone reciting a long sequence of numbers or letters over a phone call, it’s a good sign that the message they are sending really should be an email instead. After all, who really wants to hear ” Type H T T P colon forward slash forward slash double-u double-u double-u amazon dot com forward slash capital K… “

Of course, if you’re the one hearing these words it can be hard to push back.  Stopping them mid-sentence to suggest they email you would be rude. So instead, consider blaming something else. “Hang on, I have another call coming in. Is there any way you could email this to me?” Or, ask for repetition a few times, and then blame a bad connection.

The telephone is great for collaboration and discussion, but it’s not a particularly effective tool for communicating precise details. There’s too much room for error and it can be extremely slow.

There are times you need to get out from behind the computer and pick up the telephone. But other times, you need to get off the phone and send an email.

If the call you’re on should be an email, try to convert it to that. And if the email you’re on should be a call, pick up the phone!

Tags: appointments, calender, email, email management, execution, phone-call, phone-calls, prioritization, schedule, self-policing, time-management