13.05.2024

MAIL OR PHONE CALL - WHEN WHAT TO CHOOSE

Very often, business matters are most easily settled by e-mail. But not in all cases, writes Deutsche Welle. When should I send an email and when would a phone call be more helpful? What are the rules that help good communication?

It has happened to everyone: to ask a question by e-mail, to receive an answer in which, however, not everything is clear - that is, you have to write again and again. With a phone conversation, everything would be clarified much faster - you call and discuss things, someone would advise.

This is true, but it is not always known in advance which channel is most suitable for communication. Everyone happens to send an email where a phone call would make much more sense, or vice versa - depending on preferences. Both channels have both their pluses and minuses, says German communications consultant Sabine Lansing, who has also worked as a career advisor for major concerns such as Thyssen, Siemens, Vodafone and others.

The advantages and disadvantages

The telephone allows for direct communication, where questions are answered immediately, and further contact opportunities are opened up. Anyone can be found relatively easily on the phone, but the time of the call may turn out to be inappropriate, and no written evidence of the conversation remains. In any case, if it is something urgent, the phone is irreplaceable, it also provides an opportunity to quickly clear up the spontaneous questions that have arisen, as well as the ambiguities where email is more difficult to help.

Its advantages are that it can be written from any possible place, at any time, and the recipient can decide for himself when to read it. But there are definitely downsides – the nuances in the conversation are missing, the first email sent may return with requests for new and new details and so on ad infinitum, and leaving the main topic is difficult, i.e. there are limitations, Lansing points out.

According to subject matter expert Andrea Kom, there is one important rule of thumb in email communication to avoid misunderstandings: "If the topic is too complex, emotional, or difficult to describe in a few words, it's better to pick up the phone and have a personal conversation."

When we take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of both communication channels, we can easily identify where their strengths and weaknesses are. And let's decide whether to call or write an email.

When is the phone recommended and when is email recommended?

When introducing yourself - when you have just started a job or have recently taken up a certain position, a call is more appropriate. As well as - if you do not know the interlocutor personally and are not aware of his way of communication. However, in a conversation, it is possible that the topic is not understood correctly, the questions turn out to be too many and there are many points to clarify. If even one of these cases is likely, it is better to give up the phone, advises the expert.

As is well known, we cannot live without e-mails, a large part of our official communication is based on them. They are recommended when the answers to the points mentioned above are negative - as constant phoning is annoying and can disturb the flow of work.

Andrea Kom has formulated a whole 12 steps for creating a perfect email, starting from the correct spelling of the address, the exact wording of the subject and the correct address. From there, the email should have a streamlined structure and the attachments should be labeled. You have to start with the most important, Kom told the German publication "Merkur", then you have to be careful that the wording is unambiguous and the language used is correct. The ending is also not unimportant - the appropriate closing words must be chosen.

However, business phone calls should not be conducted without preparation. "It is important that the caller has an idea of the structure of the conversation in advance and has the relevant arguments," business communication specialist Ute Gitzen-Wieland told the Rheinische Post. Sabine Lansing is of the opinion that emails are an ideal medium when the subject is familiar and the participants in the communication know what it is about, when they know each other and short lines are sufficient. Their value also lies in the fact that "what is written remains", and there is no need to exchange opinions in real time.

A combination of both is optimal

If you have an important phone call coming up, it's best to arrange it first via email, advises the expert. Specify what would be the most suitable moment, and you can clarify in advance the content of the conversation. After that, you can make a short written summary to send to your interlocutor, and thus you will have a protocol that you can return to later.

Whether it's an email or a phone call, think carefully about whether you need to get in touch immediately, says the communications specialist. Her view is that it often makes sense to wait to clarify more things at once.

She also advises to be careful to whom copies of the emails are sent - not to include anyone who does not necessarily need to be familiar with their content. And keep in mind that if it's the boss, bosses often don't read everything they get even though they've been sent a copy. So ask if you're not sure if your supervisor wants to be kept up to date with relevant correspondence.